Till then, veterinary surgeons are advised to make due diligent attempts to source a UK-authorised product before considering importing an alternative medicine.
Procaine hydrochloride is used in farm animal medicine in particular, to provide local and regional anaesthesia for a range of procedures including calving, lambing, caesarean operations, castration and dehorning of cattle, with demand particularly high in the spring.
Simon Doherty, BVA President, said: "We’re pleased that VMD has issued some clarification to answer our concerns over procaine hydrochloride shortages. BVA had heard from some veterinary practices that they were only able to get hold of a fraction of what they needed, which would have resulted in a very acute impact on farm animal welfare. Although we had moved to get assurances sooner, we appreciate that there are formal routes for reporting and that the announcement of any shortage must be handled sensitively to avoid exacerbating the problem.
"VMD’s clarification is especially timely as this is a period of peak seasonal demand for these products. We will keep our members closely informed of any further developments."
Burgess reminds everyone that RVHD2 is a highly infectious strain of RVHD with few or no visible symptoms. It is fatal and can kill within hours. RVHD2 poses a significant threat to Britain’s rabbit population and outbreaks have been reported all over the UK and Ireland meaning no area is safe.
According to the company, the most recent sales figures show that only 137,405 RVHD2 vaccinations have been distributed in the last year1. This, says the company, shows a concerning number of practices are still not stocking the necessary vaccines to protect rabbits against RVHD2 and other fatal diseases.
Rabbits who have received the combined vaccination for RVHD and myxomatosis need a separate vaccination for RVHD2.
BSAVA President Sue Paterson said: "The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) supports the Rabbit Awareness Week 'Protect and Prevent' approach to saving the lives of rabbits in the UK. The BSAVA urges all rabbit owners to get their rabbits vaccinated against this disease and encourages all practices to remind their clients of the importance of doing this."
Richard Saunders BVSc DZooMed MRCVS said: "It's important for vets to be aware of the importance of vaccinating rabbits against all 3 viral diseases: Myxomatosis, RVHD1 and RVHD2.
"We certainly don't want rabbits to go without their annual myxomatosis vaccine: this horrible disease is very much still around. RVHD1 appears to have been overtaken by the new variant, RVHD2, but should still be vaccinated against.
"RVHD2 is a recent strain of the RVHD virus, which the Nobivac Myxo-RHD vaccine does not cover, and it is, quite literally, everywhere. Transported by inanimate objects as well as animals, it can affect both indoor and outdoor rabbits anywhere in the UK.
"If you wait until you see the first case in your area before recommending vaccination, rabbits will die, when this could be avoided.
"Remember that rabbit owners are much more likely to bury their dead pets at home than cat and especially dog owners, who generally bring their pets to a vet for cremation, and so we, as a profession, are under-aware of the incidence of the disease out there.
"RVHD2 is a core vaccination requirement, being endemic in the UK. Additionally, it’s not just a fatal disease, it’s a fatal disease with a reservoir in the wild. We strongly recommend vaccination of rabbits with either Filavac or Eravac in addition to Nobivac Myxo-RHD."
For more information on this year’s campaign and to request your RAW veterinary pack with marketing materials and free samples, visit www.rabbitawarenessweek.co.uk
Reference
I had hoped that the increasing absurdity of the reasons given for the rise might have tipped everyone off to the fact that the story was a spoof.
The idea that the College would ask its members to fund some glitzy, showy, award-winning designer headquarters along the lines of London’s City Hall? C’mon. London City Hall employs 1000 staff, whilst the Royal College employs less than 100. And let's face it, the RCVS has no record of having showy offices. On the contrary, it has managed to operate out of a sardine can now for a great many years. Have you ever been in the lift at Horseferry Road? You need to breathe in.
Or that the College had set aside £6M to recruit and pay 20 veterinary surgeons as short term contracted OVs to help in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Let’s say a flight from Delhi to London costs £500, give or take. Twenty vets. That’s £10,000 to get them here. Let's say they’re here for 6 months. That’s £299,500 per vet. You really think the College is going to ask you to pay more than a quarter of a million pounds to fly in a single vet for 6 months? Or that 20 recruits would solve the predicted OV shortage?
Lastly, the quote, supposedly from an Indian vet, but one with a name that doesn’t really sound like a name (still less an Indian one), but does sound strangely like it may be an anagram of April Fool.
There have been a small number of reports of people being really upset by this story. I guess they must have skim read, or only read the headline.
To them I want to say sorry, I genuinely didn’t mean to upset anyone.
In fact, I thought it might cause some reflection on what good value the RCVS really offers. It maintains the register and thereby your ability to practice, it runs the disciplinary process (an essential component of maintaining public trust), it oversees and sets educational standards, it awards Fellowships, Diplomas and Certificates, it runs the Practice Standards Scheme.
All that, and more for £340 per annum?
Honestly? I think it would be cheap at half the price.
Photo: Truth is that the RCVS has operated out of a sardine can for years.By Rl - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
According to the College, the increase in fees is needed primarily to develop its regulatory capacity for paraprofessionals. However it also says it needs to increase fees to pay for a new, Midlands-based headquarters designed by Foster and Partners, following the announcement last year about the sale of Horseferry Road.
Brexit is another significant factor in the decision to raise fees.
As has been widely reported, the College has already been on a number of fact-finding trips to India, with a view to making up the shortage of vets in the UK with graduates from Indian vet schools. But however forward-thinking these trips were, they have not borne fruit in time for Brexit.
For this reason, the College has announced that it has set aside an emergency contingency fund of £6M in order to fly as many as twenty veterinary surgeons from India and pay them to act as OVs on short term contracts in the event of a no deal Brexit.
An RCVS spokesperson said: "Brexit has dominated proceedings over the last two years, and we have been working collaboratively with our colleagues in Defra and the BVA to make appropriate plans to ensure that vital veterinary work will continue, whatever the outcome of Brexit. However, we have been unable to persuade the government to put veterinary surgeons on the Shortage Occupation List and our only alternative is to recruit from abroad."
Dr Frill Poao from the Indian Veterinary Association Kerala said: "We are standing by to help our British colleagues in their time of need".
Photo: Could the new RCVS headquarters look something like this? Foster and Partners also designed London City Hall. Gary Knight / Wikipedia CC BY-SA 2.0
Revozyn RTU, which contains 400 mg/ml Penethamate hydriodide, is the first ready-to-use injectable narrow spectrum Penethamate on the UK market. It can also be used to treat relapses of old infections.
Dechra says that the intramuscular injection works by diffusing through the blood vessels and accumulating in the udder tissue and milk, treating the whole udder effectively. Apparently the new formulation also features an ion trapping mechanism that results in high Benzylpenicillin concentration in milk and udder tissue.
Revozyn RTU comes in a 50ml multi dose vial. It has a 28-day shelf life after first use and has withdrawal periods of four days for milk and 10 days for meat and offal.
Dechra Brand Manager Emma Jennings said: "The treatment and control of mastitis is one of the largest costs to any dairy farmer. It affects productivity and cow welfare and we are delighted to be able to introduce this revolutionary product.
"Revozyn RTU can change the way that clinical and subclinical mastitis in dairy cattle is treated. Its narrow spectrum of activity means that the risk of antibiotic resistance is reduced and there is no need for additional animal handling, thereby saving time and protecting user safety.
“The flexible dosing of Revozyn RTU and 28-day shelf life also make it a cost effective option for farmers".
For more information, visit www.dechra.co.uk.
Carried out by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC), the Animal Health Trust (AHT) and Rossdales Equine Hospital, the study also revealed that the groups particularly at risk were native pony breeds and their crosses, as well as horses and ponies with a history of laminitis and those with lameness or soreness after routine hoof care.
This research, funded by World Horse Welfare, comes from the first ever online study that collected information on laminitis from a group of owners in real time.
The researchers say that the study is also the second largest to identify weight gain as a risk factor for laminitis. Data was collected from the owners of 1,070 horses and ponies in Great Britain, who reported their animal’s management, health and estimated weight via online questionnaires for 29 months.
Owners were encouraged to use a custom weight tracking tool designed by the study/research team to help regularly track changes in their animal’s weight and body condition. The uptake of this tool was high, with over half of participating owners using it.
The tool is freely available at: www.aht.org.uk/research/lameness/laminitis.
Other study findings included:
A high risk of laminitis was present in horses shod or trimmed at intervals of more than 8 weeks, and in those that took a long time to return to soundness after a bout of laminitis.
Diet, grazing management and health were factors closely associated with the development of laminitis and will be the subject of future investigation.
Researchers also noted that weight gain often occurred unintentionally, even when owners were aiming for their animals to maintain or lose it. This reiterates the need to consistently record weight and body condition in order to prevent undesirable weight gain.
Dr. Dee Pollard of the AHT, one of the study’s chief authors, said: "This is one of the largest, and the first, online laminitis studies where we collected regular information from the same group of owners in real-time. We assessed the relationship between laminitis and many potential management and health factors and identified those more likely to be present before a laminitis episode was reported.
"We now have good evidence to develop laminitis prevention guidelines, and a number of different avenues to explore in the future. We cannot emphasise enough how important systematic and regular weight and body condition monitoring are. It’s very easy to miss weight gain when you are just relying on your eyes and you see your horse or pony every day. You need to get hands on, feel for the fat deposits and take measurements, remember the figures don’t lie!"
There are nine candidates standing in this year’s elections, including five existing Council members eligible for re-election and four candidates not currently on Council. They are:
Dr Linda Belton MRCVSAt a glance: Equine clinician. Director of George Veterinary Group, a 40-vet independent practice. Wants to safeguard veterinary surgeons' clinical freedom and prevent it being eroded as a result of corporatisation.
Dr Niall Connell MRCVSAt a glance: After a career largely in small animal charitable practice, Niall had to retire from clinical practice as a result of MS. Has been a council member since 2013 and now RCVS President-elect. By all accounts, something of a national treasure. Wants the College to: "regulate compassionately in partnership with our profession".
Mr John C Davies MRCVSAt a glance: Small animal practitioner who, having had his fingers burned in a failed joint venture arrangement and parts of his election manifesto redacted by the RCVS (it can be read in full here: http://www.johndaviesvet.com), now campaigns for justice, integrity, accountability, freedom of speech and due diligence at the College and in the wider profession.
Dr Joanna (Jo) Dyer MRCVSAt a glance: Small animal locum practitioner who was first elected to council in 2015 after successfully lobbying for changes to the CoPC Guidance following Chikosi. An all round good egg. Argues passionately against changes to the Code of Conduct to allow remote prescribing of POM-Vs.
Professor Timothy (Tim) Greet FRCVSAt a glance: Widely-published equine practitioner and past-pres of BEVA, BVA and WEVA. In favour of RCVS regulation of para-professionals. Argues that whilst technology is to be welcomed, diagnosis and prescribing must be restricted to animals 'under our care'.
Professor John Innes FRCVSAt a glance: RCVS Specialist in small animal orthopaedics (with 85 peer-reviewed papers to his name) and Referrals Director at CVS. Pledges to speak as an independent veterinary surgeon - not a corporate representative - if elected. On record as being pleased that the proposed RCVS telemedicine trial was delayed pending further consultation. In favour of 'nurse practitioner' becoming a regulated option for RVNs.
Dr Thomas (Tom) Lonsdale MRCVSAt a glance: Single-issue candidate with a 23-year history of standing for election to draw attention to the supposed evils of commercial pet foods. Based in Australia. 2000-1 outsider.
Dr Katherine (Kate) Richards MRCVSAt a glance: 15 years in farm animal practice before taking up various positions in industry and government. Champions a healthy work-life balance, fair pay, workplace flexibility and supportive work practices.
Mr Peter Robinson MRCVSAt a glance: A long career in independent farm, equine and small animal practice, followed by a stint in sole practice in Dubai. Has been on Council for 4 years. Like Jo Dyer, argues that when it comes to remote prescribing and telemedicine, "we must not change the standards of ‘under our care'."
Ballot papers and booklets containing candidates’ details and manifestos have been sent by post to all veterinary surgeons eligible to vote and an email containing a unique link to a secure voting site has also been sent by Electoral Reform Services, which runs the election on behalf of the College.
All votes must be cast, either online or by post, by 5pm on Friday 26 April 2019.
Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Registrar and Returning Officer for the election, said: "Last year we saw another very strong turnout for the RCVS Council election with over a fifth of the profession casting votes. The turnout was again helped by regular email reminders and the fact the voting website can be easily accessed by just clicking on a link.
"I would like to remind the profession that, following last year’s changes to our governance structure after a Legislative Reform Order was passed through Parliament, you can now only choose up to three candidates. I do hope members of the profession take this opportunity to influence the governance and policies of the RCVS."
Those who are eligible to vote but have not received either an email or ballot paper should contact Luke Bishop, RCVS Senior Communications Officer, on l.bishop@rcvs.org.uk.
Developed by Italian tech company, Otech Industry srl, the Onemytis 2 uniquely uses gas ionisation to vaporise tissue at lower temperatures and, claims Excel, with greater precision than is possible with conventional electrosurgery.
The knife works by a strong electromagnetic field through air. This releases plasma which vaporises tissue at a maximum operating temperature of 50°C (compared to more than 118°C in conventional electrosurgery).
During surgery, the electrode does not touch the patient. Plasma is formed when it is between 1 and 2 mm away from the patient, depending on the power setting. This means the surgeon does not apply any pressure when creating an incision, allowing greater precision.
The Onemytis range starts from £4500 +VAT.
West Sussex first opinion vet, Julian Hoad, Head of Crossways Veterinary Group, started using Onemytis last year for a range or procedures including laparoscopic surgery and the removal of masses, often without the need for a general anaesthetic.
Julian said: "I’ve used electrosurgery for 20 years and this is an order of magnitude better. It is more precise, more reliable and results in a much better healing surface."
"I recently removed an enlarged lymph node. The mass was around the mesenteric root. Because Onemytis is so precise I was able to dissect around the blood vessels, removing tissue that was attached to them with no blood loss. Onemytis is also excellent for removing epulides. It cuts though gingival tissue with very limited burning and produces very good, pain-free healing."
"I now routinely use it for performing nostril widening surgery in brachycephalic dogs; it reduces surgery time dramatically and completely abolishes bleeding in most cases."
"I have also used it to remove a large mass from a dog’s spleen and, by using a combination of Onemytis and Ligasure, managed to do so with a total blood loss of less than 2 ml."
Steve Hayden, Director at Excel Lasers, said: “We are delighted to be bringing Onemytis 2 to the UK. An important part of our role is to identify the technological innovations we think are most likely to help vets and their patients and Onemytis really stands out. The feedback we have had from our clients has been extremely positive and we think it has a fantastic future in veterinary surgery.”
To find out more about Onemytis 2 and watch videos of it in action, visit: https://www.excellasers.com/airplasma/
The new website explains what Veterinary Specialists are, how they may be able to help, and how the referral process works. The BCVSp says it has been designed to be a useful resource which primary practices can direct their clients to if a referral is being considered.
As well as being able to search for a Specialist by location and by discipline, owners can also read some real life patient case studies following the referral, treatment journeys and outcomes of animals that have benefited from Specialist care and meet some of the Specialists via podcast links.
BCVSp Trustee Celia Marr said: "While most happy healthy animals will never need Specialist veterinary care, if they do we want their owners to know that we are here to help.
"There are many hundreds of Specialists working at the forefront of veterinary care and also those working in research, pathology and academia, helping to advance animal health and welfare, every day. We believe our new website should help to spread the word and make referral more understandable and accessible."
Visit the new website at www.yourvetspecialist.org
Forte highlights that Utertab's intrauterine administration allows it to act directly in the target tissue. It is presented in a perforated blister pack for better sealing.
Dr John Henderson, Large Animal Product Manager at Forte Healthcare Ltd said: "Given the need to use appropriate first-line antibacterial drugs where possible we are delighted to bring vets a new Tetracycline pessary, ‘Utertab’, for the treatment of metritis and retained foetal membranes.
"In-situ therapy for these conditions has more recently been neglected in favour of injectables but still has much to recommend it. We look forward to highlighting these benefits over the next few months."
For further information on Utertab 2000mg, contact your local Forte Territory Manager or enquiries@fortehealthcare.com.
The symposium, which will be held on Tuesday 24 September 2019, at Church House in London, will bring together researchers interested in all aspects of veterinary professionals’ wellbeing and mental health. It will feature plenary speakers from mental health research, including:
Professor Neil Greenberg: Sustaining resilience at work – what does the evidence tell us works?, Professor of Defence Mental Health, Consultant Academic Psychiatrist at King’s College London, Chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists’ (RCP) Special Interest Group in Occupational Psychiatry.
Professor Alexandra Pitman: The impact of veterinarian suicide on colleagues, Associate Professor in Psychiatry in the UCL Division of Psychiatry and an Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist at Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust.
Professor Stuart Reid: The Mind Matters Initiative – what we’ve achieved so far, Principal, Royal Veterinary College, Chair of the Mind Matters Initiative.
Presentations should be in the format of a 15-minute oral presentation or an A1 poster.
Those wishing to apply should submit an abstract clearly marked ‘poster’ or ‘oral presentation’. The title should be 15 words or fewer. The abstract should include author(s) first name(s), followed by surname(s), institution of affiliation and country. The body of the text should be no longer than 250 words and include: background; clear and explicit aims and objectives, hypotheses or research questions; methods; results; discussion; and conclusion.
All abstracts should be submitted as Word documents to Rosie Allister on rosie.allister@gmail.com no later than 23:59 (GMT) on Friday 19 April 2019.
Applicants will be notified if they have been successful within 14 days of this date. Speakers whose applications are successful will receive complimentary registration for the symposium, not including travel and accommodations costs.
A small number of travel bursaries are available for students, people with lived experience of mental health problems, and people who are unwaged, who would not otherwise be able to attend. For further details, please contact Lisa Quigley, Mind Matters Initiative Manager, on l.quigley@rcvs.org.uk.
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."
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.