Ceva Animal Health, maker of Amodip, has launched a free online feline ophthalmology course called ‘Looking hypertension in the eye’.

Ceva says the aim of the course is to enable vets to get the most out of their ocular exams and gain confidence in identifying ocular lesions associated with feline hypertension.

The course is presented by Dr Ben Blacklock BVSc (Hons), Dipl. ECVO, MRCVS, senior lecturer in veterinary ophthalmology at the University of Edinburgh. 

It comprises of 10 short videos grouped into four sessions, along with a self-assessment quiz to consolidate learning for each module.

The course counts for a total of two hours’ CPD.

Course content includes: the patient/equipment set up and getting the most from an ophthalmoscope; determining what is normal and what is abnormal during ocular examinations; an overview of ocular pathologies associated with hypertension; avoiding common pitfalls and mistakes; and hints and tips on how to take photographs of the fundus on a mobile phone.

To register, visit www.veterinarywebinars.com/community/ceva.

Boehringer Ingelheim has announced a two-year charity partnership with StreetVet, the organisation delivering free veterinary care to the animals of people in the UK experiencing homelessness.

The partnership includes a minimum donation of £10,000 which the company hopes to bolster with additional volunteering and fundraising support.

Gerard Ensink, Head of Animal Health UK and Ireland at Boehringer Ingelheim said: “We are truly delighted to be supporting StreetVet.

“There is already so much passion for the charity within our company.

"Even before we announced this charity partnership, several of our colleagues have been volunteers with StreetVet in a personal capacity.

"We look forward to supporting StreetVet and believe that together we can make a real difference to individuals and their pets who are experiencing homelessness.”

https://www.streetvet.co.uk 

Petplan has announced the finalists for this year's Veterinary Awards. 

This year, there have been over 30,000 nominations for the awards. 

The finalists this year are:

Vet of the Year
Andrew Hayes, Towcester Equine Vets, Towcester
Clare McCabe (pictured right), Claymill Veterinary Clinic, Cookstown
Laurence Behrens, Goddard Veterinary Group, Dagenham

Vet Nurse of the Year
Caroline Jones, Battle Flatts Veterinary Surgery, York
Helen Rooney, Pet Blood Bank, Loughborough
Lesley Ramsey, Debenham Veterinary Practice, Stowmarket 

Practice Support Staff of the Year
Rhiannon Lewis, Streatham Hill Vets, Streatham
Laura Cameron, Lomond Veterinary Clinic, Helensburgh
Louise O’ Reilly, Vets4Pets, Llanrumney 

Practice Manager of the Year
Kristen Lorimer, Blue House Veterinary Centre, Stoke-on-Trent
Louise Newman, Blue Cross Vets, Merton
Nicki Ridgeway, Vets4Pets, Ridgeway

Practice of the Year
Hollybank Veterinary Centre, Northwich
Lanes Vets, Poulton
Milfeddygon Williams Vets, Gwynedd 

The awards will be hosted at the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel, Manchester on 23rd March.

Bella von Mesterhazey, Sales & Marketing Director at Petplan, said: “This year’s finalist line-up includes an outstanding array of veterinary professionals and practices, and Petplan is delighted to be celebrating the highest achievements in pet healthcare once again." 

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has published research which sheds light on the frequency, risk factors and linked health problems associated with periodontal disease in pet cats in the UK.

RVC researchers say that the VetCompass study is the largest ever carried out into dental disease in cats using veterinary clinical records.

The study investigated a sample of 18,249 cats randomly selected from a study population of 1,255,130 cats in the UK in 2019.

Periodontal disease was recorded in 15.2% of the sample making it the most common disorder. 

The cat breeds with the highest annual levels of this diagnosis were Siamese (18.7%), Maine Coon (16.7%) and British Short Hair (15.5%) as well as crossbreeds (15.4%).

The average bodyweight of cats with periodontal disease (5.7kg) was higher than for cats without periodontal disease (5.5kg).

The risk of periodontal disease rose steeply as cats got older, with cats aged 9 to 12 years being 6.7 times more likely to have periodontal disease compared with cats aged under 3 years.

Cats with periodontal disease were much more likely to have a range of other health conditions compared to cats without periodontal disease (x 1.8 risk).

These conditions included cardiac dysrhythmia (x 2.3 risk), ear discharge (x 2.3 risk) and hairball/furball (x 2.3 risk).

The researchers say that these findings suggest that periodontal disease should be acknowledged as a leading health and welfare issue in cats, and highlight the need for greater dental care in cats as they age. 

The study was supported by an award from the Kennel Club Charitable Trust and Agria Pet Insurance.

Voting has opened for the 2023 RCVS Council elections.

There are 10 candidates standing this year and vets can vote for up to three of them until 5pm on Friday 21st April 2023:

• Professor David Barrett FRCVS
• Linda Belton MRCVS
• Dr Martin Chamberlain MRCVS
• Daniel Doherty MRCVS
• James Gartside MRCVS
• Steven Howard MRCVS
• Tim Hutchinson MRCVS
• Dr Alice McLeish MRCVS
• Professor Chris Proudman FRCVS
• Dr Peter Robinson MRCVS

The biographies and statements for each candidate are available at www.rcvs.org.uk/vetvote23 where each candidate has also answered two questions of their choice submitted by members of the profession.

The three candidates who receive the most votes will take up their four-year terms on RCVS Council at the RCVS Annual General Meeting on Friday 7th July 2023.

Any veterinary surgeons who have not received their voting email should contact CES directly on support@cesvotes.com stating which election they intend to vote in.

RCVS Council has approved a trial protocol which will allow the College to launch private prosecutions against unqualified individuals breaching the Veterinary Surgeons Act from April 2023.

Under the protocol trial, the RCVS can launch private prosecutions against unqualified people practising veterinary surgery or using the title 'veterinary surgeon'.

The College says that where breaches of the Veterinary Surgeons Act cross over to other criminal offences, for example, fraud by false representation, they will be more properly dealt with by the relevant police force.

Local authority trading standards agencies will also deal with issues around, for example, misleading courses that purport to lead to registration with the RCVS but do not; concerns about dog grooming businesses and concerns about dog breeding establishments (other than where there is illegal practice of veterinary surgery by unqualified persons).

Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar and Director of Legal Services, said: “This protocol recognises that there are constraints on the time, resourcing, and budgets of both the police and public prosecutors which means that the pursuit of these breaches of the Veterinary Surgeons Act, both of which carry minor criminal penalties, is not necessarily a priority.

“While we are always willing to work with the police and other agencies to pursue such breaches, the protocol details how we can act independently where appropriate and ensure we are fulfilling our stated ambition to safeguard the interests of the public and animals, as well as the reputation of the professions, by ensuring that only those registered with us can carry out acts of veterinary surgery.

“We would like to manage expectations around this trial period as we will only be launching private prosecutions where they meet the criminal evidential standards of ‘beyond a reasonable doubt’ and it is judged to be in the public interest to do so.

"We will also be relying on members of the professions and the public to report breaches and provide sufficient evidence to us, as we have no statutory investigatory powers.”

The trial period will last for one year and the College has set aside £50,000 to pursue private prosecutions.

The trial will be overseen by the Disciplinary Committee/ Preliminary Investigation Committee Liaison Committee while decisions on whether to pursue private prosecutions will lie with the Registrar/ Director of Legal Services.

Suspected breaches of the Veterinary Surgeons Act can be reported to the RCVS Professional Conduct Department on breachvsa@rcvs.org.uk.

CVS has announced that from the start of March, it will provide free tampons and towels for all staff whilst at work. 

The company says it estimates that 75% of its staff have periods and many will find themselves caught short without a pad or tampon when they have an earlier or heavier period than expected.

This can be very embarrassing and stressful, so tampon/towel dispensing machines are being installed in the loos at every CVS veterinary practice and site in the UK.

Helen Finney, Group HR Director at CVS, said: “We want to provide dignity and peace of mind for all of the colleagues who work at CVS.

"We wouldn't expect colleagues to have to bring their own toilet paper to work.

"So those who experience periods shouldn't fear being caught short either.

"In a busy practice it can be difficult to ask a colleague if they have a tampon or towel, or to find time to go out to buy supplies.

“By providing free period products to colleagues while at work, we are seeking to help in one small but meaningful way.”

When one stops to think about this (albeit as the male editor of a veterinary website), it is something of a wonder that it has taken this long. Helen's quote about loo paper hits the nail on the head. Why do all work loos not have period products by default?

Cardiff-based Nicola Jade Burrows MRCVS has been restored to the Register by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee, following her removal in May 2021 for dishonesty over insurance claims.

At the hearing, the Disciplinary Committee considered whether she had accepted the findings of the Committee at the original inquiry hearing, the seriousness of those findings, whether she had demonstrated insight into her past conduct, and the protection of the public and the public interest.

In her restoration application, Dr Burrows included continuing professional development (CPD) certificates for the courses she had completed since her removal from the Register, letters/informal witness statements from the veterinary surgeons and nurses she had worked who had expressed a willingness to employ her again, together with character references and reflection statements.

She also made a detailed opening statement in support of her application, in which she said that the period since her name was removed from the Register was extremely difficult and also that she now unconditionally accepted all the Committee’s original findings in May 2021, some of which she had previously denied and had failed to acknowledge.

Dr Burrows went on to state that she only had herself to blame for her actions and that she now understood and accepted that the original sanction of removal from the register had needed to be severe given the serious breach of trust to the public, to the veterinary profession and the insurance industry that was a direct consequence of her dishonest actions.

Since removal from the Register, Dr Burrows had taken on the role of receptionist in a Vets4Pets practice in Cardiff, which required her to deal directly with the public and their insurance requests and entitlements.

She stated that as a result of her involvement over the past 18 months in processing insurance claims, she acknowledges the “delicate” relationship between veterinary surgeons, clients and insurers.

Additionally, working as a receptionist, had allowed her to recognise the need for contemporaneous and clear clinical notes.

She also highlighted her CPD, which was relevant to insurance, as well as the fact she’d undertaken a professional ethics course to assist her rehabilitation, reflection, and insight.

In support of Dr Burrows’ restoration to the Register, the Committee took into account three witness accounts from people who work at the Vets4Pets branch where Dr Burrows works as a receptionist.

All witnesses gave positive reflections on Dr Burrows’ character and assured the Committee that they would provide the correct level of support to allow her to return to work safely and that they would have all the necessary safeguarding measures in place to ensure that the public’s and the profession’s interest is always at the forefront.

Judith Way, chairing the Disciplinary Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee was impressed by the fact that busy professionals chose to give up their time to provide witness statements and give evidence in support of Dr Burrows’ application.

"All witnesses were clearly supportive of Dr Burrows’ request for restoration to the Register.

“The Committee found Dr Burrows to show remorse and she does now accept the findings of dishonesty that were made against her in the original enquiry hearing and stated that her conduct was dishonest.

"In the Committee’s view, the evidence given by Dr Burrows on affirmation was very believable and she now accepts her dishonesty together with the gravity of her dishonesty.

“The Committee also formed the view that the steps she has taken to address her dishonesty serve to confirm that she is passionate about the prospect that she be allowed to return to practise.

"The Committee was impressed by Dr Burrows and the evidence given and is now satisfied that she will ensure the highest standards of probity and honesty in the future.

“Having taken all evidence into account, the Committee is satisfied that the future welfare of animals under Dr Burrows’ responsibility will be properly protected, and that her future dealings with insurers will be honest in all respects and that the interests of the public will be met.”

https://www.rcvs.org.uk/concerns/disciplinary-hearings

Video Vets Now, the telemedicine arm of Vets Now, has reported a 54% year on year growth in the use of its service in 2022, and says the redefinition of 'under care' will pave the way for further opportunities.

Vets Now launched the service at the start of the pandemic to provide remote veterinary advice, and it has now expanded from eight to nearly 30 emergency vets. 

In 2022, Video Vets Now had over 13,000 consultations, with 80% of these occurring out-of-hours. Sundays are the busiest day, with almost a third of all consultations taking place.

Of these total consultations, 17% of pets were discharged normally, 7% were immediately referred in-clinic, and 48% were discharged as non-emergency cases, but with a recommendation to get a daytime vet appointment within 48 hours.

Dave Leicester, Vets Now’s head of telehealth says the fact that so few of Video Vets Now calls are referred on to a face-to-face consultation is a real benefit for pet owners and the veterinary profession: “Over two thirds of cases don’t need to be seen urgently by a vet.

"A lot of the cases are pet owners needing some clinical reassurance.

"As cases are triaged remotely, the service therefore frees up clinical staff for genuine emergencies. 

“Additionally, without the service, many clients would have no other option than to attend for a full consultation at an out-of-hours clinic; so, clients save money too, allowing them to save their budget to spend at their daytime practices.

“Following the triage consultation, if the pet does need a non-urgent face-to-face consultation, we always direct clients to their registered vet. The £24 Video Vets Now consultation fee is then refunded.

"We call this our ‘Never Pay Twice’ promise, and it applies regardless of where that follow on consultation takes place.

"We see this as a win-win situation for clients and practices.” 

Dave continued: “Over the past three years, Video Vets Now has seen unparalleled growth, providing essential care and reassurance for pet owners during a time of many challenges to traditional veterinary practice.

“As the pandemic has drawn to a close, we have consolidated our position as one of the UK's foremost providers of teletriage.

"Looking to the future, the changes in veterinary regulation will allow us to grow further and expand the range of services we can provide, bringing telehealth to an even greater number of pet owners.”

Darvall has launched the Stinger Ultra veterinary anaesthesia machine, designed to modernise veterinary anaesthesia techniques.

The new machine is a modular system using low-flow anaesthesia for animals from 2-80kg. 

The company says that compared to anaesthetic techniques which use high fresh gas flow rates, it functions without posing a risk to team members from the huge amounts of oxygen and inhalational anaesthetic agents that would otherwise be released.

In turn, this results in cost savings from unwasted agents, and a typical 5 to 10 times reduction in environmental damage.

Darvall founder, Dr Colin Dunlop, said: “For optimal outcome from anaesthesia, veterinary anaesthesiologists and veterinarians routinely make decisions about the physiological well-being of the patient, the environmental impact of their actions, the operational efficiency of their practice and cost-effectiveness.

"Having suitable equipment that uses low-flow anaesthesia will reduce the risk of hypothermia, improve team safety, reduce environmental emissions and reduce costs.”

“Low-flow anaesthesia not only reduces oxygen flows and inhalant agent consumption to less than 10% of high-flow, non-rebreathing systems, it can help reduce anaesthetic hypothermia because it uses warm gas when using the Darvall heated breathing circuits.

"Using our specifically designed modern system for veterinary patients addresses the traditional challenges associated with low-flow anaesthesia and hypothermia.

Darvall says the use of just one system will also simplify staff training and ensure familiarity. 

https://darvallvet.com 

Katharine Power MRCVS has been cleared of serious professional misconduct by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee.

Dr Power faced a number of charges relating to alleged clinical and communications failings surrounding surgery carried out on two separate dogs on two separate occasions.

The first concerned laryngeal tieback surgery carried out on Harvey, a Tibetan Terrier in March 2018, and the second concerned oesophageal surgery carried out on a boxer dog, Boss, in October 2018.

The College withdrew a number of the charges at the start of the hearing, and more later after hearing from witnesses. 

Of the remainder, Dr Power admitted that she had not undertaken pre-operative radiographs before proceeding with the laryngeal surgery, had failed to perform the surgery appropriately (she dissected excessive tissue and had inappropriately placed sutures), and had undertaken the surgery when it was outside her area of competence.

In relation to the oesophageal surgery, Dr Power admitted failing to provide a referral report and/or clinical records to the veterinary practice he was referred from, despite requests from the practice.

The Committee found that the majority of the charges which had not been withdrawn or admitted by Dr Power, not proven.

However, the Committee found that in addition to the admitted charges, Dr Power had subjected the dog undergoing oesophageal surgery to an excessive 9.5 hours of anaesthesia.

The Committee then went on to consider whether the proven charges amounted to serious professional conduct.

Counsel for the College submitted that Dr Power’s conduct breached the part of the Code of Professional Conduct relating to veterinary surgeons keeping within their area of competence and referring responsibly; and providing veterinary care that is appropriate and adequate.

In terms of aggravating factors, the College submitted that there was both actual injury to the animal, as well as actions that posed a risk of injury, that Dr Power financially benefitted from the alleged misconduct as she was paid to perform a procedure outside her competence, and that she occupied a position of increased trust and responsibility as she advertised herself as a practitioner who accepted referrals and was competent to perform soft tissue surgery.

Dr Power’s counsel submitted that the charges that had been found proven amounted to clinical and administrative failings and that this was not a case of a veterinary surgeon deliberately or recklessly acting outside of their capabilities, but rather a case where a diligent and responsible veterinary surgeon had fallen short in discrete areas of her clinical practice and had reasonably believed at the time that she was competent to perform the surgery.

The Committee found that although the conduct within the proven charges fell short of what would be reasonably expected of a veterinary surgeon, it did not fall so far short that her conduct constituted serious professional misconduct.

Paul Morris, chairing the Disciplinary Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee understood that it had a responsibility to consider the wider public interest, taking into account the view of a reasonable member of the public in possession of all the relevant facts and information.

“The Committee considered that such a member of the public would understand that veterinary surgery is a challenging profession. It was of the view that such a member of the public would not expect perfection, but understand that any professional practitioner may make mistakes in the course of their practice.

“It is the judgement of this Committee that the respondent’s conduct does not constitute disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.”

The full findings of the Disciplinary Committee can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary

Zoetis has presented the results of two studies looking at the impact of Librela (bedinvetmab) and Solensia (frunevetmab) on the quality of life (QoL) of dogs and cats with osteoarthritis (OA).

For the studies, the owners of 68 dogs treated with Librela and 44 cats treated with Solensia answered 22 questions in the case of dogs and 20 questions in the case of cats on VetMetrica, a digital HRQL instrument.

With a scale of 0-6, cats were rated on vitality, comfort and emotional wellbeing, and dogs on energetic/enthusiastic, happy/content, active/comfortable and calm/relaxed, over a period of 70 days.

The studies concluded that both Librela and Solensia produced a significant improvement in HRQL within 14 days of initial treatment, which was the first time the QOL impact was measured.

The improvement was maintained for the duration of the study.

Jacky Reid, BVMS PhD DVA, CEO of NewMetrica, now part of Zoetis, said: “Assessing and understanding how OA-related pain impacts emotional and physical well-being in particular circumstances, broadens the perspective in relation to pain management.

“HRQL measurements are not generally implemented in veterinary science at this time, so it’s exciting to see how it’s proving effective at adding value to existing functional measures.

"Particularly, helping us understand how pain management impacts the physical and emotional wellbeing of animals and will ultimately boost pet owner confidence.”

Oya Canbas, Zoetis UK General Manager, explained: “With an ever-growing bond between humans and animals, and pets leading longer lives, pet owners are more motivated than ever to support their pet’s wellbeing.

"However, not all are aware of the negative impacts of chronic disease, with signs of OA pain often mistaken as ‘normal’ signs of aging.

"This is why we need to increase awareness, to tackle under-diagnosis of OA pain.

"Common medications used to treat cases of OA pain that are diagnosed are often Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs).

"While effective, these can have limitations, such as for middle aged to senior pets which have other diseases, requiring multiple medications.

"Some will not tolerate NSAIDs, and not all pets respond to NSAID therapy.

"So, expanding prescription choices is a privilege.”

References

1. Reid J, Bartram D, Thompson J, Scales-Theobald E, Gildea E. Measuring improvement in quality of life of dogs with osteoarthritis (OA) treated with bedinvetmab(Librela®, Zoetis, Inc., Parsippany, NJ) using an app-based, validated, owner-reported, health-related quality of life (HRQL) outcome measure (VetMetrica). BSAVA Congress 2023.
2. Reid J, Bartram D, Thompson J, Scales-Theobald E, Gildea E. Measuring improvement in quality of life of cats with osteoarthritis (OA) treated with frunevetmab(Solensia, Zoetis, Inc., Parsippany, NJ) using an app-based, validated, owner-reported, health-related quality of life (HRQL) outcome measure (VetMetrica).) using an app-based, validated, owner-reported, health-related quality of life (HRQL) outcome measure (VetMetrica). BSAVA Congress 2023.