Southfields Veterinary Specialists in Essex has been given approval by planners to convert a 40,000 sq ft site just down the road from its current premises into what will be one of the UK’s largest referral centres.

The £11m project, which is backed by Mars Petcare, will include a cutting-edge imaging suite, state-of-the-art treatment facilities and a new linear accelerator. 

Plans also include separate cat and dog waiting areas and client walking and comfort areas, seven operating theatres, 15 consultation rooms, recovery suites, lecture halls, a dedicated ICU department and plans for a future hydrotherapy suite. 

Daniel Hogan, operations manager at Southfields (pictured right), said: "This is a really exciting time for Southfields and our relocation will provide the region with one of the largest and best-equipped veterinary centres in the UK.

"The team and expertise have grown significantly in the past 18 months. We are very excited to continue to expand the unique and innovative offerings in patient care at our centre.

"Increasing in size will also enable us to provide a dedicated staff wellbeing area and an education centre and lecture hall, which will offer some very exciting qualifications and courses for the wider profession.

"Since our rebranding in 2017, we pride ourselves on leading the industry as a truly multidisciplinary centre with specialists from across the globe, including one of the most illustrious oncology teams in the country. Once this new site is launched, we will be able to offer an even more comprehensive service to our clients and patients."

For more information about Southfields, visit www.southfields.co.uk.

MSD Animal Health has announced that Finadyne (flunixin meglumine), its NSAID for cattle, pigs and horses, has been reformulated and approved for use in food-producing animals.

Fynadyne had been removed from sale last year after the Veterinary Medicines Directorate suspended the sale of any medicinal products containing the excipient diethanolamine (DEA), following advice to the European Medicines Agency that it could pose a risk to human health.

Finadyne 50mg/ml Solution for Injection is indicated for the alleviation of acute inflammation and pain in both cattle and pigs. It is also indicated for the alleviation of inflammation and pain associated with musculo-skeletal disorders and colic in horses.

The reformulated product has a shelf life of three years and is now available from wholesalers in 50ml and 100ml vials.

For further information, contact your MSD Animal Health account manager.

Virbac has launched Multimin, a prescription only, four in one trace mineral injection to combat oxidative stress and its effects in cattle.

Oxidative stress is an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants which can lead to cell and tissue damage, impacting the health and performance of cattle.¹ Virbac says the trace minerals in Multimin are essential structural components of antioxidant enzymes which are required to neutralise free radicals and combat oxidative stress.^2,3

Multimin, which comes in a 100ml PET bottle, contains zinc, copper, manganese and selenium. It is designed to be administered during or before periods of high demand in dairy and beef cattle, such as breeding, calving, weaning and vaccination. After injection, it reaches peak levels in the blood after 8 hours^4,5 and the liver after 24 hours.^4,5

Virbac says Multimin has been proven in 24 peer-reviewed papers and field trials of more than 6,000 cattle, and that it offers a fast, simple and accurate way to top up essential trace minerals at times of high demand, to help improve cattle health and performance.

Lynda Maris, Virbac Large Animal Product Manager said: "Trace mineral requirements are currently primarily provided through the diet and various forms of oral supplementation. However, reduced oral intake, poor absorption from the rumen and antagonism from other minerals means that during periods of high demand, even in apparently well supplemented animals, a trace mineral gap can occur between the trace minerals required for optimum health and performance versus those available."

Lynda added: "Multimin is a great addition to the Virbac Large Animal range. It represents an exciting new opportunity for vets to strengthen their herd health plans, boost practice revenue and help to further reduce antibiotic usage."

For more information, speak to your Virbac Territory Manager or visit the Virbac stand at the BCVA Congress, 17^th – 19^th October.

References

1. Celi, P. Oxidative stress in applied basic research and clinical practice (Eds.Armstrong, D., Mandelker, L. & Vajdovich, P.). Humana Press, 191–232 (2011). 
2. Hough, M. A. & Hasnain, S. S. Structure of Fully Reduced Bovine Copper Zinc Superoxide Dismutase at 1.15 Å. Structure 11, 937–946 (2003).
3. Rotruck JT, Pope AL, Ganther HE, Swanson AB, Hafeman DG and Hoekstra WG (1973) Selenium: biochemical role as a component of glutathione peroxidase. Science, 179 (4073):588–590. 
4. Pogge, D, Richter, E, Drewnoski ME, Hansen SL. Mineral concentrations of plasma and liver following injection with a trace mineral complex differ among Angus and Simmental cattle. J. Anim.Sci. 90, 2692–2698 (2012).
5. Study data on file. 

Defra has produced a video offering official advice for pet owners that want to travel with their pet in the event of a no deal Brexit.

The video has now been published on Youtube, from where veterinary practices might like to share it with clients on their own websites, by email or on their Facebook page.

In the video, Cat Henstridge MRCVS explains how from November, in the event of no deal, pet owners will need to have visited their vet 4 months before travel and had their pet vaccinated against rabies. They will then need to return for a blood test 30 days later, wait at least 3 months after that test before travel, and get an animal health certificate no more than 10 days before travel. In addition their animal needs to be microchipped.

Defra says owners should also be advised to visit gov.uk and search 'pet travel' for any updates.

Christine Middlemiss, UK Chief Veterinary Officer, said: "This is a reminder for pet owners of our practical and straightforward advice for pet travel if the UK were to leave the EU in a no-deal situation."

To watch and share the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ckhv5YS7Mw.

Medivet reports that its Saving the Rhino Campaign has now received a very impressive one million donations from its clients, raising £500,000 in the process.

The campaign uses Pennies, the digital charitable giving system which invites you to make a small donation when you pay for something by debit or credit card.

For the last four years, Medivet clients have been invited to make a donation of 50p when paying their veterinary bill, and the millionth donation was made at Medivet 24 Hour Shrewsbury this week.

Medivet says the funds raised have played a crucial role in helping to protect the rhino - enabling Wilderness Foundation Africa's Forever Wild Rhino Protection Initiative to support these critically endangered species across a wide range of activities. This includes the treatment of poaching attack survivors plus the care and rehabilitation of orphaned baby rhinos.

In terms of prevention, thanks to Medivet client donations, two cold scent tracker dogs have been deployed – Ella and Ziggy – who work with anti-poaching units, while support has also been provided for intelligence-sharing amongst local law-enforcement agencies. Funds have additionally been deployed to help drive global awareness, provide community services as well as essential field-based veterinary equipment.

Dr John Smithers, Senior Partner and Project Co-ordinator for Medivet Saving the Rhino, said: "We could not be more grateful to our clients for all they have done to help the survival of this iconic species. Their incredible generosity - combined with the support of our colleagues and partners - has made a real difference in the fight against poaching and we want to thank our clients for every donation made."

In South Africa, the Medivet-supported efforts to reduce poaching are co-ordinated by Dr William Fowlds, a former Medivet employee, who added: "This is a truly remarkable milestone and we are overwhelmed by the kindness of Medivet and its clients. The money raised not only helps protect the rhinos but helps bring to justice those responsible for the destruction of these precious and innocent creatures."

Alison Hutchinson, CBE, CEO of Pennies said reaching 1m donations was a remarkable achievement: “Pennies is proud to support Medivet’s Saving the Rhino campaign, and it’s been so inspiring to see one million individual micro-donations made through the digital charity box over the past four years.

"From all at Pennies, thank you and congratulations to the Medivet team and their hugely generous clients for reaching this milestone, for challenging the rhino poaching crisis in South Africa, and proving that small change truly does add up to mean big things."

Three cheers from VetSurgeon.org, too. That's a big achievement by Medivet for an important cause.

The Royal Veterinary College has announced the results of the world's largest study of West Highland White Terriers¹, which identified both the most common illnesses suffered by the breed and the most common causes of death.

The VetCompass study, which was based on the records of over 900,000 Westies under the care of UK first opinion veterinary practices in 2016, also found that ownership of Westies has fallen dramatically, to just a quarter of what it was a decade ago. Researchers found that the breed comprised only 0.43% of puppies born in 2015 compared to 1.69% of puppies born in 2004.

The average age of the Westies studied was a relatively elderly 7.8 years, suggesting an ageing population with fewer new puppies entering the population compared to other breed studies carried out by VetCompass.

The most common illnesses suffered by Westies were found to be dental disease (which affects 15.7% of Westies), ear disease (10.6%), overgrown nails (7.2%), allergic skin disorder (6.5%) and obesity (6.1%). Lower respiratory tract disease and cancer were the most common causes of death, with each accounting for 10.2% of deaths in the breed. Spinal cord disorders were the next biggest killer at 7.8%.

Other findings included: 

• Male Westies are more likely to be diagnosed with ear disease and aggression than female Westies.
• Female Westies are more likely, however, to develop dental disease.
• The average bodyweight of the Westie is 9.6kg, with males tending to be heavier with an average weight of 10.1kg compared to the 9.0kg average of females.
• The average lifespan of the breed is 13.4 years with males outliving females at 13.8 years compared to the latter’s 12.9 years.

Dr Dan O’Neill, Senior Lecturer and VetCompass researcher at the RVC, who was the main author of the paper, said: "With the ascent of social media as a dominant influencer of public opinion, ownership preferences for dog breeds are becoming increasingly polarised and susceptible to the whims of internet celebrity endorsement and advertising.

"Previously, preferences for dog breeds used to wax and wane gently over time. But VetCompass breed data now show rapid changes in preferences among breeds that create bubbles and troughs of demand that can have far-reaching implications for these breeds.

"Flat-faced (brachycephalic) breeds are currently the darling of the nation but this has created huge welfare problems for breeds such as the Pug and French Bulldog. And breeds such as the West Highland White Terrier and Cavalier King Charles have fallen sharply out of favour."

Camilla Pegram, Veterinary Epidemiologist and VetCompass researcher at the RVC, who co-authored the paper, said: "The most common disorders of Westies shown in this study are also common in the wider UK dog population. However, the breed does seem predisposed to lower respiratory tract disease which was a common cause of death in the Westie. Owners should be aware of this as their Westie ages.

"What is particularly interesting is the level of skin disorders, which although relatively high, are still lower than might have been predicted a decade ago. It is possible that the reduction in Westie ownership has relieved the pressure on breeders to breed from less healthy individuals to meet demand and therefore contributed to improved skin health within the breed. Paradoxically, reducing popularity may have led to better health in the Westies that are now being born."

Reference

1. O'NEILL, D. G., BALLANTYNE, Z. F., HENDRICKS, A., CHURCH, D. B., BRODBELT, D. C. & PEGRAM, C. 2019. West Highland White Terriers under primary veterinary care in the UK in 2016: demography, mortality and disorders. Canine Genetics and Epidemiology.

Alex German BVSc PhD DipECVIM-CA SHFEA, FRCVS, Professor of Small Animal Medicine at the University of Liverpool is hosting a Royal Canin webinar on the challenges around canine and feline obesity management on Tuesday September 24^th.

Royal Canin highlights that obesity is one of the most common diseases that veterinary professionals face, and impacts patients' quality of life¹, as well as their life expectancy^2,3. Compliance is a common challenge in weight loss and even those that successfully reach their ideal weight frequently regain weight later. It therefore makes sense, says the company, to focus on prevention as well as long term management for obese cats and dogs.

Caroline Burke, Royal Canin UK Weight Management Specialist said: "Obesity is one of the most common diseases that vets and nurses see in practice, and this webinar is the latest in our programme of education around weight management. Vets and nurses will have the opportunity to learn about how they can help prevent, as well as manage obesity in practice, allowing them to truly make a difference to the lives of their patients."

Alex added: "Obesity is an ever-growing issue for cats and dogs, understanding the risks and prevention techniques is paramount for both pet owners and industry experts. 

"This webinar aims to suggest how a lifelong practice monitoring programme can be implemented for the prevention of obesity. Whilst also reviewing the outcomes of weight management and defining types of prevention techniques which can be implemented."

To register for the webinar, 'How to be proactive rather than reactive for effective, preventative obesity management’, visit: https://vetportal.royalcanin.co.uk/cpd/webinar/

References

1. German, A.J., Holden, S.J. Wiseman-Orr, L., Reid, J., Nolan, A.M., Biourge, V., Morris, P.J., Marlan Scott, E. (2010) Quality of life is reduced in obese dogs and improves after successful weight loss. The Veterinary Journal 192 (3):428-434 
2. Salt, C., Morris, P.M., Wilson, D., et al (2018) Association between life span and body condition in neutered client-owned dogs. J. Vet. Intern. Med: 1-11.
3. Teng, K.T., McGreevy, P.D., Toribio, J. et al (2018) Strong associations of 9 point body condition scoring with survival and life span in cats. J. Feline Med Surg: 1-13. 

York-based Dr Michael Richard Jones has been suspended by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee for two months, for making dishonest entries in horse passports and subsequently making dishonest entries in the same horses’ clinical records.

The Disciplinary Committee heard three charges against Dr Jones.

The first and second charges were that, in March 2018, Dr Jones made signed entries in the passports and made corresponding entries in clinical records of four horses indicating that he had administered an influenza vaccination booster to each horse on 15 March 2018 and in relation to another horse a tetanus booster, when in fact he had administered the vaccination boosters on 21 March 2018, and that his conduct was misleading, dishonest and undermined the integrity of a vaccination process designed to promote animal welfare.

The third charge was that, on or around 21 March 2018, Dr Jones failed to make any entries in the clinical records for a horse in relation to an examination on 21 March 2018.

At the outset of the hearing Dr Jones admitted the facts in the first and second charges, and accepted that his actions were misleading, dishonest and that they undermined the integrity of a vaccination process. However, he disputed certain aspects of the written statements of the College’s witnesses. In particular he wanted his conduct to be taken in the context of the pressures that he was working under on that day, primarily that he was in a stressed state having had to euthanase a valuable stallion at the conclusion of his previous client appointment.

Dr Jones did not admit the third charge, explaining that he did not remember examining the horse on 21 March 2018 as alleged.

Based on Dr Jones' own admissions, the Committee found the first and second charges proven. 

Regarding the third charge, the Committee heard evidence from the horse’s owner who said they were present during the examination taking place and the Committee was satisfied that the respondent did examine the horse on 21 March 2018 and that he had a duty to make a brief clinical note on the examination. As Dr Jones admitted that he made no such note, the Committee found the charge to have been proven to the requisite standard.

Having found the charges proven, the Committee then went on to consider whether or not Dr Jones’ proven conduct amounted to serious professional misconduct. The Committee, having considered the aggravating and mitigating factors, found that Dr Jones’ conduct as found proved in relation to both charges one and two, did constitute serious professional misconduct.

However, with regards to charge three, the Committee accepted that the respondent simply forgot that he had examined the horse and, therefore, the Committee was not satisfied that the failure to compile a record entry covering the horse’s examination constituted serious professional misconduct.

The Committee then considered what sanction to impose on Dr Jones in relation to the facts found proven in charges one and two. In doing so it took into account the 78 written testimonials and 4 character witnesses called on behalf of Dr Jones.

Ian Green, who chaired the Committee and spoke on its behalf, said: "The Committee’s decision on sanction has been based on an acceptance that the respondent’s conduct on this occasion was out-of-character, as the evidence of his character witnesses and the contents of the letters submitted in his support by his clients and other veterinary colleagues assert. The Committee also accepts that the respondent self-reported himself to his employer and to the College and has made a full and frank admission of his wrongdoing.

"Consideration was given to whether the sanction of a reprimand and/or warning as to future conduct would adequately reflect the gravity of the misconduct, however, after careful reflection it was concluded that such a sanction could not be justified. The reason is that acts of falsification involve acts of dishonesty by a professional person acting in a professional capacity, and the gravity of the matter arises not simply from the dishonesty but also from the possible consequences of the false certification. It should be clearly understood by members of the veterinary profession that, in appropriate false certification cases, the sanction of removal from the Register is one which may well be imposed."

The Committee therefore decided that suspending Dr Jones from the Register for two months would be the most appropriate sanction.

Burgess Pet Care has announced the results of its Great British Guinea Pig Census, which has found that in general, guinea pig owners are good at caring for their pets.

Encouragingly, 88% of the 5046 people surveyed said they keep guinea pigs in groups of two or more, as is recommended by experts and, in fact, required by law in Switzerland. 88% also said they provide their guinea pig with additional space to roam outside of their housing. 

Although only 3% of guinea pig owners said they insure their pet, 67% said they take their guinea pig to see the vet once a year or more. 

When it comes to nutrition, 76% of owners say they believe feeding hay is the most important part of their guinea pig(s) diet and 65% say it is their guinea pigs’ primary food source. Burgess says that in an ideal world 100% of guinea pigs would be fed hay as their primary food source, so 65% shows there is room for improvement. 

Peter Lancaster, marketing manager at Burgess Pet Care said: "Guinea pigs make fantastic pets but, as with other small animals, they have very particular needs when it comes to their welfare. Thankfully, according to the findings of our census, we found that the majority of guinea pig owners who provided answers on the five welfare needs – diet, company, health, environment and behaviour, are conscientious with their care, reflecting their dedication to keeping their pets happy. 

"It was fantastic to see the number of guinea pig owners entering the census keep rising by the day, and we’re reassured that there are thousands of well-informed owners out there. However, despite these resoundingly positive findings, there is always work to be done when it comes to improving standards of animal welfare. The information we’ve received from this census does identify the gaps of knowledge in certain areas, and we anticipate these gaps to be much larger when it comes to less-informed and engaged guinea pig owners."

Veterinary Prescriber has launched a new e-learning module about the storage of veterinary medicines, something which can be crucial to maintaining their efficacy and safety.

Andrea Tarr, Veterinary Prescriber’s founder and director said: "There is a lot of confusion about the various rules and regulations around medicine storage. This module makes sense of it all. It is an essential read for anyone who deals with veterinary medicines, particularly those preparing for a VMD or RCVS PSS medicines inspection."

Veterinary Prescriber’s reviews are presented as e-learning modules. All the modules are the result of a thorough literature search and collaboration between practising specialists, general practitioners and the publication's editorial team.

Veterinary Prescriber is supported by subscriptions which cost £9.95 per month (cancel anytime) for individuals or £25 per month (for a 12-month contract) for practices. The latter includes 12 months free access to https://cpd.veterinaryprescriber.org for your practice's vet nurses, vet receptionists and SQPs.

To subscribe visit: https://www.veterinaryprescriber.org/subscribe

For further information, contact: carlrussell@veterinaryprescriber.org telephone 07932 044904.

A new app called What3words, which allows anyone to give their location using just three words, is being recommended by the emergency services for its potential to save lives.

What3words divides the globe into a grid of 57 trillion squares measuring three metres by three metres and gives each one a unique, 3 word name.

The app uses the GPS on your mobile phone to display your approximate position on a map, which you can then zoom in on and pinpoint more precisely. It then gives you the 3 word address for the square you're in. 

The reason the emergency services recommend What3words is that it can save them precious time getting to the scene of an accident. There are obvious benefits for veterinary surgeons too, not just when called to remote locations, but also when a client's postcode is ambiguous. 

What3words is free of charge and can be downloaded for Android and Apple phones. There is also a What3words website, what3words.com, which provides the same service, but that only works online (whereas the app works offline too). 

I've reviewed the app in more detail on YouTube here:

Paragon Veterinary Referrals has announced that two more specialists have joined its fledgling team.

Liz Leece, an RCVS and EBVS specialist in veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia (pictured right) and Massimo Mariscoli, an EBVS and RCVS specialist in veterinary neurology joined Paragon at the start of this month. 

Liz is a past president of the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists, is on the British Small Animal Veterinary Association’s congress organising committee and lectures to vets, nurses and occasionally human anaesthetists, all over the world.

She said: "I’m a keen supporter of the anaesthetist’s role in the referral hospital setting, safeguarding welfare and optimising the hospital experience for all our patients.

"One of my first tasks will be to establish a chronic pain management clinic at Paragon to aid any patients in need of such support.

"I also love teaching both inside and outside clinics and I’m currently involved in clinical research into brachycephalics, neuroanaesthesia and chronic pain."

Massimo grew up in Italy and graduated from the University of Bologna in 1990. He worked as head of small animal surgery and neurology at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the University of Teramo, before spells as lecturer and associate professor at the same centre.

The past president of the Italian Society of Veterinary Neurology (SINVet) moved to the UK in May 2017 to work as a neurology specialist and then head of neurology at a small animal hospital.

His main clinical interests are epilepsy, inflammatory disorders of the central nervous system and neurosurgery.

He said: "I was looking for a new challenge and was very pleased when I learned there was the possibility of setting up the neurology service at Paragon. I first visited the site in February and got a very good impression.

"Neurology has been split between internal medicine and surgery to date, so I will be looking to establish the service in its own right.

"Setting up a new service and new systems can be complex, so I will be taking my time and letting the service take shape naturally."

Paragon managing director Ian Monteith said: "Both Liz and Massimo are tremendous additions to our team and we’re delighted to be adding yet more high-calibre specialists to our ranks."

For more information, visit www.paragonreferrals.co.uk.