Improve Veterinary Education has launched an 18-module programme in veterinary dentistry and oral surgery.

The programme covers periodontal treatments, restorative dentistry, orthodontics and maxillofacial surgeries, among others.

Improve says training will be delivered via a mixture of face-to-face theory and practical skills using real-life cases that can be immediately applied in practice.

The course is led by Alix Freeman (pictured), a European and RCVS Specialist in Veterinary Dentistry, who developed the course content. 

Alix said: “This course will equip you with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills to enable you to perform advanced dentistry and oral surgery procedures in practice. 

"The tutors will enthuse you with their passion for dentistry and oral surgery.

"You'll be taught the most up to date and innovative treatments in a leading dedicated dental training lab with the best equipment and materials.

"You'll gain the confidence to undertake root canal treatments, jaw fracture planning and repair, oronasal fistula repair and oral oncologic surgery.

"This is the first advanced dentistry certificate of its kind in the UK and is sure to be very popular”.

Upon completion, participants will be eligible for the General Practitioner Advanced Certificate in Small Animal Dentistry (GPAdvCert SADen&OS) from the International School of Veterinary Postgraduate Studies (ISVPS).

https://improveinternational.com/uk/coursedate/gpadvcert-in-small-animal-dentistry-and-oral-surgery 

NoBACZ Healthcare, the wound protection company spun out from the University of Cambridge, has launched NoBACZ Navel, a novel, rapid-setting and long-lasting solution for navel dipping lambs and calves.

Developed in conjunction with Fiona Lovatt BVSc PhD FHEA DSHP DipECSRHM FRCVS, past president of the Sheep Veterinary Society and RCVS-recognised specialist in sheep health and production, NoBACZ Navel disinfects and dries the navel in a couple of hours and seals with a colourful, natural resin that forms a long-lasting waterproof barrier to protect against bacterial ingress from the environment. 

It can also be used on the area around ear tags in lambs and calves.

Nobacz Navel can be applied by dipping or spraying and contains a bitter agent to deter ewe or cow interference.

Fiona said: “Attention to detail is an essential component in the care of neonatal lambs. 

"To reduce the risks of joint ill, shepherds need to do whatever they can to protect lambs from bacteria infecting either the navel or the ears at the point of tagging. 

"This product has been carefully designed to both desiccate the area and to form a barrier to protect these vulnerable sites. 

"I’ve seen it used successfully in a number of flocks now – both in late lambers from last year and early lambers from this.”

https://nobacz.com 

According to research conducted by Petplan, 65% of dog owners say they find visits to the vet difficult because of their dog's anxiety. 

25% of owners said they have seen their dog running away on hearing the word 'vet' and 30% have actively avoided a visit to the vet because of the animal's stress. 

To try and get round the problem, 30% of owners use language to avoid alerting their animal: either spelling out the word 'V-E-T', or using a different word, like the 'dogtor'.

47% of owners disguise the trip and take their dog for a walk first, whilst 46% give their dog extra treats that day.  

The RCVS has announced that the annual renewal fee for veterinary surgeons will increase by 6% subject to government approval. 

RCVS Council recommended the increase due to inflationary pressures and increased business costs.

Dr Tshidi Gardiner MRCVS, RCVS Treasurer, said: “We recognise that these are difficult economic times, so Council has endeavoured to limit the fee increase as far as possible; however, in proposing these new fees, Council has had to take account both of increased costs due to inflation, and of additional costs related to ensuring we are fulfilling our regulatory remit to the best of our abilities and meeting our strategic priorities.

“For example, increased costs related to the additional number of veterinary degrees coming on stream, modernising our membership database, our Charter Case Committee, the trial of our private prosecutions protocol against non-vets breaching the Veterinary Surgeons Act, and much more besides.”

Vets need to pay their annual renewal this year by 1st April.

Anyone who hasn't paid by 1st May will face a late payment charge of £35.

Anyone who hasn't paid by 1st June risks removal from the Register.

As part of the annual renewal process, vets also need to confirm their registration and contact details, declare any convictions and declare they are compliant with the College’s requirements for continuing professional development (CPD).

Anyone who expects to encounter any difficulties in paying their fees is asked to contact the RCVS Finance Team on finance@rcvs.org.uk or 020 7202 0722.

Nicola Menzies-Gow FRCVS, Professor in Equine Medicine at the Royal Veterinary College, has been appointed Chair of the RCVS Ethics Review Panel (ERP).

The RCVS ERP provides an ethics review mechanism for researchers who are based in practice and don't have access to this process through university and industry connections.

The subcommittee has representation across a range of areas of veterinary expertise, including veterinary nursing, and also includes lay researchers and scientists.

Since its formation as a trial service in 2016, the ERP has reviewed more than 530 research proposals on behalf of the College.

Nicola said: “I am honoured to be offered this position.

"Having been a member of RCVS ERP for the past three years and undertaking a similar role as the Chair of the Clinical Research Ethical Review Board at the Royal Veterinary College, I felt that I had the right expertise to take on the role

“It is vitally important that all research, regardless of where it is undertaken, undergoes ethical review to ensure that robust results are produced especially when they have the potential to influence clinical practice, and so I really welcome the work the ERP has been undertaking.

“As chair of the ERP I hope to build on the success of my predecessor and continue to support those working in clinical practice that is not associated with a university to undertake valuable research and add to the body of evidence that supports our clinical decision-making.”

www.rcvs.org.uk/ethics

Research carried out at two CVS referral hospitals has found a significantly higher incidence of thoracolumbar invertebral disc extrusions (IVDE) in Dachshunds compared to Basset Hounds¹.

For the research, the medical histories of 188 Basset Hounds and 270 Dachshunds presenting to CVS’ Dovecote Veterinary Hospital and Chestergates Veterinary Specialists, and the University of Ghent were retrospectively assessed.

Information included signalment, whether the dog had received a diagnosis of TL-IVDE, the duration of clinical signs, affected discs and anatomical region and the neurological grading at presentation and discharge.

Basset Hounds and Dachshunds are both chondrodystrophic breeds which are predisposed to IVDE. 

However, the study found 77.4% of Dachshunds had presented with IVDE, compared to only 36.2% of Basset Hounds.

Dachshunds also presented earlier (66.5 months) compared to Basset Hounds (median 87.5 months).

Dachshunds had a lower proportion of midlumbar IVDE and were more frequently non-ambulatory at discharge than Basset Hounds. 

In addition, Dachshunds were more likely to be paraplegic without sensation at presentation than Basset Hounds (16/154 Dachshunds compared to just one Basset).

The Basset Hound is the largest chondrodystrophic breed and the physical characteristics of this larger body conformation may have benefits, with previous studies suggesting the protective effects of being a larger dog2.

One hypothesis is whether breed conformation and anatomy – the relative height/weight ratio - influences the severity and occurrence of IVD and points to a link between the size of the patient and the space in the vertebral canal.

A smaller spinal cord versus vertebral canal ratio in the Basset Hound may indicate a less compressive lesion.  

Sergio Gomes, Head of Neurology and specialist in veterinary neurology at Dovecote Veterinary Hospital, who led the study, said: “This is the first time that IVDE data for Basset Hounds has been directly compared with that for Dachshunds.

“We now need to look closely at the conformation and anatomy of the Basset Hound to see what learnings we can take.

"This could have positive future implications for Dachshund breeding programmes, so that longer term we can try to minimise this painful and common canine condition.”

References

1. Thatcher H, Targett M, Alcoverro E, Stee K, Schofield I, Lowrie M, Gomes SA. Incidence and clinical characterisation of thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusions in Basset Hounds compared with Dachshunds. Veterinary Record. 2024 Jan 6;194(1):10.1002/vetr.3212
2. Packer RMA, Hendricks A, Volk HA, Shihab NK, Burn CC. How long and low can you go? Effect of conformation on the risk of thoracolumbar intervertebral disc extrusion in domestic dogs. PLoS One. 2013;8(7):e69650.

Pennard Vets has won the Employee Ownership Association's (EOA) Rising Star award, which recognises the success of an organisation within three years of employee ownership

The judges praised the practice group for leveraging employee ownership (EO) to drive growth and staff satisfaction, protect independence, and champion EO in the veterinary sector.

Pennard Vets, which has eight practices in Kent, says its driving ambition when it took the decision to transfer the business into an employee ownership trust and make its 150-strong team business owners, was to protect its independence and core values.

Pennard Vets has also been eager to spread the word about employee ownership to other veterinary practices.

Matthew Flann, a director from Pennard Vets, said: “Winning this award is a huge coup for our entire industry, who have been searching for ways to secure the future of their independent practices.

"Set against a backdrop of increasing corporatisation of UK veterinary practices, we chose to protect our heritage by becoming an EOT.

“It hasn't been easy, but it has been massively rewarding and our team have passionately bought into their new status as owners, and the results can be seen throughout the practice – from team-led initiatives to the impact on the range of procedures we can now offer to our patients.

"It’s genuinely been transformational and since 2021 we’ve doubled turnover and grown our team by 30%.

"We’ve also welcomed Abbotsley Veterinary Group and Priory Lodge into the group with the two local Kent practices citing our EOT status as a motivating factor for their moves.

“Crucially our EOT structure provided the launchpad to becoming the first veterinary practice in Europe to achieve B-Corp status in 2022, which we see as another step towards becoming the very best practice possible, using input and ideas from our team to provide a better service, give back to our community and protect the environment.

“We’re also determined to make the journey less arduous for other veterinary practices to follow our lead and we regularly hear from practice owners who are exploring becoming EO.

"We’ve established the British Veterinary Employee Owned Association to help guide other practices through the journey of becoming an EOT by networking, attending events and presenting webinars.

"This year we have supported thriving practices to become EO in all parts of the UK, including Arrowfield Vets in Herefordshire, Animal Tails Veterinary Practice in Stirling, Shetland Vets and Cornerstone Veterinary Clinic in Belfast.

“We believe intrinsically in the value of supporting and promoting our team as the best way to grow our business and provide the best possible service to our clients and patients, and that same approach will pay dividends for other veterinary practices. Because of this we fully intend to continue to campaign for the benefits of EO.”

James de le Vingne, CEO of the EOA, said: “Congratulation to Pennard Vets on winning this award.

"The awards recognise businesses and individuals that are delivering great employee ownership. Collectively, great employee owned businesses deliver significant uplift in productivity and performance, outperforming their non-EO counterparts across multiple impacts for employees, society, the environment and the economy.”

International Cat Care, the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM), the British Small Animal Veterinary Association and a further eight cat charities and welfare groups have contacted Universal Pictures to express their disapproval of the starring role given to a Scottish Fold cat in the studio's forthcoming blockbuster, Argylle, which is coming out on 2nd February.

The Scottish Fold is bred for a cartilage abnormality which gives them their distinctive folded ears.

However, that same cartilage abnormality affects their joints, meaning that they go on to develop painful arthritis, even from a young age.

The charities say the impact of using this breed in a Hollywood film cannot be overstated and is likely to significantly increase their popularity with potential cat owners. 

Nathalie Dowgray, Head of ISFM, said: “International Cat Care (iCatCare) and its veterinary division, the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM), believe that it is simply unethical to continue to breed cats with a genetic mutation that is known to cause significant painful disease – the rationale for breeding these cats was purely for traits considered attractive to humans, as some people believe the folded ears look appealing.

"This is an unnatural appearance for a cat, and the underlying genetic defect has far-reaching and severe consequences for the health of the cat.

"Health should always be more important than looks.”

The trailer for the film also shows a cat travelling in a backpack and subjected to rough handling, including being picked up by the scruff and thrown from a building.

ISFM says that although these scenes have been created using digital animation, the organisations share concerns that suggesting these interactions with cats are acceptable or entertaining may have a negative impact on the welfare of cats. 

Sarah Ellis, Head of Cat Mental Wellbeing and Behaviour at International Cat Care, said: “Scruffing a cat is an unacceptable form of restraint that can cause a cat considerable discomfort, fear and even pain, as the weight of its body is completely unsupported, and the cat cannot escape the pressure from its skin being grasped.

"Backpacks are not a cat friendly way to transport a cat; they can leave a cat cramped, without enough ventilation, struggling to control body temperature, and uncomfortable due to the unpredictable movement from being worn on a person’s back.

"Backpacks are simply not cat friendly - they do not respect the cat as a species and run the risk of psychological and physical suffering to the cat.”

The organisations have contacted Universal Pictures, asking them to adopt Cat Friendly Principles in future, and not to promote cat breeds with extreme features in future.

The Society of Practising Veterinary Surgeons (SPVS) has launched its SPVS Salary Survey 2024. 

The annual survey gives an overview of remuneration levels within the veterinary sector.

It covers everything from basic earnings, bonuses, dividends and overtime, to benefits such as accommodation, car allowances and pensions.

SPVS is asking everyone in the veterinary profession to take part, whether they're in a clinical or non-clinical role, a vet, a nurse, a practice manager, support staff or working in industry.

The main findings of the survey will be published in a report and freely available to any participant who gives their email address at the end of the survey. 

SPVS members will be able to access the full results with additional commentary and analysis.

All survey data is treated as strictly anonymous and totally confidential.

https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/LOZS6O 

Any questions: office@spvs.org.uk

Identichip has launched a pocket-sized silent microchip scanner designed to help minimise anxiety when a pet is scanned for a microchip.

Identichip says the scanner is particularly suited to noise-sensitive dogs and cats.

It's designed to fit in one hand, and is compatible with all ISO 15-digit (FDX-B) microchips.

Tammie O’Leary, commercial lead at Identicare, said: “With compulsory microchipping coming into effect for owned cats from 10 June in England, it is likely that more cats will be presented to check for a chip or to be implanted. 

"Many practices are making substantial efforts to minimise fear or stress in their patients, however most microchip scanners beep when they locate a microchip, which can be stressful for animals. 

"The silent microchip scanner will help reduce any associated stress for noise sensitive animals.”

Dr Ellie Lee, veterinary surgeon and director at Manchester Cat Clinic, has trialled the silent microchip scanner.

She said: “The scanner is a great tool; we really like how compact it is, which makes it less intimidating for cats, and the silence is definitely beneficial to them too. 

"As it doesn’t beep, we watch the screen to check that a chip has been detected, but this is easy to do as it’s such a handy size.”

The silent scanner can be purchased from NVS, Covetrus or from identichip direct.

Questions: contact@identichip.co.uk.

At its January meeting today, RCVS Council agreed a series of proposals for the future reform of the College's governance structure which will now go to consultation with the profession and the public before being integrated into the overall recommendations for legislative reform. 

Amongst the proposals agreed by Council was to move towards an independent appointment system for Council membership to replace the current election system.

In addition, Council voted:

• for the composition of Council to be a matter for more flexible secondary legislation rather than it being fixed via primary legislation;
• to an increase in the proportion of lay members, with a decision about whether Council should adopt parity of veterinary professionals and lay members to follow the consultation,
• to reform its composition to remove the Veterinary Schools Council (VSC) appointees. Currently the VSC has three appointed Council members
• to consult with the profession and public on two options for the future composition of a 24-person RCVS Council, which would ensure this was as balanced as possible. The first option is a Council that has a slim majority of members drawn from the veterinary professions (of whom a majority would be veterinary surgeons) compared to lay members. The second option is a Council with exact parity between veterinary professionals (of whom a majority would be veterinary surgeons) and lay members. 

Council was tied on whether to separate the position of RCVS President and the Chair of RCVS Council, meaning that this will come back for decision at a later date following the consultation.

RCVS President susan paterson, said: “The unique way that RCVS Council is currently constituted with annual elections to Council is an old model of self-regulation which is no longer found in other professions including doctors, nurses, pharmacists, solicitors and social workers, among others.

“As a responsible regulator we have a duty to operate in a way that recognises modern principles of regulation, and best meets our objectives to enhance society through improved animal health and welfare by setting, upholding and advancing the educational, ethical and clinical standards for the veterinary professions.

"The College’s recommendations would see us retain self-regulation in the sense of independence from government, and maintain registrants within our governance framework, while better assuring the public that we are acting on their behalf.

“It is our firm belief that, among other things, moving to an all-appointed Council member system, whereby those who serve on Council are selected via an independent process based on their knowledge and experience to ensure input from all parts of the veterinary sector, will better serve our aims, as will having a better balance of professional and lay members.

"Of course, veterinary expertise, knowledge and experience will also remain a vital part of any future arrangements throughout our committee structure, so the veterinary voice will be as important as ever in our policy and decision-making processes.

rcvs.org.uk/who-we-are/rcvs-council/council-meetings/18-january-2024/

Further details about the consultation process will be published in due course.

Discuss here: https://www.vetsurgeon.org/f/non-clinical-questions/30878/what-do-you-think-about-the-rcvs-proposals-to-stop-council-elections-and-move-to-appointed-members-with-equal-or-almost-equal-number-of-lay-members/243481

VetHelpDirect.com, the directory of veterinary practices in the UK founded in 2006 by Susie Samuel MRCVS, has added a new price comparison service with prices from 1600 practices to the website. 

The new service was reported in The Times, in an article titled "How much should your vet cost? Pet owners bitten by untamed fees."

Since launch, VetHelpDirect has offered owners information to help them pick a veterinary practice, including reviews, ratings (including a value for money score), RCVS accreditation, cat/ rabbit friendly status, health plan details and how out of hours cover is provided.

It has now added some basic information about each practices' charges, specifically the first consultation fee, a dog castrate and health plans, and then categorised them according with £££££ signs to indicate how far above or below the average they sit.  

Susie Samuel said:  “Most practices will give out these prices over the telephone, but there’s no way for the client to find them without directly getting in touch, something people are less and less likely to want to do nowadays.

"Our research data suggests that people want to find this information online, just as they would in any other service industry.

"When they can’t find any information at all on pricing, there can be a perception of secrecy that can do damage to the vet-owner relationship.”

Susie added: “True comparison for vet practices is of course very complex and no basket of services is ever going to capture the whole complexity.

"Every practice is different, from facilities and team qualifications; to the time allotted for consultations; to monitoring equipment for surgery; and of course the level of investigations undertaken which can also vary from vet to vet.”

“We can’t solve all this straight away but we started from a good place, over the years we have built up more information about vet practices than any other website.

"The aim is to provide commonly requested prices for owners to easily access and to add more and more detail on the vet practices over time so that owners can make the most informed choice on the vet that's most appropriate for them and their pet”.

VetHelpDirect says it will soon be adding prescription fees and out of hours consultation, and a much wider range of species-specific fees in the near future.

The company also points to the Competition and Markets Authority investigation into pricing in the UK, highlighting that in its 2019 Report into Funerals in the UK, the CMA noted that weaknesses in the sector included the fact that less than 40% of funeral directors posted any form of pricing online, and those that did were frequently not in a form that made for easy comparison.

Susie says the veterinary sector has an even lower rate of online pricing transparency.

To add your pricing information to VetHelpDirect, email: info@vethelpdirect.com.

COMMENT

Whilst greater transparency over pricing in almost any field is surely to be welcomed, it seems questionable whether comparing prices for consultations and standard procedures will be of much help to pet owners, because things like the level of investigations, how defensively a clinician practises and the owner's own relationship with risk are likely to have a far greater impact on the bill than whether a consult costs £20 more or less up the road. 

There is perhaps also a risk of practices rated as '£££££ / more expensive than average' will be seen as just that. Expensive and nothing more.

It's not like a restaurant where £££££ usually means particularly delicious.

Whilst this may not matter much whilst so many practices are having to turn away business, it may become more important in the future.  

Discuss here. 

CVS has run a clinical improvement project to increase the treatment of lameness within 35 of its first opinion small animal practices throughout the UK.

The group says it has led to 6,086 more clinical metrology questionnaires being conducted at participating practices with their patients, a 1,014% increase.  

Developed by John Innes at the University of Liverpool, the Liverpool Osteoarthritis in Dogs (LOAD) questionnaire is a 13-item clinical metrology instrument (CMI) used to assess canine articular disorders like osteoarthritis.

It includes questions on the pets’ medical background, lifestyle and mobility.

Individual question scores are summed to provide an overall “LOAD score” suggestive of the animal’s disease presence and severity.

The questionnaire should be conducted every time the pet is presented to the veterinary clinic, with results tracked over time.

Treatment options - including the benefits and risks of all available modalities – can then be considered and discussed with owners to determine the best course of action, including weight management, diet, supplements, exercise and environmental modification, in addition to medication.

As part of the project, CVS provided a range of supporting resources for its practices, together with training.

Training focussed on diagnosing and managing conditions causing lameness in dogs and cats, using the clinical metrology questionnaire to engage clients in their pets’ treatment plan, offering best practice treatment options and running nurse mobility clinics.

It comprised of a vet CPD day run with Zoetis and the VOA on approach to and management of lame patients, two nurse CPD days on mobility clinics, a feline and canine orthopaedic examination video, First Opinion Clinical Club webinars on canine and feline osteoarthritis and an approach to radiographic interpretation course.

Resources included: new clinical guidelines, IMV resources (radiographic positioning, optimising the image and optimal chemical restraint) and a Mobility Clinic Booklet for clients.  

Each site was then provided with its own data, so that they could monitor what they were doing individually. 

One year after its nation-wide launch, results reveal that the number of clinical metrology questionnaires being conducted in the 35 participating practices has increased from 6 to 6,092 over a 12 month time period.

CVS says there was also evidence of an increasing incidence of the osteoarthritis drugs Librela and Solensia being prescribed.

Kathryn Patel, Hub Clinical Lead at CVS (pictured), who was responsible for the lameness clinical improvement project, said: “This project uses owner questionnaires to screen for and monitor the impact of lameness on patient quality of life and emphasises the importance of the whole clinical team in patient management.

"Vets and nurses will be supported to improve their ability to reach a diagnosis in every lame case, improve engagement with and compliance of owners with lame pets, and improve the quality of care of lame patients through appropriate medication, surgical intervention, and nurse and physiotherapy support.”