The competition is open to all UK-based undergraduate veterinary students and offers them the opportunity to work as a team to brainstorm, develop and present an innovative idea to a board of industry professionals.
Students can enter either as a single applicant or as a group (of roughly five members), with single applicants then being placed in a group with other applicants from their university. There can be more than one team representing each university.
Each student’s project can cover any aspect of veterinary health innovation. The RCVS suggests potential projects might include: innovations within veterinary education, innovations to improve sanitation and hygiene, innovations to improve veterinary-public communication and innovations to improve patient safety.
Entries must show how they have improved upon – or extended beyond – current expectations of best practice in their chosen area.
Each applicant will receive support from one of the Association of Veterinary Students’ (AVS) Vet Futures Ambassadors, as well as a mentor session with a chosen industry professional to guide them on their project.
Teams will need to submit three components for judging: a log of their progress throughout the project (which can include social media updates using the hashtag #ViVetStudentInnovation), mentor engagement and feedback, and a five-minute video ‘business pitch’.
The three finalist groups of the competition will be invited to present their pitch to a board of industry professionals at a ‘Dragon’s Den’ style event held at the RCVS ViVet 2019 Innovation Symposium on Tuesday 1 October 2019 in Manchester.
The winning and runner-up groups will then be selected and will be presented alongside the ‘mentor’s choice’ award. The Mentor’s Choice award will be selected by the team mentors. The prize will be awarded to an individual who shows excellence and enthusiasm within their work on the project.
Anthony Roberts, RCVS Director of Leadership & Innovation (pictured right), said: "This competition provides a great opportunity for veterinary students to engage with their fellow classmates across different fields of study and to work on projects that could genuinely make a difference to animal health and welfare and the way veterinary services are delivered. Teams will receive one-on-one mentoring and will be guided through the innovation process, developing skills that will be useful throughout their careers. We look forward to seeing the three finalist teams presenting at the RCVS ViVet Innovation Symposium in Manchester on 1 October."
Zoe Skinner, Vet Futures Student Representatives Team Leader, said: “This competition is a great opportunity for veterinary students to receive mentoring from experienced veterinary professionals and form contacts within our profession. It gives students a way to work together as a team and allows them to learn how to produce and develop innovative, problem-solving concepts as well as skills in delivering presentations. These are all important aspects of our career ahead, which will look brilliant on our CV’s.”
ViVet is now accepting registrations for the competition for the 2018/19 academic year. To enter, applicants must submit an online registration form. For further information, email info@vivet.org.uk.
According to head veterinary surgeon Simon Maddock, about one third of the practice's workload is now for guinea pigs – a figure growing year by year. More to the point, many of their clients are travelling a considerable distance to get veterinary care.
Simon said: "We certainly didn’t start out to become so popular with guinea pig owners; it’s happened more by word of mouth. Our reputation has grown mainly through owners talking to each other on online forums.
"I reckon we must see at least one guinea pig a day that has travelled more than 50 miles to see us. One couple regularly make a 175-mile round trip from North Wales. We even have someone visit us from Scotland. That’s one long trip to make!"
Simon added: “Although the practice was originally established to provide dedicated cat and rabbit owners with veterinary care specifically tailored to these pets, we have also found guinea pig owners to be just as committed to their pets and they are quick to look for signs of illness."
Vetnapp offers a secure alternative to traditional paper records, allowing for the entry of drugs administered, recording of physiological parameters (for example, heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure), and recording complications occurring during an anaesthetic.
The final anaesthetic chart can be converted to a PDF and attached to patient records, simplifying the paper trail.
Alastair, who works at Willows Referrals, says his motivation for developing the app was born out of frustration with handwritten anaesthetic records which can often be incomplete, illegible and easily lost.
Alastair said: "Vetnapp is excellent for ease of data entry via the use of sliders and drop-down lists. It also stores records, allowing easy retrieval, which is not possible with paper records.
"Now the app is available for both Apple and Android devices, it is much more accessible. I have even had people downloading it in Australia, America and China, which is fantastic."
"It’s still very much early days and I hope its popularity grows over time. Ideally, I would like it to be downloaded by veterinary groups, as well as independent practices."
To download Vetnapp, visit the App Store or Google Play and search 'Vetnapp'.
Richard, who works at North Downs Specialist Referrals (NDSR), graduated from the Royal Veterinary College in 2003.
While working in general practice, he developed an interest in ophthalmology and undertook an internship in the field at the Animal Health Trust in 2013.
Richard said: "Watching cataract surgery for the first time as a student, I was amazed it could be performed through such tiny incisions and an artificial lens could be placed inside the eye.
"My grandmother had cataract surgery around this time, followed later by corneal transplants when I was a recently qualified vet, and this further sparked my interest.
"I was very fortunate during my time in general practice to be able to attend an excellent one-year modular course, with an inspiring teacher, and also to spend some time with two specialist ophthalmologists at NDSR.
"These experiences made me realise it was time to make the leap and try to become a specialist. It was quite a daunting step, but one I’ve never regretted."
Following his internship, Richard undertook a three-year specialist training programme in comparative ophthalmology at the Queen Mother Hospital for Animals, studying towards the European College of Veterinary Ophthalmology Diploma.
After the successful completion of his training, he remained at the RVC as a clinician for a further year before joining the team at NDSR in July 2018.
Richard says he is now looking forward to further developing ophthalmology services at NDSR, alongside RCVS and American specialist James Histed: "I have already been discussing with James how we can develop the ophthalmology service, with new equipment and treatment options.
"We will soon be taking delivery of a new Zeiss operating microscope, which will have video facilities and eyepieces for an assistant. This will help us to perform more complex surgical procedures, and also help in teaching our interns and visitors to NDSR."
For more information, visit www.ndsr.co.uk.
The surgery was carried out in August 2018 and is, they say, the first time it has been performed on a companion animal anywhere in the world. The dog, a five-year old spaniel called Gigha, has now made a full recovery.
Gigha’s surgery was carried out by Dr Guy Killick and featured in a recent episode of The Yorkshire Vet. Guy said: "Gigha provides vital companionship to her owner, Mrs Taylor. She fell into a drainage ditch last summer and this caused a tiny cut on her elbow.
"The initial wound did not seem severe, however, despite intensive decontamination and treatment with broad spectrum antibiotics, the wound proved to have been infected with a resistant Haemolytic E. coli infection, causing a significant loss of skin from the medial aspect of the elbow. During this time, Gigha was hospitalised and was at significant risk of DIC and septicaemia."
"The skin loss was full thickness and, once the compromised tissue was debrided away, she was left with a large wound.
"We managed the wound in hospital for four days with daily dressing changes and an irrigation device to provide local anaesthesia and the delivery of topical antibiotics.
"Unfortunately, skin grafting in her case was not suitable given the infection and a lack of sufficient loose skin to donate. As such, we elected for healing by second intention but, given the large area, we felt it was important to explore novel methods to accelerate the healing process and reduce Gigha’s pain.
"Surgery using Tilapia fish skin grafts was pioneered at UC Davis in the USA and was used successfully on a horse with acid burns in the UK last year. It is still very rare, however, and had not been used to treat an infected wound before. Nor had it been used on a dog.
"Having done our research though and finding that these grafts have a natural anti-infective and analgesic effect, while also reducing the frequency of bandage changes that would cause discomfort and distress to the patient, we felt it was an appropriate treatment for Gigha and carried out the surgery a week after the initial wound."
Guy says the surgery was straightforward and simply involved tacking the skin in place. It adhered to the developing granulation bed, accelerating its growth and providing an antiseptic and analgesic effect. After application, Gigha’s owner reported that she was much brighter and seemed to be in less pain. Pain-scoring during check-ups confirmed this to be the case despite pain relief being voluntarily withdrawn by the owner.
This initial graft stayed in place for two weeks before breaking down and being removed. By this stage, granulation of the wound had been completed and around one cm of neo-epithelisation had occurred. A further graft was then placed which remained for a further two weeks until the wound was 50% of its initial size. No further grafts were placed as the team did not have access to further supplies so they simply bandaged the wound with traditional bandages. It was completely healed within nine weeks. Eight months on, Gigha has made a full recovery and the wound has healed completely.
Guy said: "Given the large wound area and risk of further infection we decided on this novel approach to improve the quality of life for the patient while the wound was healing. While we were naturally apprehensive of making the first attempt at this potentially revolutionary technique, what we knew about fish skin grafts and suggested that they could work in her case so we were determined to give it a try.
"Looking at her now, you wouldn’t believe that she’d been days from death just a few months ago. Her case is a demonstration of the efficacy of fish skin grafts as a treatment for large wounds where there are no other suitable methods of closure – and for their use in dogs. We hope her story and her recovery will be useful to colleagues treating dogs with similar wounds in the future and are happy to discuss the case with them if this would be helpful.
"I would also like to thank Dr Jamie Peyton, Chief of Integrative Medicine Service at UC Davis for her invaluable help and advice during this case and her assistance in the use of the Tilapia graft."
Adrienne Conroy, Head of BSAVA Policy and Chair of the Big Issues stream said: "As a profession, we have a history of successfully dealing with the unpredictable and rising to the challenge of the unexpected, which in many ways have been the hallmarks of the past year or so and no doubt will likely continue to be so for the foreseeable future.
"This year’s Big Issues stream will look at some of the uncertainties encountered by vets in practice and how resilience and resolve in the face of challenge can continue to serve the profession well for the future."
Big Issue subjects include:
The ABC of Achievements, Brexit and ChallengesProfessor the Lord Trees will aim to support vets’ understanding of the rationale underpinning the Government's Brexit decisions and their impact on the profession. A panel of speakers will also look at how the Government and the profession has worked collaboratively to introduce legislation and policies across a range of areas affecting the companion animal sector, and the practical implications for veterinary surgeons.
Medicines: Ensuring Supply Despite CrisesProfessor Peter Borriello, CEO of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) and Dawn Howard CEO of the National Office of Animal Health (NOAH) will explore the unpredictable challenges, whether dependent on Brexit or other factors, that can potentially threaten the supply of medicines vital to companion animal veterinary practices and how these unexpected events can be tackled and resolved by working together.
The Perils of Passports and Certification: Avoiding LitigationBSAVA President Philip Lhermette, together with Dr Mauricio Lopez, Head of Veterinary Trade Facilitation, Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and Michael Stanford, Veterinary Claims Consultant, Veterinary Defence Society (VDS) will share for the first time the results of the BSAVA 2018 OV survey, and will endeavour to better equip and support vets in companion animal practice to manage the unpredictable aspects of pet passports and export certification.
Telemedicine: Patient Care in the Digital WorldDr Kate Richards, Chair of the RCVS Standards Committee, Dr Thom Jenkins, CEO of Gula, Richard Guest, CEO of telemedicine consultancy Morgan Frey and Simon Doherty, President of the BVA aim to help delegates navigate relatively the unchartered territory of telemedicine and make informed decisions on the future of telemedicine and its potential impact on not just them, but also their clients.
More information on the Big Issues agenda and speakers here.
The company says its service has been designed to help practices take a proactive approach to managing their workforce, keeping them out of the employment tribunal and providing continued support to help them achieve their goals.
Melanie Davies, Head of Employment at MS Rubric (pictured right) said: "Whether a business employs 5 people or 500, is a start-up, or has been successfully trading for years, it is critical that it has a reliable legal advisory system in place to manage the range of challenges that arise.
"All businesses need to be able to access a professional source of advice and guidance to meet their objectives for best practice, compliance or to meet commercial goals and targets.
"With legislation changing so frequently, this legal expertise is sometimes missing from some businesses. As business owners realise its importance, they are relying more on external HR and legal experts like ourselves to provide this service. We think it’s so important, we are making this available to all sectors of business.”
MS Rubric adds that all its advice is covered by legal professional privilege. This means that unlike when businesses use HR or other consultancies, conversations between MS Rubric and its clients remain confidential and disclosure is not required.
For more information, contact Melanie Davies on 01454 800008 or mel.davies@msrubric.co.uk.
Extensively updated, the new edition reflects the increasing sophistication of reptile medicine and surgery and acknowledges the expanding range of reptile species kept as companion animals.
Part one covers the husbandry aspects of reptile care, including captive maintenance and nutrition, plus a new chapter dedicated to anatomy and physiology.
Part two contains the details necessary to carry out successful clinical examination, anaesthesia, surgery (including endoscopy), treatment (including emergency and critical care), non-invasive imaging, laboratory testing and post-mortem examinations, as well as humane euthanasia.
Part three addresses disease by organ system, covering parasitology and infectious disease.
New to this third edition are also chapters on marine turtle rehabilitation and crocodilians, as well as updates on the handling of venomous reptiles.
Simon Girling said: "This third edition of the BSAVA Manual of Reptiles is another milestone in the commitment of the BSAVA to exotic species medicine. Reptile medicine and surgery is now being accepted as a mainstream discipline within the veterinary world, reflected in the growing number of textbooks and the appearance of postgraduate qualifications."
BSAVA says the new manual will benefit both the general practitioner seeing a small number of reptiles or a more specialist practitioner dealing with these species on a daily basis.
The study "Influence of dietary restriction and low-intensity exercise on weight loss and insulin sensitivity in obese equids" was carried out by Nick Bamford and colleagues at the University of Melbourne’s Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Science, in collaboration with Spillers.
A total of 24 obese horses and ponies were randomly divided into two groups; 'restricted diet only' or 'restricted diet plus exercise'. All horses and ponies were fed the same diet of restricted hay (no grazing), a small amount of alfalfa chaff and soya bean meal, and a vitamin and mineral supplement.
The exercise programme, which was designed following feedback from horse owners to help ensure it could be implemented relatively easily in the real world, consisted of 15 minutes of brisk trotting (with a five minute walk before and after) five days per week for 12 weeks.
The 'restricted diet only' group showed an overall reduction in body weight and body condition score. They had increased levels of adiponectin – a hormone produced by fat cells, low levels of which are a risk factor for laminitis. They had decreased baseline insulin, high levels of which have been linked to an increased risk of laminitis, and decreased leptin, high levels of which are associated with obesity.
Although exercise did not increase weight loss, it did produce additional benefits that were not seen in the 'restricted diet only' group, the most important one being improved insulin sensitivity. More insulin sensitive horses and ponies need to produce less insulin in order to control their blood sugar. This is important because high levels of insulin in the blood and/or reduced insulin sensitivity are risk factors for laminitis. Horses and ponies in the exercise group also had decreased levels of ‘serum amyloid A’, a protein that is a marker for inflammation.
Clare Barfoot RNutr, the research and development manager at Spillers said: "Reducing calorie intake and feeding a diet low in starch and sugar should be the priority for overweight horses and ponies. However, the results of this study suggest that exercise may offer additional health benefits for obese horses and ponies and/or those with ‘EMS’ that cannot be achieved by cutting calories and weight loss alone."
Reference
Photo: Spillers/Steve Bardens
107 dogs completed the randomised, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial, which concluded that: "Treatment with anti‐diarrheal probiotic pastes (ADPP) compared to placebo in dogs with acute, uncomplicated diarrhea led to a decrease in the duration of diarrhea and a decrease in the requirement for additional medical intervention because of non‐improvement or deterioration."
Sophie Nixon, Veterinary Research Manager at Protexin Veterinary said: "Dogs with acute diarrhoea are presented to veterinarians on a daily basis yet the evidence base on which to identify appropriate treatment for these cases has been lacking."
James Kyffin, Veterinary Director at Protexin Veterinary said: "We are delighted to have published such a strong clinical study in one of the most well-respected veterinary journals, the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine (JVIM).
"At ADM Protexin, we believe it is important to have products that are supported by published studies and the Pro-Kolin Advanced study represents one of the first of its kind looking at the benefit of a probiotic paste in dogs with acute diarrhoea.
"We hope this study will provide vets with the evidence they need to prescribe Pro-Kolin Advanced for their cases and give them the confidence not to dispense other medical management, like antibiotics, that may not be necessary."
The study can be viewed by following the link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jvim.15481
The new publication is a guide to evidence-based medicine (EBM) in veterinary practice. It aims to secure a commitment to EBM from veterinary practices and help them implement an evidence-based approach.
The workshop will be held at The Bloomsbury Building, 10 Bloomsbury Way, London WC1A 2SL from 1:00pm till 3:30pm
Attendees will be asked for their opinion on the content, language and format of the new guide, and how clear they find it.
Your involvement will directly help RCVS Knowledge make the evidence-basis of veterinary techniques understandable for a larger number of people.
No advance preparation is required and it sounds like it will be a very informative, engaging session.
An honorarium of £50 is available to anyone who attends. A sandwich lunch is provided and travel expenses will be covered.
If you’d like to participate, contact: Maryam Tehami at maryam@senseaboutscience.org
I'm delighted to welcome Celia Marr from Rossdales and Edd Knowles from Bell Equine, who have kindly agreed to be our contributing experts. They'll drop in from time to time to add anything helpful they can to the forum discussions.
As elsewhere on VetSurgeon.org, reading content in the new groups or participating in discussions can count towards a VetSurgeon.org CPD certificate. Just press 'Claim CPD' at the top of the page, then collect the record and certificate from your profile.
All members of the site with an interest in equine medicine are now invited to press the join button on the left hand side of the group home page (when viewed on tablet or bigger). You may also wish to select the option to receive a daily or weekly digest of new content by email, which you can cancel at any time.
Equine is the third special interest group launched on VetSurgeon.org. The other two are Small Animal Medicine and Small Animal Dentistry.
The research is being carried out by Cats Protection, RSPCA, PDSA, Wood Green The Animal Charity, Blue Cross, Celia Hammond Animal Trust, Battersea, The Mayhew Animal Home, SSPCA and International Cat Care, with support from Bristol University.
The study involves four short (<15 minute) questionnaires spread over a 6-month period, for which you could also win a £50 voucher.
Click here to find out more and sign up www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/neutering
Founder Jade Statt said: "As StreetVet grows, we are being contacted to help clients outwith our current active StreetVet locations, of which there are now 13. For this reason and to help us continue to expand, we would like to put out a call to the profession to ask any practices that are happy to work with us to get in touch and help us set up a StreetVet Directory of Supporting Practices."
If you'd like to know more about partnering with StreetVet, email: StreetVet.practices@gmail.com
You'll be sent detailed information about the options for working with StreetVet and offered a fundraising pack. If you go ahead, you'll also have your practice logo added to a directory on the StreetVet website.
Ross Allan (pictured right), an RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Surgery at Roundhouse, said: "It is well recognised that French Bulldogs have breed-related problems, specifically Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS), yet they remain one of the most popular dog breeds of the moment.
"Through the work we do with French Bulldog charities and the large number of BOAS procedures we undertake, we encounter many of this breed and recognise the frequency and challenges in diagnosing lateral condylar fractures in French Bulldogs.
"We are keen to highlight the ‘red-flags’ for vets faced with French Bulldog forelimb lameness, and hope these will assist vets in diagnosing these common fractures:
Age: most lateral humeral condylar fractures occur between 3-4 months of age.
Trauma: in 90% of cases the trauma is minor; a fall from the arms, or tumble off the bed.
Non-weight bearing: a French Bulldog presents with a non-weight bearing lameness X-rays are required even if no fractures are obvious on palpation.
Physical: feel for the medial and lateral epicondyles of the humerus. If they are not in line with each other there will be a fracture (in LHCFs the lateral condyle will generally move proximally).
X-rays: perfect positioning for X-rays is essential to pick up these fractures. Slight rotation can ‘hide’ small, or incomplete fractures.
"We urge vets to be mindful of LCHFs when presented with a French Bulldog with a forelimb lameness and recommend that they add this condition to their differential list. Swift diagnosis greatly simplifies the surgery required and improves the likelihood of a successful outcome.
"French Bulldogs are well-muscled, stoical dogs, so these fractures are often problematic to detect on clinical examination. The key point when undertaking a medical examination of French Bulldogs is that vets feel for the medial and lateral epicondyles of the humerus to assess if they are in perfect alignment: if one is higher than the other, this suggests a fracture; even if a fracture is not readily visible on X-ray.
"And great care must be taken to ensure that X-rays are positioned perfectly because if the elbow is rotated – even slightly – these fractures can easily be overlooked. They are good at hiding!"
Roundhouse Referrals says it has recently treated several French Bulldogs with lateral humeral condylar fractures deploying various surgical techniques: usually a transcondylar lag screw along with a supracondylar K-wire, or additional supracondylar positional screw or plate.
To make an enquiry or refer a patient contact Roundhouse Referrals at 0141 649 1316 www.rhr.vet
The Government says that contracts have been secured with Brittany Ferries and DFDS to run ferries into and out of Poole, Portsmouth, Plymouth, Immingham and Felixstowe, thereby relieving pressure on the Dover straights.
Critical goods have been identified as those essential for the preservation of human and animal welfare, including all veterinary medicines authorised under the Veterinary Medicines Regulation 2013, including finished and un-finished products, and Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (for import and export).
Critical goods also include unauthorised medicines permitted for import under the Veterinary Medicines Directorate’s Special Import Scheme (for import only).
Photo: Shutterstock/Peter Hermes Furian
It's a subject that will be front of many people's minds following the recent cases of equine flu.
As part of the campaign, MSD has produced a range of veterinary practice support materials to help you engage with owners and yards on the subject of preventative healthcare best practice and compliance.
The range includes shareable social media content, videos, a 'What's Your Risk' practice poster, an online risk assessment tool and a number of downloadable information leaflets. Practices will also be supported through the Keep Britain's Horses Health (KBHH) web page, Facebook page and Twitter.
MSD says there are also planning and evaluation resources to help practices manage an effective campaign.
Vicki Farr, Equine Veterinary Advisor at MSD Animal Health said: "The recent outbreaks of equine flu have rocked the horse-racing world, costing the industry millions and raising important animal welfare issues. Furthermore, they have highlighted the need for good preventative healthcare and, in particular, vaccination.
"HHW will therefore come at a relevant time for horse owners and yards when the impact of equine flu is still at the front of their minds.
"This year HHW will provide vital tools for practices; building on the knowledge and resources we’ve acquired throughout the KBHH campaign and from previous HHWs.
"Our focus is on engaging owners and yards on understanding the risk of disease for their horse, while rewarding them for best practice. We are again providing a wide range of resources for practices to help them create an engaging and successful campaign that helps build knowledge amongst the equine community."
For further information, talk to your MSD Animal Health Equine Account Manager, call 01908 685685 or refer to KBHH social media feeds on Facebook page and Twitter (@keepinghorseshealthy).
Fitzpatrick says that the initial results from a study at the University of California Davis has shown a reduction of up to 40% in the volume of prostatic tumours following embolisation, along with significant improvements in the patient's quality of life (the ability to pass urine and faeces in particular)1. However, prostatic embolisation in veterinary patients has only been performed in a small numbers of centres globally and not previously in Europe.
Gerard McLauchlan (European and RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Internal Medicine, Fitzpatrick Referrals Oncology and Soft Tissue) first carried out the procedure in December 2018 and has since performed it on two more patients.
Fitzpatrick is now offering prostatic embolisation alongside targeted intra-arterial (IA) chemotherapy, a treatment which it has now given to over forty patients with urinary tract tumours in the past 24 months, leading to a reduction in tumour size of up to 30% and an improvement in clinical signs.
Gerard said: "We have been developing and refining new techniques for treating various cancers over the past two years at our oncology and soft tissue centre. Really excellent results have been seen so far in cases with prostate cancer treated with intra-arterial chemotherapy and embolisation is the next logical step for managing this condition.
"Prostatic embolisation has only been performed at two centres in the United States and has shown very promising results in terms of patients quality of life and overall survival.
"With a recent study documenting the mean survival of patient with prostate cancer receiving standard intravenous chemotherapy as being only 101 days these new techniques offer an amazing opportunity to truly change how we view and manage this condition."
Richard Malik from the Centre for Veterinary Education at the University of Sydney and Mike Lappin from Colorado State University, known for their amusing and questioning presentations, will be joined by experts including Jayne Sykes, Séverine Tasker, Donato Traversa and Francesca Mancianti to present the latest information about the diagnosis and treatment of a veritable smorgasbord of feline infectious diseases, including heartworm, leishmaniasis, toxocara, aspergillus, bartonella, coronavirus, erlichia, anaplasma, rickettsia, lungworm, mycobacteria, FeLV, FIV, haemoplasmas, cryptococcosis, GI disease and emerging feline pathogens.
Together with a mini-symposia organised by the congress sponsors – Idexx, Hill’s, Ceva, Bayer and Boehringer Ingelheim – the five-day event is worth 25 hours of feline CPD.
If you need more in-depth knowledge of feline infectious diseases, there are also three masterclasses planned.
The venue looks drop-dead gorgeous too. Set on a small wooded peninsula embraced by two harbours, Cavtat has a pretty waterfront peppered with restaurants, pebbly beaches and an interesting assortment of artsy attractions, making it one of the most desirable tourist destinations in the region. ISFM says it's a great base from which to explore Dubrovnik and the surrounding area.
The welcome party will take place at the congress hotel’s waterfront restaurant on Thursday evening.
Tickets cost £475 for ISFM members and £605 for non-members. Masterclasses are an additional £50 each.
That seems like an absolute steal to me, and I'm not even a vet. Where do I sign?
Ah, here it is: https://icatcare.org/isfm-congress
Mandisa (pictured right) was first elected to Council in 2014 and then re-elected last year. She is currently Chair of the Practice Standards Group, which coordinates the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme, and a member of the Primary Qualifications Subcommittee and the Legislation Working Party. She has also served on Standards Committee and as well as chairing the Extra-Mural Studies (EMS) Coordinators Liaison Group.
Born in the UK, and raised in Trinidad & Tobago in the West Indies from the age of two, Mandisa moved back to the UK aged 18 to study for a BSc in Biological and Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Exeter. She then gained her veterinary degree from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh in 2008.
Since graduating, her interests have lain in small animal practice and emergency and critical care, and she has worked as a veterinary surgeon in a number of practices in the West Midlands. She currently works for Medivet in the Staffordshire town of Newcastle-under-Lyme and lives in Stoke-on-Trent. She is a published author, having been the researcher on a paper about genomic variations in Mycobacterium published in BMC Microbiology.
More information about RCVS Council and its members can be found at: www.rcvs.org.uk/who-we-are/rcvs-council/
Photo: Copyright RCVS
Billed as an essential reference, the new guide gives practical information on pain management in a wide range of small animals, emphasizing patient welfare and evidence-based medicine.
The BSAVA Guide to Pain Management in Small Animal Practice is edited by Ian Self, an RCVS and European Specialist in Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia.
Each chapter is written by a specialist in the field, and the guide includes 'Authors’ perspectives' and case examples.
The first six chapters cover key areas in pain management, including the physiology of pain, acute and chronic pain, and pharmacological and physical treatment of pain. The remaining chapters look at specific types of pain, and pain in species commonly encountered in small animal practice.
Ian said: "This Guide is not to be seen as an instruction manual, rather a helping hand. For each case discussed and analgesic approach explained, there are multiple valid alternative approaches… when seeking inspiration or information when faced with a patient in pain, we hope that the information presented here will assist in reaching a satisfactory clinical outcome."
The new book will be given to eligible vet and vet nurse members free of charge as part of the Association's loyalty scheme; a 'thank you' for staying a member for another year. Further details are available from the member benefits section of the BSAVA website.
One £20,000 grant will be awarded each year for five years, starting in 2019 (making a £100,000 total by 2023) to fund research that focuses on mental health and wellbeing within the veterinary professions, including areas such as prevention, diagnosis, intervention and treatment.
Applications are welcome from individuals at all stages of their research careers, including those who have not previously been published, with research proposals relating to any aspect of mental health or wellbeing in the veterinary professions. Researchers must be affiliated with a university, and ethical approval must be in place.
RCVS CEO, Lizzie Lockett, said: "Sarah Brown was a talented veterinary surgeon who was passionate about her profession. She was respected and loved by so many people and worked hard to support others. So it is fitting that, with the blessing of Sarah’s family, we are able to launch this grant in her memory. It’s only by improving the veterinary mental health evidence base that we will be able to hone the interventions and support that is available to members of the veterinary team."
Applicants should send their research proposal, along with a CV and short biography for all lead researchers, to Lisa Quigley, Mind Matters Initiative Manager, by 5pm on Friday 31 May 2019.
Each proposal should be a maximum of 3,000 words and should include aims, methods, ethical considerations, proposed timelines, and a bibliography. Any academic literature referred to within the proposal should be accurately referenced. The winner of the grant will be decided in June 2019, with the winner then receiving their award at Royal College Day in London on Friday 12 July 2019.
The recipient of the Sarah Brown Mental Health Research Grant for 2019 will be invited to present their research findings at the biennial Mind Matters Initiative Research Symposium in 2021.
Applications are particularly welcomed from those at an early stage in their research career. Guidance on how to prepare a research proposal is available at: https://esrc.ukri.org/funding/guidance-for-applicants/how-to-write-a-good-research-grant-proposal
What is 'quality improvement', you ask? Good question. Sure, it's an improvement in, er, quality. But of what?
'Quality improvement' is a term adopted from the human healthcare sector, variously defined as anything which makes: "healthcare safer, effective, patient-centred, timely, efficient and equitable (NHS)", or "the combined and unceasing efforts of everyone—healthcare professionals, patients and their families, researchers, payers, planners and educators—to make the changes that will lead to better patient outcomes (health), better system performance (care) and better professional development (BMJ)."
The RCVS research project, which is being conducted by RAND EUROPE, will assess current perceptions and adoption of quality improvement in the veterinary profession.
Specifically, it'll look at the drivers, barriers and expectations associated with QI, with the ultimate goal of strengthening the support provided to the profession.
Chris Gush, Executive Director of RCVS Knowledge, said: "We are delighted to be launching this research project with RAND Europe.
"We know that many of our colleagues across the profession have embedded quality improvement into their practice to great benefit, while we are also aware that it can be a challenge to do so all of the time.
"This research will provide an unprecedented body of evidence on the experiences and perceptions of QI, which will be critical to how we work to support the sector in this area going forward."
Integral to the research is a survey which all members of the profession are invited to take part in, here: bit.ly/QIvetsurvey.
The survey will be live for six weeks, closing early April. It takes around ten minutes to complete, with a prize of one £150 Amazon voucher on offer. Responses will be anonymised.
You can read more about Quality Improvement on the RCVS Knowledge website, here: https://knowledge.rcvs.org.uk/quality-improvement/
According to Davies, Sharpsmart is the world’s safest and most environmentally responsible sharps and clinical waste management system, proven to:
Ellie West, anaesthetist at Davies and Green Group leader said: "We are really excited to have the opportunity to be the first veterinary centre to be working with Sharpsmart and are already seeing great results in carbon reduction and we look forward to sharing our results later in 2019."
Adrian Giles, Total Waste Program Manager for Sharpsmart added: "Working with Davies has enabled us to showcase our safety engineered sharps system in a new and exciting arena where sharps safety and sustainability are a priority.
"The transition to Sharpsmart was seamless and was completed across the centre in a day without any challenges. Face-to-face training was provided to staff along with touch point education material. We look forward to strengthening our partnership with Davies over the coming months and years."
As part of its green drive, Davies will be hosting 'Sustainability CPD' for referring vets on May 2nd 2019 at its HQ in Higham Gobion, Hertforshire.
Ellie West said: "Run by the Sustainability Leads at DVS, this evening aims to increase your carbon literacy, explore the challenges and barriers to improving sustainability in your daily practice and find some positive solutions to implement sustainability. The challenges which we have faced at DVS will be explored, along with the co-benefits of sustainability to our business, and useful resources to help your practice to be more environmentally friendly and resilient will be highlighted."
You can book your place here https://vetspecialists.co.uk/events/davies-first-sustainability-cpd-for-referring-vets/ or contact Ellie.West@vetspecialists.co.uk if you are interested in attending or would like more information.
Davies has also produced a suite of Waste Segregation Posters which are proving popular with their referring practices. You can find out more and view the posters here https://vetspecialists.co.uk/sustainability/sustainability-initiatives-at-davies-your-questions-answered/.
For more information or to receive print ready PDFs, contact marketing@vetspecialists.co.uk
The company says the aim is to identify the most effective ways to minimise the risks this common and debilitating infectious equine virus poses. The survey can be found here.
Equine Herpes Virus is a contagious virus, which can cause respiratory disease, abortion and more rarely neurological disease. In addition, sub-clinical infections can be associated with a syndrome of poor performance and have a potential effect on the health of the whole yard.1
The disease is transmitted from horse to horse through the respiratory tract, by inhalation of the viral particles shed by infected horses. Once a horse is infected with Equine Herpes Virus it is likely to be latently infected for life. Viral reactivation and nasal shedding can occur at any time, particularly during stressful periods such as when mixing with other horses at equine events. This can lead to acute disease episodes. Often affected horses are asymptomatic but if they do show symptoms these may include depression, lethargy, pyrexia, nasal discharge and a dry cough. Reduction of shedding through management and vaccination is key to disease control.2
Wendy Talbot, National Equine Veterinary Manager at Zoetis said: "EHV has potentially serious health, performance and financial implications across every sector of the equestrian industry.
"The aim of our survey is to find out more about current vet protocols in practice. The results should help us to identify and then ensure that the most effective prevention strategies are accessible to vets and their clients."
The survey runs from 4 – 22nd March 2019 in parallel to a separate survey for horse owners.
For further information, contact your Zoetis Account Manager or the Zoetis Technical Team on customersupportUK@zoetis.com or 0845 300 9084 choosing option 1.
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