Eurican Herpes is used to vaccinate pregnant bitches to prevent mortality, clinical signs and lesions in puppies from canine herpes virus infections acquired in the first few days of life, through passive immunity. It is the only canine herpes vaccine.
Humphrey Grimmett, Business Head for the pet prescription portfolio at Boehringer Ingelheim said: “We do understand how disruptive and frustrating it is when vaccines such as Eurican Herpes aren’t available to veterinary practices.
“We would like to reassure veterinary practices that we are doing everything we can behind the scenes to re-establish supply of Eurican Herpes, and we thank them for their support and patience.”
For further information, contact Boehringer’s Technical Services Team on 01344 746957 or email vetenquiries@boehringer-ingelheim.com.
NOAH Chair Gaynor Hillier said: "The production and supply of veterinary medicines is totally dependent on complex international supply chains that must continue to function effectively after Brexit, their unique status being recognised in the recent government White Paper.
"Raw materials will need to arrive at manufacturing sites and veterinary medicines will need to be transported across borders to meet market requirements. Any border delays, additional complex processes or increased costs will risk medicines availability for UK vets, farmers and all our animals."
According to a recent NOAH member survey, less than 15% of companies say they are prepared for a 'hard Brexit' with the vast majority of respondents saying they are not fully prepared should there be a reversion to WTO rules on 30 March 2019.
NOAH says this is not through lack of effort or unawareness of the need to act, but due to the magnitude of the complex tasks involved in such a specialist sector, coupled with uncertainty over what a 'no-deal' Brexit will look like.
In contrast, almost 60% of companies said they are prepared for a transition period to December 2020. Even then, NOAH says the proposed transition period will not be enough in some cases.
The survey examined product availability in the UK: almost 55% of respondents reported potential availability issues for the UK market impacting more than 40% of their products. The full spectrum of types of products (from vaccines to painkillers: from antibiotics to wormers) across all animal species (farm, equine and pet) are potentially at risk, with particular concerns raised around the supply chain for vaccines.
EnteroZoo is a dietary supplement composed of organic mineral and purified water in a gel suspension. Enteromed says it works by binding bacterial toxins as it passes through the animal's digestive tract, thereby helping to maintain a healthy gut and intestinal balance.
Enteromed says that compared to old classic adsorbents, such as clay or charcoal, EnteroZoo can be used long-term and is gentle on an animal's intestines.
The company points to a new in-vitro study from Brighton University School of Pharmacy & Biomolecular Sciences which has shown that EnteroZoo adsorbs E. coli, Shigella and C. difficile toxins1 – common causes of gastrointestinal infection and diarrhoea.
EnteroZoo is suitable for all animals including pregnant and nursing females. It is tasteless and odourless and the company says animals generally accept it without any problems. It can be administered in various ways: directly into the mouth, mixed into feed, put on a treat, mixed in an appropriate amount of water or administered with a plastic syringe into the oral cavity.
For more information, contact: enterozoo@enteromed.co.uk, or visit: www.enterozoo.co.uk
Reference
Whilst the decision has been welcomed by the BVA and leading animal charities, it has not been entirely free of controversy. According to various reports, the Press Association has seen a letter from Defra to the Royal Veterinary College in February this year, which said the scientific studies it had commissioned were 'not strong enough to support a ban'.
Talking to the BBC, Ian Gregory, a lobbyist for pet collar manufacturers said that charities had also exaggerated the shock delivered by the collars, which at typically one millijoule is 1000 times less than cattle fencing. He argued that: "The anecdotal problems reported with pet collars can be resolved by product standards rather than by banning a proven technology".
The government has stopped short of banning invisible fencing systems which can keep pets away from roads, saying that the devices are particularly useful for cat owners and animals often respond well to invisible fencing and quickly learn to stay within a boundary without receiving a static pulse.
BVA President John Fishwick said: "As we review the latest evidence on the welfare impact of pulse pet containment fences, we would like to see them covered by a code of practice, as well as the regulation of the sale of these devices and manufacturer’s instructions, to ensure that the potential adverse effects of use are highlighted to animal owners and consumers."
Photo: Shutterstock
Dr Thomason initially denied both heads of charge, but on the third day of the hearing he changed his plea and admitted the charge in its entirety.
The first part of the charge related to the fact that the seller of the horse was a both a client of Dr Thomason’s practice and a personal friend of his, and he therefore had a potential and/or actual conflict of interest.
Dr Thomason did not disclose this professional and personal relationship to the prospective purchaser before the pre-purchase exam.
The prospective purchaser only discovered Dr Thomason’s relationship with the seller when reading the vetting certificate at home, and stated that, in the past, she had had a similar experience in which the horse was then found to be lame. She later found out the extent of the personal relationship, when invited to join the seller on a social media site.
The Committee found that, in this set of circumstances, Dr Thomason should not have undertaken the pre-purchase exam at all, and, at the very least, disclosed his personal and professional relationship with the vendor.
The Committee also found that although Dr Thomason did have a system in place to inform any prospective purchasers if the vendor was a client of his practice, this failed to work on this occasion and neither the practice nor Dr Thomason told the prospective buyer that the seller was a client before booking the pre-purchase exam. Dr Thomason had no similar system in place to disclose any close friendships with sellers.
Dr Thomason did not consider there was a conflict of interest as he felt confident he could carry out the pre-purchase exam impartially. In addition, it was his belief that the seller had been alerted to the conflict through a system in place at his practice, implemented to safeguard against this type of error. He stated that he in no way attempted to hide his relationship with the seller to the prospective purchaser.
It was not alleged that Dr Thomason had acted dishonestly.
Ultimately, the Committee found Dr Thomason not guilty of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.
Ian Green, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "Whilst the Committee concluded that the respondent’s view of his obligations to disclose both the professional and personal relationships he had with the vendor was mistaken, it did not find any improper motivation on his part. It has already noted that he sought to disclose to the prospective purchaser through his system the fact that the vendor was a professional client of his.
"The Committee has weighed all these matters very carefully. It is for the client to determine whether or not to proceed with a PPE when in possession of all relevant facts in relation to any potential conflict of interest, and not for the veterinary surgeon to decide. The autonomy of the client must be respected. The Committee was firmly of the opinion that a failure to comply with the Code is very serious. However, taking into account the particulars of this case, the Committee does not consider that the actions of the respondent amount to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect."
The extension includes a new diagnostic imaging suite with both CT and MRI scanners, a fourth operating theatre, two more consulting rooms, an additional ward for dogs and an expanded office for clinicians.
North Downs hospital director Terry Emmerson said: "This significant investment illustrates our commitment to providing the highest standards of medical and surgical care for our pets in a caring, compassionate environment.
"It has provided us with a number of important new facilities, allowing us to continue to build on our services and our level of care.
As part of the expansion, North Downs has also recruited five more clinicians, two specialising in small animal surgery, one in neurology, one in ophthalmology and one in anaesthesia.
Mr Emmerson said: "All the investment in facilities and technology is very important and exciting but we also recognised the need to invest in recruiting more talented staff to help us make the most of it all.
"That’s why we have added five new clinicians in several key disciplines and in turn increased the size of our clinicians’ office to help incorporate those additional staff.
"It all means we can now offer an even better service, leading facilities and treatment within a far more structured and organised layout which helps makes everything more efficient and user-friendly for staff and patients."
For more information about North Downs Specialist Referrals, visit www.ndsr.co.uk.
Moxiclear contains moxidectin and imidacloprid.
In dogs, Moxiclear can be used for the treatment and prevention of flea infestations and as part of a treatment plan for flea allergic dermatitis. It is also indicated for lungworm, ear mites, sarcoptes mites, biting lice, round worm, hookworm, whipworm, skinworm, and prevents heartworm.
In cats, Moxiclear can be used for the treatment and prevention of flea infestation and flea allergic dermatitis, as well as ear mite infestations. It is also indicated for notoedric mange, gastrointestinal nematodes; whipworm, roundworm and hookworm, and for the prevention of heartworm disease.
In ferrets, Moxiclear can be used to treat and prevent flea infestation, and prevent heartworm.
Moxiclear is available for 4kg-40kg dogs, with four pipette fill sizes. Small cats and ferrets weighing less than 4kg are catered for with a 0.4ml pipette. Large cats weighing 4-8kg can be treated with the Moxiclear 0.8ml pipette.
Lorron Bright, Norbrook Product Manager, said: "Moxiclear offers good value, broad-spectrum parasite control for dogs, cats and ferrets. This latest launch provides our customers with an excellent value, alternative choice for a imidacloprid/moxidectin product."
Richard Palmer, Norbrook Global Head of Sales and Marketing, said: "Moxiclear spot-on is the 11th product we have launched in the past three years. Six of the new products are in the companion animal sector as we continue to strengthen our foothold in the growing global companion animal market. Norbrook is committed to delivering a strong new product pipeline, along with our multi-year £50 million investment programme."
Carl's article: 'Are you using a safety checklist in your practice?', focuses on the benefits of introducing a safety checklist in practice to reduce patient morbidity, mortality and to improve communication between members of the veterinary team.
He explains how a checklist helps eliminate the need to memorise every single step of a protocol and self-limit any errors that may eventually lead to a fatal or near-fatal incident, and how it should contain a limited number of elements, allow quick completion and most importantly be relevant to the situation.
The article includes information on how to introduce a safety checklist, steps to consider and how to use one in practice.
It also contains links to downloadable tools including the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists (AVA) safety checklist and implementation booklet and information on the association’s ‘Safer Anaesthesia Project’. An editable safety checklist will also be available to download from the ‘Anaesthesia1ST’ blog that practices can adapt to their own requirements.
Richard Beckwith, country manager of Jurox (UK) said: "Our hugely popular Anaesthesia1ST newsletter features state-of-the-art, practical and easy to read articles to help veterinary professionals deliver 1ST class anaesthesia to all patients. Our latest edition will challenge practices to consider safety checklists as an essential part of their pre-anaesthetic routine in order to reduce the risk of mistakes."
To sign up to the Anaesthesia1ST newsletter visit the Alfaxan website – www.alfaxan.co.uk, contact your local Jurox technical sales representative or email Jurox at info@jurox.co.uk.
Alexander Reiter and Margherita Gracis formed the new editorial team and selected an international collection of leaders in their fields of expertise to contribute to this latest edition.
Alexander said: "This is a timely publication, as veterinary dentistry is a field that continues to grow in importance for the general veterinary practitioner. We found it important to add 'Oral Surgery' to this new edition, as many procedures performed in and around the mouth involve surgical techniques."
The BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Dentistry and Oral Surgery, 4th edition, is an accessible source of core information for general small animal veterinary surgeons, nurses/technicians and students interested in developing their theoretical knowledge and practical skills in dentistry and oral surgery.
The manual is now available from the BSAVA website (www.bsava.com/shop), the BSAVA Library (www.bsavalibrary.com/manuals), or by phone: 01452 726700.
The aim of the competition is to highlight top tips for pet owners and the benefits of building a den to help calm and reassure dogs during the fireworks festivities.
Practices that want to take part in the in the competition need to post pictures of their dens and waiting rooms on the Ceva Animal Health Facebook page in October. The winning practice will receive a £200 voucher and there are 10 runner up prizes of luxury chocolate hampers.
Abigail King, behaviour product manager at Ceva Animal Health, said: "Our hugely popular fireworks display competition encourages veterinary practices to create eye-catching and imaginative displays that help educate pet owners on what can be done at home to help calm and reassure pets with firework fears."
Ceva has a range of marketing materials for veterinary practices to use in the competition, including waiting room materials.
For further information, contact your Ceva territory manager.
Working in collaboration with researchers at University of Texas, Southwestern (UTSW) Medical Center, the team has succeeded in using gene editing techniques on dogs to restore the expression of the dystrophin protein that is absent in DMD patients’ muscles to levels that could be life changing.
DMD is the most common, fatal, genetic disease that affects children. The same disorder also occurs in many dog breeds. It is caused by mutations in the gene that encodes dystrophin, a crucial protein that helps protect muscle fibres and the heart when they contract. Patients with the disease produce effectively no dystrophin protein, so their muscles and heart become damaged during contraction, leading to inability to walk, skeletal deformities, breathing problems and heart failure. Patients with DMD have a life expectancy that does not go far beyond their twenties.
Researchers say that this preliminary research, published in Science, demonstrates an approach that could lead to an effective, in principle one-time treatment for DMD for the most common genetic mutations affecting human patients. Through a single intravenous injection, researchers have been able to modify the dystrophin gene in many muscles of the body, including the heart, with the result that some muscles now had almost the normal amounts of dystrophin protein.
The team, led by Eric Olson, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Molecular Biology at UTSW Medical Center and founder and chief science advisor of Exonics Therapeutics, and Richard Piercy, Ph.D., MRCVS, Professor of Comparative Neuromuscular Disease at the RVC, identified a naturally-occurring mutation in the dystrophin gene in a dog brought to the RVC’s Small Animal Referral Hospital.
Working now with relatives of this first dog, the combined group has used a technique called ‘SingleCut CRISPR gene editing’, where the researchers target a specific region of the subject’s own DNA. Harmless viruses encoding the gene-editing protein CRISPR/Cas9 were used to express the enzyme in muscle to cut the dogs’ own DNA at a precise location in the dystrophin gene through use of a molecular guide. The body’s own processes then repair the cut, which results in removing the negative effects of the existing mutation.
The researchers have demonstrated that dogs treated in this way had restored ability to produce large amounts of the dystrophin protein in their muscles and heart, and in the dog with the highest dose, cardiac muscles were found to have restored dystrophin protein to up to 92% of normal amounts after the single treatment.
The team believes this is the first time that this form of gene editing therapy has been conducted after birth in an animal larger than a rodent. With further longer-term research, efficacy and safety testing, it is hoped that this breakthrough will have human application. This treatment may be a significant step toward developing a gene editing therapy to repair genetic mutations for DMD, as well as a range of diseases caused by genetic mutations.
Richard Piercy, Professor of Comparative Neuromuscular Disease at the RVC, said: "Researchers have been looking for an effective and durable treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy for many years. This SingleCut gene editing approach, pioneered by Dr. Eric Olson’s group, has the potential to be a one-time treatment that could restore dystrophin protein. It is hugely exciting that through a single intravenous injection we’ve been able successfully to modify the dogs’ own DNA so they start generating dystrophin protein again. There is more work to be done, but with this exciting breakthrough, we feel we are a significant step closer to finding an effective treatment.
"A great many genetic diseases affect humans, dogs and other species - many, like DMD - with tragic consequences and this form of gene editing treatment might well be applicable in many of them. We’re hopeful that we’re paving the way for future research into treating some of the most serious genetic conditions that affect us today."
The online seminar, which equates to one hour’s CPD, features six UK experts in equine endocrinology, with the objective of supporting equine and mixed practice vets in using the clinical history to guide their interpretation of the basal ACTH test results and subsequent treatment decisions.
The speakers participating in the Equine Endocrine Pioneers Circle are:
Harry Carslake MA VetMB DipACVIM MRCVS: Senior lecturer in equine medicine at the University of Liverpool
Edd Knowles MA VetMB MVetMed DipECEIM MRCVS: Specialist in Equine internal medicine at Bell Equine Veterinary clinic
Professor Cathy McGowan BVSc DipVetClinStud MACVSc PhD DEIM DipECEIM FHEA MRCVS: Head of Department of Equine Clinical Science and Director of Veterinary Postgraduate Education at the University of Liverpool
Dr Nicola Menzies-Gow MA VetMB PhD DipECEIM Cert EM(Int Med) MRCVS: Reader in equine medicine at the Royal Veterinary College
Victoria South MA VetMB CertAVP(EM) DipECEIM MRCVS: Senior assistant at Liphook Equine Hospital
Nicola Steele BVM&S CertAVP(EM) MRCVS: Fyrnwy Equine Clinic and Director of Veterinary CPD (Equine and Large Animal)
The webinar considers when vets should test for PPID and decision-making on the best test to use, how to interpret grey zone results and also how to interpret problematic follow up tests. The experts have different opinions on some of these areas, allowing vets in practice to see the different ways in which cases can be viewed and managed.
These principles are then reinforced by the use of three clinical case scenarios with the patients all having the same basal ACTH result but a different selection of clinical signs.
Liz Barrett, equine business head at Boehringer Ingelheim said: "Since the launch of our Talk About Laminitis initiative in 2012, more than 50,000 horses have benefited from complimentary basal ACTH tests to aid the diagnosis of PPID, however two common areas of uncertainty in interpreting ACTH results still exist. Firstly, the interpretation of borderline, equivocal or ‘grey-zone’ results and when PPID treatment should or shouldn’t be recommended and secondly, the interpretation of follow-up ACTH test results and when to advise altering the treatment dose.
"The Equine Endocrine Pioneers Circle webinar allows vets to update their knowledge on this broad subject area and illustrates that there is often more than one way to approach the diagnosis, treatment and management of the PPID case."
To view the Equine Endocrine Pioneers Circle webinar on the Boehringer Academy visit https://www.boehringer-academy.co.uk/webinar/bil205
Your tip could be clinical in nature (perhaps specific to a particular discipline, like cardiology or exotics), or to do with practice management, or dealing with clients, or HR, or, well, anything really.
To enter the competition, login to VetSurgeon.org and submit your tip in the forum, here.
Just before you press the button to post your tip, you might like to tick the box marked: "EMAIL ME REPLIES TO THIS POST" which appears immediately above the post button. That way, you'll get an email when someone else posts a tip.
Above each post in the forum, there is now a 'Thank You' link, which allows members to express their thanks for sharing something. The five tips that generate the largest number of 'thank yous' by the end of November will win the Amazon vouchers.
VetSurgeon.org is all about facilitating the sharing of knowledge, ideas and experience. So any tip entered into the competition will also be disseminated, together with the contributor's name, on other social media channels, such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and if you include a photo, on Instagram.
VetSurgeon.org Arlo Guthrie said: "The competition is really designed to show off the new 'thank you' feature on VetSurgeon, which allows members to show their appreciation when someone shares something useful with their peers. In due course, we'll be running similar competitions for the most thanked photos and videos uploaded to our galleries. Watch this space."
1,300 veterinary surgeons responded to the BVA survey, which was carried out in July. They were asked what Official Controls Qualification (OCQ) they hold or have held in the past, and give reasons for dropping a previously held qualification or choosing not to revalidate.
According to the BVA, many respondents criticised the current training and revalidation process, which is administered by Improve International on behalf of the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).
Factors including time, the cumulative cost of renewing each module at regular intervals, a lack of relevance and duplication of learning across different modules were all cited as reasons for choosing to drop qualifications.
25% of vets who currently hold the Essential Skills OCQ say they are planning not to renew the qualification, with 67% saying it is because of the expiry of grandfather rights and 66% saying it is because they find the requirements too onerous.
18% of those who currently hold the Tuberculin Testing OCQ are not planning on renewing, either because they are finding the revalidation requirements too onerous (58%), too expensive (42%) or because the work is not sufficiently rewarding (42%).
35% of those who hold the Statutory Surveillance OCQ are not planning on renewing, primarily because of overly onerous revalidation requirements.
The largest drop off is predicted amongst holders of the Exports OCQ, 38.4% of whom said they plan not to revalidate.
Amongst the species bolt-ons, 45.5% of the holders of the Small Animal Exports OCQ, 51% of the Ungulate Exports OCQ, 66% of the Equine Exports OCQ, 72.5% of the Avian Exports OCQ, 47% of the Product Exports OCQ, 68% of the Germinal Products Exports OCQ and 32% of the Companion Animals OCQ said they plan not to renew, either because of the expiry of grandfather rights, or the expense or, in the case of Ungulate Exports, because revalidation is too onerous.
In the current system equine exports are included in the ungulate export OCQ, which the BVA says was a concern for those vets who only work with farm animals. APHA and Improve International have helpfully introduced an equine-only OCQ for exports that better meets the needs of equine-only vets.
BVA reports that it has had a positive meeting with APHA to discuss the survey results and explore practical solutions to iron out issues with the current system and make it easier to use. As a next step, BVA has agreed to review the modules and make recommendations for improving the structure of training and the revalidation process.
BVA President John Fishwick said: "The unprecedented response rate to this survey really hits home the strength of feeling on this issue. There is an urgent need to review and improve the revalidation process to safeguard against capacity and capability issues in this critical section of the workforce.
"It’s really positive that APHA recognises that there are issues with the current system and is keen to work with us to make it more proportionate and fit for purpose while continuing to maintain high standards. It’s more important than ever to retain skilled professionals so that the workforce is at full strength to respond robustly to disease outbreaks and meet demand for export certification after Brexit."
Andrew Soldan, APHA Veterinary Director said: "The integrity of our official controls and export certification is vitally important. The Official Controls Qualifications are a key part of this as they provide standardised OV training as well as assurance of high standards. I’m grateful to BVA for their assistance as we look to make further improvements to the system in the future."
Sue, an RCVS and European Specialist in Veterinary Dermatalogy and Senior Vice President of the European Society of Dermatology, says the failure to prioritise pain relief is having a "profound effect on the quality of life of both dogs and clients."
Sue is urging vets to think about the impact that pain has on both the dog and owner in cases of OE: "Otitis externa is painful, it’s debilitating, and the degree of discomfort is often underestimated by both the veterinary surgeon and by the client."
Sue also says vets should not underestimate the owner’s concern about pain in their dog. Owners recognise the clinical signs associated with the pain of OE and determine treatment success by their dog recovering from these distressing symptoms.
To help manage the pain associated with OE, Sue recommends a multi-modal approach: "In addition to systemic pain relief, which is really important, a potent topical steroid is really useful to reduce the inflammation inside that dog’s ear, and make it much more comfortable."
Sue also highlights OE treatments which are able to coat the ear canal and stay there long enough to treat the pathogens and provide sustained pain relief: "When you put it into the ear, Osurnia Gel coats the lining of the external ear canal which gives prolonged contact with the lining of the canal to help treat the pathogens inside that dog’s ear."
Elanco says that despite Osurnia entering the market two years ago, some vets are still saving it for difficult cases. Sue said: "Too many vets use this [Osurnia] as a second-line drug and it should be used as a first-line product on the first occasion the dog comes through the door."
To watch the full series of videos and to find out more from Sue Paterson on treating otitis externa in dogs, visit: www.Osurnia.co.uk
The MSD Animal Health Research Bursary for Veterinary Surgeons offers three awards, consisting of two ruminant bursaries and one companion animal bursary, of up to £4,000 each.
Each project should be completed within one to two years and the vet practitioner proposals will be judged by university academics to ensure independent assessment.
The companion animal research bursary will be assessed by the University of Nottingham Centre for Evidence-based Veterinary Medicine and the ruminant research bursary applications will be assessed by academic staff from the University of Bristol School of Veterinary Science.
Michelle Townley, veterinary advisor at MSD Animal Health (pictured right) said: "Our Vet Surgeon Research Bursaries have an important role to play in encouraging vet surgeons to continue to develop their research skills. New knowledge and good research skills form the life-blood of the industry so we’re keen to see proposals from both ruminant and companion animal practitioners. Being awarded a bursary has proved to be a career-changing experience for some participants so we’re keen to get as many applications as possible as part of our investment in the veterinary industry."
The deadline for entries is 30th November 2018. For more information, visit www.msdahresearchbursary.co.uk.
Dr Crawford sent the email to his client, Mrs X, on 15 July 2014, the day on which Mrs X’s horse was due for insemination using horse semen supplied from a horse in Germany. However, the semen had arrived without the Intra Trade Certificate, a requirement for intra-EU inseminations, and so Dr Crawford proceeded to contact the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) for alternative authorisation.
Just after 4:30pm on that day, Mrs X received a text from Dr Crawford advising her that he had received authorisation from the AHVLA, and would forward to Mrs X the AHVLA authorisation email. It later transpired that that the email had in fact been fabricated by Dr Crawford using an email that he had previously received from the AHVLA regarding another matter.
Dr Crawford faced the following charges:
Fabricating an e-mail purporting to be from the veterinary officer at the AVHLA, authorising use of semen from a horse for insemination, when in fact he had not received such authorisation.
Dishonesty in relation to the e-mail described above.
His conduct gave rise to spread of infectious disease which had the potential to affect equine animal health and welfare in the region.
Dr Crawford admitted the first two charges, but denied that his actions had given rise to the risk of disease.
The Committee found the first two charges proved, and moved on to determine the facts of the third charge. They took into account that Dr Crawford had received verbal confirmation that the semen was safe, and that the health papers had been stamped accordingly. He had not, however, seen a copy of this certificate and so there was no guarantee that the semen was safe to use at the time he sent the fabricated email. On consideration of the facts, the Committee found this charge proved, as Mrs X’s mare could have been infected and subsequently could have adversely affected equine animal health and welfare in the region.
They also found that his entire course of action had fallen far short of what is expected of a veterinary surgeon, and that it amounted to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.
When determining sanction, the Committee took into account a number of aggravating factors, namely the risk of injury to animals, an element of pre-meditation, a disregard for the role of the AHVLA, impersonating a fellow veterinary surgeon, and intending to deceive a veterinary surgeon as well as a member of the public.
It did also, however, take into account the mitigating factors – that there was no injury to the animal, and that it was a single isolated incident from which Dr Crawford did not stand to make any financial gain.
The Committee therefore decided to order the Registrar to suspend Dr Crawford’s registration for 12 months.
Ian Green, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The Committee did consider whether to remove Dr Crawford from the Register. However, in light of the significant mitigation in this case, the fact that this was an isolated incident in an otherwise unblemished career, together with his acceptance from the outset that he had been dishonest and his assurance that he would never behave in this way again, the Committee decided that in all the circumstances to remove him from the Register would be disproportionate."
Dr Crawford can lodge an appeal with the Privy Council within 28 days of being notified of the Disciplinary Committee's decision.
Zenifel contains synthetic feline facial pheromones which imitate the facial F3 pheromone which has been found to be significantly important when it comes to cats creating areas they feel safe and relaxed in1.
According to the company, Zenifel contains a 48ml vial of the same synthetic F3 feline facial pheromone as the market leader, but, thanks to its own diffusion system and a higher concentration of F3, lasts up to 6 weeks; i.e. 50% longer. This, says Virbac, means that Zenifel is both more economical and more environmentally friendly.
Alongside the launch of the new product, Virbac is offering a practice support pack which includes things you need to create a calm area for feline visitors and promote the benefits of pheromones to pet owners. The company is also running a promotion in which practices could be eligible for a year’s free supply of Zenifel.
For more information, contact your local Virbac Territory Manager.
Michael qualified from the University of Glasgow in 2009 and then worked in first opinion practice in Buckinghamshire and Northern Ireland. He then returned to the University of Glasgow in 2012 to further his training and experience in oncology by completing four years of additional training. He completed an ECVIM residency in oncology in 2016 and became a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and a European Specialist in Oncology in 2017. Michael worked at a private referral practice in Surrey prior to joining Fitzpatrick Referrals. Earlier this year, Michael was awarded a Masters degree in Veterinary Medicine. This additional qualification researched canine mast cell tumours.
Michael said: "I am absolutely delighted to have joined Fitzpatrick Referrals Oncology and Soft Tissue hospital. I have had a long-standing ambition to work as part of the fantastic team here since visiting the hospital during my specialist training in 2015. At this visit, I immediately felt at home in a group of people driven to deliver the very best compassionate care for dogs and cats.
"My ambition is to develop the very best ways to minimise the impact that cancer has on animals. I know that Fitzpatrick Referrals is the best environment for me to be able to achieve this. Throughout the hospital, there is an amazing positive attitude and a collective drive to improve the overall care we can give to pets with cancer. I am also excited by the opportunity to be able to help others to achieve their goals in improving cancer care for pets."
Dr Bremner was convicted in 2017 of harassing his ex-wife, and for perverting the course of justice by sending his daughter an e-mail, pressuring her to ask her mother to withdraw the charges against him. He pleaded guilty to both of the charges, saying he did not understand that it was a condition of his bail that he could not contact his ex-wife. He also expressed shame and remorse at his actions, explaining that his behaviour was triggered by extreme anger, grief and stress.
In relation to the charges, the Respondent was committed to prison for 12 months, suspended for 12 months, ordered to comply with a Rehabilitation Activity Requirement within 12 months, and ordered to pay £85 in costs and £115 as a surcharge to pay for victim services.
The Committee found the facts proved based on the certified copy of the certificate of conviction, as well as the Respondent’s admissions to the facts of the charges. It was satisfied that the Respondent brought the profession into disrepute by the seriousness of his convictions. In addition, the Committee regarded the Respondent as having deficient insight and a need to fully accept personal responsibility for his actions and their consequences.
The Committee was also satisfied that the nature of the communications sent by the Respondent which led to the convictions and the breach of bail conditions, coupled with deficient insight amounted to serious professional misconduct and rendered him unfit to practise veterinary surgery.
The Committee considered various mitigating factors including the fact that no actual harm occurred to any animal, there were no concerns raised about the respondent’s practice, that he has a long and unblemished career, and that he showed some insight into his offences which continues to develop.
The Committee also took into account that preventing the Respondent from practicing could mean the loss of jobs for 33 or so employees, which weighed heavily on their decision. The Committee also agreed with the RCVS’s submissions that there was a very low likelihood of repetition of the offending behaviour. Aggravating factors included the emotional harm caused to the Respondent’s ex-wife, and that the harassment was a course of conduct sustained over a period of five months.
Therefore, when taking into account the particulars of this case, the Committee decided to impose a reprimand and warning on the basis that it would be proportionate to maintain public confidence in the profession in light of the serious nature of these charges.
Chitra Karve, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: "The Committee was of the view that the conviction for intending to interfere with the course of justice was particularly serious, in light of the need to maintain public confidence in the profession, because it involved a disregard of proper criminal process.
"However, a particular feature of this case is the risk to the jobs of 33 or so employees if the Respondent were to be prevented from practising as a result of the Committee’s imposition of a sanction. It is this mitigating factor which weighed most heavily with the committee and they therefore concluded that both a Reprimand as to this conduct and a Warning as to any future conduct is sufficient and proportionate in this case to meet the need to maintain public confidence in the profession and uphold proper standards."
Mr Bremner has 28 days in which to make an appeal about the Committee’s decision to the Privy Council.
Lottie, an 11-month-old Labrador puppy was found to have a very loud heart murmur during a routine check before being spayed.
An ultrasound revealed that she had several congenital defects. The two major ones were a malformation of her tricuspid valve and a very large defect of the common atrium.
Lottie was referred to the RVC’s cardiothoracic department where she underwent further ultrasound and a CT scan. The team at the RVC, which is led by Dan Brockman, Professor of Small Animal Surgery, had already performed several cutting-edge surgeries, including a world-first treatment to save the life of a dog born with a malformed tricuspid valve.
Repair of the tricuspid valve has only been performed a handful of times and has not been done at the same time as repair of a common atrium.
Lottie’s owners decided to proceed with the operation, which was undertaken at the end of July. Lottie's heart was stopped for the procedure and her circulation maintained with a heart lung machine run by perfusionist Nigel Cross from Great Ormond Street Hospital.
Poppy Bristow, Fellow in Cardiothoracic Surgery at the RVC, said: "Altogether 10 people were involved in her operation and many more for her care before and after surgery, including veterinary specialists, veterinary nurses and veterinary specialists-in-training from surgery, cardiology, anaesthesia and emergency and critical care, as well as Lottie’s referring cardiologist and her local veterinary practice.
"Lottie’s heart was stopped for an hour and a half, with the whole operation taking four hours. Her malformed tricuspid valve was released by cutting its abnormal attachments and artificial chords using Gore-Tex material were placed. Her single atrium was then divided into two using a large patch of Gore-Tex. Lottie has made a good recovery so far and was walking around and eating from the day after her surgery. She was discharged back to her owners after six days and has continued to thrive at home."
Professor Brockman added: "In Lottie, we had a young energetic dog with such a serious and life-limiting heart condition, that we were desperate to try and help her. The repair was complex but incorporated a combination of surgical manoeuvres that we had done before. With careful pre-operative planning and using our previous experience, we were able to design and execute the surgical treatment. It is still ‘early days’ but the initial signs suggest that Lottie is going to enjoy an excellent quality of life, following this operation and, we all hope, a normal lifespan."
Metacam is the first NSAID to be licensed for use in guinea pigs, and with it come the first guidelines for appropriate pain relief in this species.
Molly Varga, BVetMed DZooMed MRCVS, RCVS Specialist in Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, said: "Guinea pigs have evolved to hide pain and once obvious signs are visible it often indicates that the animal is no longer coping and its welfare has potentially been compromised. Appropriate pain management in guinea pigs is therefore vital, particularly after soft tissue surgery and regardless of whether signs of pain are visible, to ensure an enhanced recovery and optimal welfare."
Boehringer says that although signs of pain can be difficult to identify in guinea pigs, there are a few which indicate that the patient needs assessment and treatment:
Grinding teeth (a slow steady grind of the molars, different from chattering)
Reluctant to move or walk
Shivers or quivers, can sometimes see rippling along the body
Sits hunched, with hair spiky
Whimpers
Loss of appetite
Breathing may be heavy and laboured
The company adds that as the only licensed NSAID for use in guinea pigs, Metacam 0.5 mg/ml oral suspension should be considered for use in all soft-tissue surgery cases in this species.
Alongside the launch of the new indication, Boehringer has produced:
An interactive online dosage calculator to help with quick dose calculations. The company says higher doses can be used based on clinical judgement, allowing for tailoring of doses to individual cases.
A dosing dish and syringe to help owners administer Metacam at home.
A series of expert short videos, supported and narrated by Zoo and Wildlife Medicine specialist Molly Varga. The video series includes a guide to recognising pain in guinea pigs, dosing regimes and an owner video for accurately administrating Metacam at home.
The dosage calculator and the expert videos are available at https://www.boehringer-academy.co.uk. The dosing dish and syringe can be ordered directly from your Boehringer Territory Manager.
NOAH's third Brexit Barometer found that where in the last report, 17% of its members reported feeling 'very' or 'somewhat pessimistic', that figure has now risen to 32%.
Meanwhile, the National Audit Office has revealed in its 'Progress in Implementing EU Exit' report that Defra has been prevented from consulting with the veterinary market by DExEU.
The report states that Defra is one of the government departments most affected by EU Exit and looks in detail at four of Defra’s main workstreams, including ‘import of animals and animal products’ and ‘exports of animals and animal products’.
In an accompanying press release, the National Audit Office notes that in a no-deal scenario there will be a significant increase in certificates needing to be processed by veterinary surgeons. It says: "Without enough vets, consignments of food could be delayed at the border or prevented from leaving the UK. Defra intended to start engaging with the veterinary industry in April 2018, but has not been permitted to do so and now plans to launch an emergency recruitment campaign in October to at least meet minimum levels of vets required. It plans to meet any remaining gaps through the use of non-veterinarians to check records and processes that do not require veterinary judgement."
The BVA says it has previously outlined concerns about the potential for diluting veterinary certification, and is calling on the Government to fully engage with the veterinary profession before making any changes that could impact the UK’s ability to trade animal products safely and in line with high animal welfare standards.
The RCVS has also weighed in. Amanda Boag, RCVS President, said: "We are glad to see the National Audit Office report recognises that a ‘no deal’ Brexit scenario would be likely to reduce the supply of EU veterinary surgeons to the UK and cause uncertainty regarding the status of those EU veterinary surgeons who are currently living and working in the UK and that this would have a particularly serious impact on necessary veterinary work in public health and certification.
"We continue to engage with Defra and, like the BVA, we want to emphasise the essential need for Government to consult with the profession to ensure their plans meet requirements, including maintenance of the high veterinary standards for which the UK is known. We also want to highlight the importance and value of the veterinary profession in other areas of society including caring for pets, horses and farm animals as well as research, education and industry, and emphasise the impact of workforce shortages on all sectors."
According to the company, canine dry eye affects 1 out of 22 dogs and the early symptoms can be easily missed by pet owners, leading to irreversible damage to a dog’s vision, and eventually resulting in blindness.
If you want to get behind the campaign, MSD will supply your practice with a educational video and a special pair of glasses which mimic the effect of dry eye on a dog, so you can better explain the condition to clients and encourage them to book a screening appointment / Schirmer tear test if their pet is at risk.
Middle-aged to older dogs and certain breeds such as Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, West Highland White Terrier, Shih Tzu, Cocker Spaniel, Pekingese, Yorkshire Terrier, Lhasa Apso, Pug and Bulldog are more prone to KCS. Dogs with sore eyes and/or affected by conditions such as diabetes, Cushing’s Disease and hypothyroidism may also develop canine dry eye and MSD says they should be tested.
Caroline Darouj, product manager at MSD Animal Health, said: "Certain breeds of dog suffering from pre-existing conditions are at higher risk for canine dry eye and vets should screen regularly for canine dry eye."
“If left untreated, canine Dry Eye can lead to blindness. However, if caught in time, it can be well managed with medication.”
For more information, visit www.optimmune.co.uk
In the Somerset cull area, TB incidence has fallen from 24% before culling started to 12% in year four of the cull, while in Gloucestershire it has fallen from 10.4% to 5.6%.
The Government says the findings are in line with expectation based on the scientific evidence from the Randomised Badger Culling Trial which underpins the approach to tackling bovine TB – and demonstrate progress is being made in delivering the 25-year TB eradication strategy in England to rid our farmers of the impacts of this terrible disease.
Defra has also announced additional measures being taken to help control the disease, including licences for badger control in 11 new areas and the opening of a new round of applications for the Badger Edge Vaccination Scheme grants.
Farming Minister George Eustace said: "Bovine TB remains one of the greatest animal health threats to the UK. There is no single measure that will provide an easy answer which is why we are committed to pursuing a wide range of interventions to protect the future of our dairy and beef industries and eradicate the disease within 20 years.
"No one wants to be culling badgers forever so the progress reported today is encouraging."
BVA President John Fishwick said: "We continue to support a comprehensive and evidence-based approach to tackling bovine TB, including the use of badger culling in a targeted, effective and humane manner. TB is a devastating disease and we welcome the positive results emerging in Somerset and Gloucestershire, where licensed culling has now been in place for four years. The recent results in Dorset, indicating a slight upward trend in the incidence of bovine TB, present some cause for concern and we would like to see further investigation of the cattle and wildlife situation in that area.
"BVA supports the principle of badger controls within the Low Risk Areas (LRAs) of England where there is a demonstrated need and where it is done safely, humanely and effectively as part of a comprehensive strategy. We are largely reassured by the greater clarity provided on the decision-making process on how and where badger controls will be introduced in the LRAs. We recognise the expertise and professional judgement of veterinary and scientific colleagues in government who have made the decision to extend the cull in this area, but we would welcome further evidence regarding the level of TB infection in the wildlife reserve in Cumbria as this becomes available.
"Halting the spread of bovine TB is essential and it is vital that we use every available tool in the toolbox to support the Government’s aim to make England TB free. We therefore welcome both the introduction of tighter cattle controls where needed and the re-commencement of the Badger Edge Vaccination Scheme, particularly if used as a ‘firebreak’ to mitigate the spread of the disease into the low risk areas. We would also like to see a commitment to funding of further research in this area."
Photo: Coatesy/Shutterstock