The Adaptil Diffuser has been renamed the Adaptil Calm Home Diffuser, the Adaptil Collar has been renamed Adaptil Calm On-the-Go Collar, Adaptil Spray is now called Adaptil Transport and Adaptil Tablets are now called Adaptil Express.
The new products are split into three colour-coded groups. In blue packaging, Adaptil Calm Home Diffuser is designed to help dogs stay calm in recurring situations at home, including staying alone, loud noises and visitors. It comes as a 30-day starter kit containing a diffuser and refill, and lasts for 30 days.
Adaptil Calm On-the-go Collar is for use when dogs face fearful situations outdoors. It is available in two collar sizes (small to fit necks up to 37.5cm and large to fit necks up to 62.5cm) and it lasts for four weeks.
Adaptil Transport comes in yellow packaging and is designed to make travel and visits to the vet less stressful. It is available in 60ml and 20ml bottles.
Adaptil Calm Home Diffuser, Adaptil Calm On-the-Go Collar and Adaptil Transport all contain dog appeasing pheremones to help dogs feel calm and relaxed.
The last product in the new range is Adaptil Express, which comes in green packaging. Adaptil Express is an oral supplement which Ceva says provides a fast, calming effect for dogs faced with occasional challenging events such as thunderstorms and fireworks. The non-pheromone tablets, which come in packs of 10 or 40 tablets, combine GABA and amino acids and can be given with or without food.
Abigail King, product manager for Adaptil, said: "80% of pet owners state that their dog gets stressed during challenging situations both inside and outside the home and during specific occasions such as travelling, fireworks and thunderstorms1. Adaptil’s new product range caters for all these eventualities and the eye-catching branding and packaging clearly indicates which product should be used for each challenging occasion to aid owner compliance and help dogs feel calm and relaxed at all times."
For further information, visit www.adaptil.com/uk.
Reference
Morally injurious events are defined as experiences which violate one's moral or ethical code.
The research will consider the types of moral injuries veterinary professionals might encounter, their prevalence, the perceptions amongst professionals around how these moral injuries come about, and what support is needed when they occur.
The project is being led by psychologists Professor Neil Greenberg, Dr Dominic Murphy and Dr Victoria Williamson.
The research revolves around an online questionnaire which the researchers say should take no more than 20 minutes to complete: https://tinyurl.com/y7ue5ezw
Victoria said: “If you have experienced an upsetting event in your veterinary role, it would be really helpful if you could fill in our questionnaire which is anonymous and confidential. As part of this study, we are particularly interested in hearing about experiences that may have caused you to question the kind of person you are, or the kind of world we live in. These are things that you feel you may have done or failed to do, or things that others did or failed to do.
"We hope our results will help us to find better ways of meeting the needs of veterinarians in future so we would encourage veterinary professionals to also circulate this study to colleagues. Some participants may be invited to take part in a follow-up telephone interview; however, we would like to assure you this element of the project is completely voluntary.”
The survey will be followed by 1 hour telephone interviews with those who have indicated they are happy to be interviewed about their thoughts, feelings and beliefs since their challenging experience and how the event may have affected them.
The results of the study will be published in scientific journals and summaries will be made available for the relevant stakeholders with the aim of informing future research studies to support veterinary wellbeing, as well as clinical practice and policy.
Those who wish to find out more about the study before completing the survey can contact Victoria at: victoria.williamson@kcl.ac.uk
Containing ceftiofur (50mg/ml) and ketoprofen (150mg/ml), Curacef Duo is presented in a ready-to-use suspension for injection at a low volume dosage – 1 ml/50kg – which is identical to short-acting ceftiofur alone.
Virbac says that Curacef Duo’s combined action can help to minimise production losses in calves and offer a quick return to production for dairy cows affected by bacterial BRD. It can also improve welfare by targeting infection, inflammation and pain all at once, while its ease of use and simple dosing help to increase compliance. Curacef Duo offers a zero milk withdrawal period and an eight day withdrawal period in meat.
Brigitte Goasduf MRCVS, Large Animal Product Manager at Virbac, said: "In creating the first 'two-in-one' combination of two tried and trusted actives, the antibiotic ceftiofur and NSAID ketoprofen, we are offering practitioners an alternative to the treatment of bacterial BRD.
"We believe that the benefits Curacef Duo offers in terms of efficacy, ease of use and action on inflammation and pain, will be valued by both practitioners and farmers."
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.
The RVC has published the results of a study which showed that dogs treated with pimobendan at the preclinical stage of mitral valve disease (MVD) remained asymptomatic for an average 15 months longer and lived for significantly longer than the placebo group.
The EPIC study (Evaluation of Pimobendan In Cardiomegaly), published open access in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine1, is the largest prospective veterinary cardiology study carried out to date. The authors say that the quality of the data it produced rivals that of human clinical trials.
The study was double-blinded, placebo-controlled and randomised. It took seven years to complete and involved 360 dogs across 11 countries in four continents.
To qualify for enrolment in the study, dogs had to be 6 years of age or older, have a body weight ≥4.1 and ≤15 kg, have a characteristic systolic heart murmur of moderate to high intensity (≥ grade 3/6) with maximal intensity over the mitral area, have echocardiographic evidence of advanced MMVD defined as characteristic valvular lesions of the mitral valve apparatus, mitral regurgitation on the colour Doppler echocardiogram, and have echocardiographic evidence of left atrial and left ventricular dilatation, defined as a left atrial-to-aortic root ratio ≥ 1.6 and body weight normalized left ventricular internal diameter in diastole ≥ 1.7, in addition to radiographic evidence of cardiomegaly (vertebral heart sum > 10.5)
In fact, the study was terminated early following an interim analysis as the evidence was considered conclusive and it was deemed unethical to continue to withhold treatment from the placebo group.
Adrian Boswood, Professor of Veterinary Cardiology at the RVC (pictured above right), led the research. He said: "Thanks to the EPIC study results, vets no longer have to adopt a 'watch and wait' approach to suspected preclinical cases of MVD. When a typical mitral valve murmur is detected, vets should now investigate further to look for cardiac enlargement. If demonstrated, this suggests the patient will probably benefit from treatment with pimobendan before the onset of clinical signs.
"It's great that as a trusted treatment, pimobendan has a wealth of safety data behind it in addition to that gleaned from the EPIC study, which can help support vets when prescribing it in this new way."
Adrian added: "As far as evidence-based medicine goes, this is about as good as it gets. The size and design of the study places it in the top-tier. The study was designed and run by an independent team of investigators and sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim. We, as lead investigators, had the right to publish the results regardless of the outcome. This makes EPIC very special indeed."
In light of the findings, Adrian says vets should now consider testing early for signs of preclinical MVD, and in dogs with cardiomegaly secondary to preclinical MVD, consider the use of pimobendan to delay the onset of congestive heart failure and extend the asymptomatic period.
To read more about the EPIC study and results, visit www.rvc.ac.uk
The debate, which was described as 'robust but good-humoured', was moderated by BEVA past-President Madeleine Campbell, sole partner at Hobgoblins Equine Reproduction Centre.
Keith Chandler, former BEVA President and member of the acquisitions team at Independent Vet Care and Karl Holliman, partner and director at Cliffe Veterinary group and past chairman of XL Equine, argued for corporatisation.
Their supporting witnesses were Lesley Barwise Munro of AlNorthumbria vets which was sold to CVS in 2015 and Julian Samuelson a former managing partner of Bell Equine, which was sold to CVS earlier this year.
In the opposing corner were Andrew Harrison, a partner at Three Counties Equine Hospital and Tim Greet, who recently retired as an equine partner at Rossdales.
Their supporting witnesses were Louise Radford MRCVS, who now works in the pharmaceutical industry and Nenad Zillic, partner at the Barn Equine Surgery.
As the moderator called 'seconds out', opinion was relatively evenly divided, with 44% of the audience agreeing with the motion and 56% disagreeing.
The pro corporatisation team advocated that obvious commercial and business advantages, together with the scale and diversity of a corporate, can give vets greater potential for a more flexible career path and advancement within the industry, and a more sustainable working career in equine practice.
Karl Holliman pointed out that corporates enable greater purchasing power, better health and safety resources, improved career structure and the freedom for employed vets to focus on clinical expertise rather than becoming bogged down with practice management.
Keith Chandler went on to argue that selling to a corporate is a solution to the problem of succession planning. In a climate of unwillingness for younger vets to buy in to practice, selling allows partners to realise the value they've built up and release that equity to do something else.
This is all very well, said Tim Greet, on the anti corporatisation panel, but the good reputation the profession currently enjoys is based on service to clients and above all the animals in our care. Clinical rather than commercial elements drive practice and partners are light on their feet and can respond quickly to decisions without referring to "a ponderous corporate hierarchy".
Tim also argued that clients like continuity and the quickest way to lose them would be to send in different vets. A bespoke approach to client care was needed rather than hard targeting.
Andrew Harrison went on to suggest that the only vets who really benefit from selling out are those who have one eye on retirement. Younger partners may be able to pay off the loan they took out to buy into practice in the first place but are then likely to take a considerable drop in salary and be given a middle management job, moving from the "pilot seat into the passenger seat." He argued that young vets cannot afford to buy into practices because the industry is being "fuelled by the corporates who are falling over themselves competing to buy equine practices and squeezing out our fellow professionals."
Pro corporatisation witness Julian Samuelson maintained that since Bell Equine has been sold to CVS there has been no change to client service, no restrictions on clinical performance and that no targets have been imposed to achieve set revenues.
Anti-corporatisation witness Louise Radford made the point that big corporates could exert pressure on pharmaceutical companies to drive down prices, which would reduce their capacity to invest in research and development trials and CPD, to the ultimate detriment of the veterinary industry.
The session closed with 72% of the audience disagreeing with the motion Corporatisation is inevitable and will benefit vets and their clients.
BEVA President Jon Pycock said: "Whether we like it or not corporatisation of equine practices is on the rise. But it shouldn’t mean that the future isn’t going to be viable for independents too as there is a role for both to co-exist. Importantly, this should mean that vets and their clients will both continue to have choices."
The Committee heard that Mr Dingemanse had one conviction relating to four separate offences committed in 2019 of making indecent photographs of a child Category A, B and C and possession of 22 extreme pornographic images that were grossly offensive.
He had been sentenced at Oxford Crown Court to eight months’ imprisonment, suspended for 24 months, directed to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years and fined £420 for prosecution costs and £140 victim surcharge.
The Committee were presented with evidence taken from the transcripts of Dr Dingemanse’s Crown Court sentencing hearing.
The transcript outlined that Dr Dingemanse used an online messaging service to engage in conversations about child sexual abuse under a pseudonym. According to Wales Online, the conversations related to children as young as four.
His IP address was traced and he was arrested on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children.
Counsel for the College submitted to the Disciplinary Committee that the nature of circumstances of the offences rendered Dr Dingemanse unfit to practise as a veterinary surgeon.
In its decision relating to Dr Dingemanse’s fitness to practise, the Committee described Dr Dingemanse’s behaviour which led to the conviction as “inexplicable” and “abhorrent”, and that his possession of the images of children and animals was “disgraceful conduct of the most grievous and reprehensible kind.”
The Committee did not consider that there were any mitigating factors in the case, but did consider there to be several aggravating factors including: actual (albeit indirect) injury to an animal or child; the risk of harm to an animal or child; lack of integrity for a regulated professional to have behaved in such a way; premeditated conduct; and, that the offences involved vulnerable children and animals.
Cerys Jones, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, added: “Dr Dingemanse’s conduct was [also] liable to have a seriously detrimental effect on the reputation of the profession and to undermine public confidence in the profession.
"The fact that he was a veterinary surgeon was made clear at the Crown Court hearing.
"The Committee considered that members of the public would rightly be appalled that a registered veterinary surgeon had committed offences of this nature.”
When deciding on the appropriate sanction, the Committee took into account all of the evidence, including Dr Dingemanse’s expression of remorse and steps towards rehabilitation.
Mr Dingemanse's solicitor invited the Committee to consider suspending Dr Dingemanse from the Register as his client’s sanction, but the Committee did not feel that this was appropriate.
Cerys Jones added: “The Committee considered that suspending Dr Dingemanse’s registration would not be sufficient to maintain confidence in the profession and that therefore, for public interest reasons, as well as animal protection, a suspension would not be sufficient.
"Committee was of the view that the nature and seriousness of Dr Dingemanse’s behaviour, which led to the conviction, was fundamentally incompatible with being registered as a veterinary surgeon and that all of the above matters listed were applicable in this case.
"The Committee decided that the only appropriate and proportionate sanction in this case was removal from the Register.”
Dr Dingemanse has 28 days from being notified of his removal from the Register to lodge an appeal with the Privy Council.
The Committee’s full findings can be viewed at www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary
Research shows that over 60% of cast-treated pets get additional injures, such as pressure sores, from traditional plaster casts1.
The new cast is designed to tackle these issues with anatomically shaped bi-valve splints that are based on 30,000 3D scans of animal limbs.
Upets TLC products are made from FDA and CE approved Woodcast material used in human casting and splinting.
Bandages, padding and tape are replaced with a soft, self-cohesive Unitex fabric that passes moisture and dries fast.
TLC products are engineered for easy destabilisation by removing parts of the splint, and the same product can be used throughout the whole treatment.
Orthopets, a subsidiary of the materials company Dassiet, says that breathable, lightweight materials combined with the anatomical fit help prevent sores and restore normal position and movement of the limb.
OrthoPets founder Martin Kaufmann said: “The common cast is very problematic, but we've lacked better alternatives. Now, with the Dassiet supermaterials and OrthoPets’ vast experience in veterinary biomechanics we have re-engineered the common cast.
"Upets TLC is anatomical and safe. It’s stress-free for both the vet and the pet. It brings veterinary casting to the modern day and offers a better standard care option for all vets and orthopaedic surgeons out there.”
"Sores, pain and stiffness are always on the horizon with casting. But if we take the cast off too early, the leg can be injured again because of lack of proper support. UPETS tackles these problems all at once. I find it easy to apply the pre-shaped casts even for very small or large dogs and make adjustments if needed. I can watch my patients walk off the clinic normally with their cast, knowing they can wear it safely until fully healed. We see significant and immediate improvement in patients compared to the common cast”, says Dassiet Chief Veterinarian Jouni Niemi, who oversees the clinical research of UPETS.
For more information, visit: www.upets.vet/TLC
Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health is to launch CICADA-Live, the second phase of its national initiative to monitor the awareness and regional prevalence of important diseases in cats, dogs and rabbits.
First launched in 2007 as a quarterly survey, the ground-breaking CICADA-Live project has now been developed to offer up-to-the minute data on infectious companion animal disease reports that can be updated and accessed by vet practices around the clock. The new scheme is now able to provide a real-time overview of companion animal infectious diseases being diagnosed in UK veterinary practices.
CICADA-Live is focusing on more than a dozen key infectious diseases of dogs, cats and rabbits. They include canine parvovirus, infectious canine hepatitis, canine distemper, leptospirosis, kennel cough, angiostrongylosis. For cats, CICADA-Live will monitor feline panleucopaenia, cat flu, feline leukaemia virus infections. For rabbits the focus will be on myxomatosis, rabbit viral haemorrhagic disease, E.cuniculi, and fly strike.
The service is officially launched on 1st June to coincide with Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health's National Vaccination Month 2009, and is open to all first-opinion UK companion animal veterinary practices.
The system's developer, John Helps, Veterinary Manager at Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health said: "Whereas our first edition of CICADA was useful in providing benchmarks so that seasonal and long term trends could be identified and communicated to both vets and pet owners, the further potential of a live on-line database is enormous in raising awareness of current pet disease risks to the public."
According to the company, there has been a lack of knowledge regarding the local and national incidence of small animal infectious diseases in the UK, and those sporadic reports that do occur are typically anecdotal and can prove hard to substantiate. It is feared that the lack of co-ordinated good quality information has potentially lead to pet owners being lulled into a false sense of security by a low awareness of disease risks.
John added: "Lack of data on the incidence and prevalence of even the most common infectious diseases has been an important issue faced by small animal practices reducing their ability to highlight these risks. A staggering lack of owner awareness to infectious disease threats in turn contributes to complacency among pet owners.
"Evidence suggests that some infectious diseases, such as parvovirus, may be on the increase in some areas and there continues to be a concern regarding the number of animals that remain unvaccinated.
"Not only will Cicada-Live provide the means for improving a gap in our collective knowledge but it will also prove invaluable in the promotion of good preventative healthcare.
"We have long believed that better epidemiological surveillance would an important tool in understanding trends in small animal infectious disease and with CICADA-Live, for the first time we have a tool to give us a better appreciation of what first opinion practices are currently seeing."
The CICADA-Live website, http://www.cicadasurvey.co.uk/, is simple to access and update. Registrations are limited to one per practice branch. A straightforward one-page survey format minimises the time investment, with no strict requirement to review written case records.
Once signed in, participating practices will be asked to complete the survey once every 6 months in order to grant continued access to maps and tables showing recent reports. In addition practices can set up e-mail alerts to give notification should disease reports be received in their area.
For further information about CICADA-Live from Intervet please contact Intervet /Schering-Plough Animal Health's Veterinary Support Group on 01908 685685. Or contact John.
David, who was assisted by Dan Kenny and Kat Grzywa MsRCVS, said: “Penny presented with suspected ascites, given a large volume of peritoneal effusion. Her abdomen was very swollen and taut
“We performed a contrast-enhanced CT scan with an iodine-based contrast to help highlight the areas of the body we needed to examine and the results were startling.
“The mass was enormous. It almost completely filled the abdomen.”
CT images showed that the mass had originated in the right kidney, which had been displaced into the left side of the abdomen, and also compressed the rest of Penny’s internal organs.
There was no evidence of metastatic disease.
David added: “A right ureteronephrectomy was performed and the large cystic parts of the tumour were dissected free from the omentum, the peritoneum and the retroperitoneal vasculature.
“The surgery was really difficult because the mass was so large and heavy, and it required extra surgeons to hold and manipulate the mass, while its vasculature was dissected and ligated.
“The weight of the mass on the diaphragm also made the anaesthesia challenging but surgery went very well.
"Once the surgery was over, the weight of the mass was confirmed at nearly 5kg.
“Penny made a good recovery from the anaesthesia, her blood renal parameters remained normal throughout her recovery, and she was discharged 48 hours later. Histopathology later confirmed the mass to be renal carcinoma.”
The aim of the competition is to highlight top tips for pet owners and the benefits of building a den to help calm and reassure dogs during the fireworks festivities.
Practices that want to take part in the in the competition need to post pictures of their dens and waiting rooms on the Ceva Animal Health Facebook page in October. The winning practice will receive a £200 voucher and there are 10 runner up prizes of luxury chocolate hampers.
Abigail King, behaviour product manager at Ceva Animal Health, said: "Our hugely popular fireworks display competition encourages veterinary practices to create eye-catching and imaginative displays that help educate pet owners on what can be done at home to help calm and reassure pets with firework fears."
Ceva has a range of marketing materials for veterinary practices to use in the competition, including waiting room materials.
For further information, contact your Ceva territory manager.
Shockwave therapy, or Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) to give it its full nomenclature, sends mechanical shock waves into the affected area to stimulate the natural healing process by triggering the body’s own repair mechanisms.
The therapy is being spearheaded at Willows by Kinley Smith (pictured right), an RCVS and European specialist in small animal surgery. He said: "Shockwave therapy is a whole new line of treatment and has proved a spectacular success.
"It’s an excellent technique for dealing with certain orthopaedic conditions and there’s no invasive surgery, no wound to heal and no risk of infection so it really is a win-win-win procedure.
"It is particularly effective in the treatment of ligament and tendon injuries.
"There can be immediate pain relief for the dog; after two weeks we start to see lasting benefits and in four weeks we normally see a clear improvement.
"The added bonuses are we can normally reduce any medication; the dog can enjoy more exercise plus it is not as costly as undergoing an operation.
"Surgery is still essential in some of the more acute, problematic cases but shockwave therapy has been a terrific development in helping us provide an alternative treatment in a lot of soft tissue, muscle and bone conditions."
For more information, visit www.willows.uk.net.
Dr Kettle faced a charge that he had grabbed the dog, a Shih Tzu named Bella, when she was in a kennel, and/or failed to take sufficient care to ensure that Bella did not fall from her kennel, hit Bella with his hand and/or muzzle, and carried Bella only by her collar and/or scruff.
At the outset, Dr Kettle admitted that he had committed the acts as alleged and that his conduct represented serious professional misconduct.
Having taken evidence from the College and the respondent into account, the Committee considered that Dr Kettle’s actions had not only placed Bella at risk of injury but had also caused her actual injury evidenced by her tongue turning blue for a few seconds, the fact that she soiled herself and her stillness in the treatment room.
However, it also concluded that the incident was a single episode in respect of a single animal that had occurred over a period of 30 seconds, so whilst his actions were serious, they were not aggravated by being sustained or repeated over a period of time.
In terms of mitigating factors, the Committee considered that the circumstances at the time of the incident were relevant.
It found Dr Kettle to be a credible witness and accepted that, during the time that the incident occurred, he had been going through a very difficult time personally with the loss of locum staff, the increased work pressure during the pandemic and unrelated adverse comments on social media.
The Committee considered that whilst these factors did not excuse his behaviour, they had affected how Dr Kettle had reacted towards Bella on the day.
The Committee also noted from clinical records that Dr Kettle had been Bella’s veterinary surgeon for over seven years, on nine occasions prior to the incident and on seven occasions subsequently.
There has been no such evidence of any other incidents happening within this time. Dr Kettle received highly positive testimonials attesting to his usual high standards of practice, both before and since the incident, and the Committee was satisfied that this incident could properly be characterised as isolated and out of character.
Kathryn Peaty, Chair of the Disciplinary Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “It was clear that Dr Kettle was deeply remorseful and ashamed of his actions, immediately recognising the seriousness of what he had done.
"Indeed, it was apparent to the Committee from Dr Kettle’s evidence that this remorse and regret continue to weigh heavily on him.
“In all the circumstances, although the Committee did not consider that Dr Kettle’s misconduct was at the lower end of the spectrum of seriousness, given the absence of future risk to animals or the public, and the evidence of exemplary insight, the Committee concluded that a reprimand was the appropriate and proportionate sanction in this case.
“The Committee was satisfied that a reprimand would mark Dr Kettle’s misconduct and reassure the public that veterinary surgeons who act as Dr Kettle had done, would face regulatory consequences and sanction.”
https://www.rcvs.org.uk/concerns/disciplinary-hearings
Centaur Services' veterinary wholesale business has been acquired by AHN International. Centaur was founded in 1964 by a group of veterinary surgeons who wanted to increase their buying power and the range of products available to them. Over the next 44 years the business, which was owned by its veterinary surgeon shareholders, grew to a turnover of nearly £140m. The company has recently completed a 3 year programme of modernisation making it one of the most technologically advanced wholesalers in Europe. In September 2007, Centaur Services announced its intention to list its shares on the Alternative Investments Market (AIM). These plans were initially postponed and finally cancelled when the Centaur shareholders accepted the offer from AHN. Paul Gerring, Centaur Services' Managing Director said: "There has been considerable consolidation in the veterinary market over recent years, particularly amongst manufacturers, and this partnership with AHN provides us with an increased presence in the market. Like Centaur, AHN is a vet-focussed business with plans to be active in the veterinary supply market on a European and global basis. We see plenty of exciting opportunities out there". AHN International was established to form the first global coalition of leading animal health wholesalers and distributors. With nearly 700 employees worldwide, AHN International is committed to presenting the veterinary surgeons with an advanced level of product and services. Headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, AHN International will actively build it's network of leading trading companies around the world through acquisitions and business associations.
The group, which was convened by Boehringer Ingelheim, made its recommendation in a poster published at the National Mastitis Council meeting in Arizona1, prior to the launch of Boehringer's new teat sealant, Ubroseal.
The poster added that those animals that are likely to be infected need to receive antibiotic dry cow therapy (ADCT) in addition to a teat sealant.
Boehringer says various studies have shown that using an ITS reduces the risk of new intramammary infections and reduces the risk of clinical mastitis after calving, pointing to a meta-analysis of published papers which showed a 25% reduced risk of new infections and a 29% reduced risk of clinical mastitis for cows receiving ITS plus ADCT compared with ADCT alone
Boehringer’s veterinary adviser, Kath Aplin said: "Against the backdrop of targets from RUMA to reduce antibiotic use in the dairy sector3, adopting ITS for all cows could significantly reduce the need for antibiotics. An increase in the use of ITS is included in the dairy sector targets.
"We estimate that, currently, around 29% of the national herd is dried off without an ITS, so there is huge room for growth4."
Kath added: "With a 300-cow US study showing that a week after drying off, 47% of teats had still not formed a keratin plug5 and a New Zealand study showing that one in 20 cows had teats that remained open for 60 days6, it is clear to see that delayed teat closure is a very real problem in many herds. Teats remaining open after dry off make the udder highly susceptible to infection and delayed teat closure exacerbates the risk of acquiring an intramammary infection post-dry off4."
The expert group also recommended developing a herd plan, classifying herds as low risk or high risk and having a different approach to each.
High risk herds will have had a bulk SCC of >250,000 cell/ml in at least two of the last six months, they may also have a problem with Strep. agalactiae or could be experiencing an unavoidable risk period (a new building for example).
The priority should be to improve udder health management during both the lactation and dry period and any decision to abandon ADCT should be made with care and a full risk assessment.
The group said that in reality, it may be prudent to continue blanket ADCT until udder health has improved.
The group’s recommendations for low risk herds (<250,000 cells/ml in four out of the last six months) were to actively strive towards selective ADCT, supported by ITS for all cows.
The full recommendations are published in the proceedings of the NMC1 or can be obtained from your local Boehringer Ingelheim representative.
Kath said: "It has long been established that the mammary gland is highly susceptible to infection in the dry period and that the majority of clinical mastitis in early lactation is picked up during the dry period.
"Moving towards selective ADCT may not be appropriate immediately for all producers. However, the use of ITS for all cows on all farms will reduce new infection rates, assisting in the drive towards improved udder health and reduced antibiotic use."
References
Photo: Curious cattle on farmland in Cornwall UK. Shutterstock/Shzphoto
Your tip could be clinical in nature (perhaps specific to a particular discipline, like cardiology or exotics), or to do with practice management, or dealing with clients, or HR, or, well, anything really.
To enter the competition, login to VetSurgeon.org and submit your tip in the forum, here.
Just before you press the button to post your tip, you might like to tick the box marked: "EMAIL ME REPLIES TO THIS POST" which appears immediately above the post button. That way, you'll get an email when someone else posts a tip.
Above each post in the forum, there is now a 'Thank You' link, which allows members to express their thanks for sharing something. The five tips that generate the largest number of 'thank yous' by the end of November will win the Amazon vouchers.
VetSurgeon.org is all about facilitating the sharing of knowledge, ideas and experience. So any tip entered into the competition will also be disseminated, together with the contributor's name, on other social media channels, such as Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and if you include a photo, on Instagram.
VetSurgeon.org Arlo Guthrie said: "The competition is really designed to show off the new 'thank you' feature on VetSurgeon, which allows members to show their appreciation when someone shares something useful with their peers. In due course, we'll be running similar competitions for the most thanked photos and videos uploaded to our galleries. Watch this space."
Fitzpatrick Referrals has announced the launch of a new cancer and soft tissue surgery referral service headed by Professor Nick Bacon (pictured right) and Dr Laurent Findji.
Professor Bacon and Dr Findji are American and European Board-Certified Surgeons respectively, with extensive experience in cancer care and soft tissue surgery innovation.
Professor Bacon joins the service directly from his post as Head of Oncology at the University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine. He will also take up the position of part-time Chair of Oncology at the new University of Surrey School of Veterinary Medicine.
Dr Findji joins the team from his prior role as director of the VRCC in Essex, bringing his expertise in cancer and soft tissue surgery advancements.
Professor Noel Fitzpatrick, founder of Fitzpatrick Referrals, said: "With these two eminent and globally recognised Specialists leading the new service, the UK will now be able to provide an innovative approach and comprehensive diagnosis, treatment, management and prognosis for all cancer and soft-tissue patients. The service will also be able to use the additional expertise available through the University of Surrey and both Specialists will be available for referring vets to discuss cases and to offer advice on the innovative treatment options available."
Professor Stuart Carmichael, the new service's director, said: "We would only introduce a service like this when we know it can provide the best options, the most comprehensive care and the highest level of expertise available. This is a referral service which will change the way that cancer patients are dealt with in the UK."
Noel added: "It's a testament to the reputation of Fitzpatrick Referrals and the University of Surrey, our partner in education, that we have been able to attract talents as great as Nick and Laurent. This is an exciting time not only for the hospital, but also for first-opinion practices throughout the UK who can avail of this world-class opportunity to offer a potentially life-saving service to their clients for their patients."
The service will operate initially from a self-contained clinic at the existing Fitzpatrick Referrals Orthopaedic + Neurology Hospital in Surrey and will be accepting patients from 1st October.
Hill's Pet Nutrition has enhanced its portfolio of prescription diets for the management of FLUTD with the launch of Feline c/d Multicare Reduced Calorie and a 'taste upgrade' for Feline c/d Multicare.
Prescription Diet Feline c/d Multicare Reduced Calorie is a new dry product designed to manage the higher incidence of FLUTD in overweight cats (FLUTD is 49% more prevalent in overweight and obese cats2). According to Hill's, the controlled fat and calorie levels in c/d Multicare Reduced Calorie and clinically proven levels of L-carnitine help to reduce fat build up and maintain lean muscles mass. Like c/d Multicare, its formula also dissolves sterile struvite uroliths in 14 days1.
Hill's says Prescription Diet c/d Multicare Reduced Calorie is formulated with omega-3 fatty acids to reduce the distress and discomfort associated with conditions such as FIC (Feline Idiopathic Cystitis); in addition obesity has been associated with systemic inflammation3 for which omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial4,5.
Prescription Diet Feline c/d Multicare Chicken dry kibble has had its taste improved; Hill's says studies show it is now preferred over the leading competitor's brand by a wide margin6. Apparently, the improvement in flavour is partly down to the new shape of the kibble.
Lastly, Hill's is highlighting a prospective study by MacLeay et al, the preliminary results of which were reported at the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Forum in May 2010. In the study, cats with uroliths suspected to be struvite (based on radiographic appearance) were fed Prescription Diet Feline c/d Multicare and rapid dissolution of the stones occurred in as little as two weeks.
Veterinary surgeons are being advised against taking a heavy handed approach to hyperthyroidism by key opinion leaders, including Professor Danielle Gunn-Moore, a Specialist in Feline Medicine at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh.
Professor Gunn-Moore said: "Hyperthyroidism is not a condition that develops suddenly. It is a slowly progressive disease. The cat's body adapts to being hyperthyroid over a relatively long period of time. That is why it is best to return it to a euthyroid state in a controlled manner, rather than trying to crash the thyroxine concentration back down to normal as quickly as possible. Too fast a fall in thyroxine concentration can significantly exacerbate renal compromise and may cause serious harm.
"My recommendation is that you should start with a low dose of anti-thyroid medication and increase it if needed, after assessing the initial response to treatment. Any increase should be made in the smallest increments possible."
Dechra Veterinary Products - makers of Felimazole, the first medical treatment licensed in Europe for feline hyperthyroidism - is inviting vets to stand 700/701 at the BSAVA Congress to find out more about the latest thinking and new research which shows that treatment of hyperthyroid cats can result in iatrogenic hypothyroidism, that hyperthyroid cats are significantly more likely to develop azotaemia than euthyroid cats, and that hypothyroid cats that developed azotaemia have significantly shorter survival times.1
Further information on Felimazole is available by calling 01939 211 200 or visiting http://www.dechra.com/
References:1. Williams, T. et al (2010) JVIM 24: 1086-1092
Sue qualified from Cambridge in 1984 and then spent time in mixed practice in Devon before taking her Certificate and then British and European Diplomas in Veterinary Dermatology.
Sue has been an RCVS and European Specialist for more than 20 years. She has recently been elected as a Fellow of the RCVS for meritorious contributions to clinical practice, is an elected member of the RCVS Council and is the Senior Vice President of the European Society of Veterinary Dermatology.
Sue is the Veterinary Director of two companies: Veterinary Dermatological Ltd, a manufacturer of a range of veterinary dermatology supplements, and Virtual Vet Derms, a veterinary telemedicine company. She has published seven text books as well as writing numerous peer reviewed articles and contributing chapters to both small animal and equine text books. She lectures extensively in Europe and America.
During her Presidency, Sue intends to consolidate everything she believes to be great about the Association. She said: "BSAVA has just completed a three-year strategic plan and my Presidency is going to be all about driving this forward. There are so many new initiatives in the pipeline I can’t wait to get started. I am looking forward to working with my dynamic teams of BSAVA officers and our amazing Woodrow House staff to show just how great BSAVA really is."
Professor Ian Ramsey becomes Vice President.
NDSR’s European Specialist in neurology and neurosurgery Niklas Bergknut is performing the surgery.
He said: "This type of surgery for dogs is not performed in many clinics across the country.
"The pituitary gland is, of course, a very small gland which is very close to the brain, so it requires considerable expertise to perform the operation, followed by a lot of after-care to help the animal recover properly after surgery.
"The pituitary gland produces hormones which are essential for life, so it is then vital to constantly monitor the dog, its blood, hormones and fluid levels both during surgery and for a longer period after surgery.
"Although surgery may be challenging, the aftercare can be even more challenging and requires very skilled internal medicine specialists to manage the patients after surgery.
"Our medics and nurses carry out various blood tests and manage the fluid balance every hour after surgery and all the way through to the dog going home.
"Every department in the hospital has to work closely together to ensure the best possible treatment and the best possible outcome."
Niklas, who learned the technique from Bjorn Meij, Professor of Surgery at the University of Utrecht, described how the operation is performed. He said: "We go in through the mouth, up through the soft palate and into the underside of the cranium. Then you drill a little hole to access the tumour that way.
"It is obviously essential to make sure you are in exactly the right place or the outcome could be disastrous.
"It is also important to operate as early as possible before the tumour gets too big.
"Trying to remove a big tumour is more difficult and holds greater risks because of the damage that can be done to the surrounding brain in attempting to remove the tumour."
Niklas says that if surgery is successful, the results are impressive, with most dogs making a full recovery and not suffering any recurrence of the tumours, a better outcome than treating the dogs with traditional methods such as radiotherapy.
He added: "Removing the tumour like this is the only way of permanently treating tumours of this type. Radiotherapy is very good too but there is a much larger likelihood of the tumour growing back."
For more information, visit www.ndsr.co.uk.
The tool is available to all practices, free of charge.
The downloadable and printable guide chart, which has been created by a number of specialists, will help veterinary surgeons, nurses and receptionists to identify urgent, potentially urgent, non-urgent and delayable cases to help limited veterinary resources be used to best efficiency without compromise to animal health or welfare.
The chart, which can be printed and put on a practice wall or referred to as a webpage via a mobile phone or tablet, has a number of supporting resources produced by the same specialists.
Sue Paterson, BSAVA President, said: “During these exceptional and worrying times veterinary surgeons need as much practical help and support as possible.
"We are hugely grateful for the indefatigable support of an enthusiastic group of volunteers who have rapidly produced this triage tool, which we are now able to share. It should enable patient queries to be processed, reliably and efficiently, allowing for emergency patients to be seen as a matter of urgency, within the current government and RCVS guidelines."
The triage tool is free to download and share: https://www.bsava.com/TriageTool
BSAVA is working on a number of other initiatives to support veterinary professionals during the current crisis, including new guidance on obtaining consent remotely for veterinary treatment. for more information, visit: https://www.bsava.com/adviceforCOVID19
Licensed for the treatment of severe equine asthma, each Equipred tablet contains 50mg of prednisolone, a larger concentration tablet designed to make dosing easier.
Equipred tablets are available in boxes of 100 tablets and each tablet can be divided into halves and quarters for accurate dosing and precise tapering of the administered dose.
Rosie Naylor, Equine Technical Product Manager at Virbac said: "We are pleased to add Equipred to Virbac’s equine range. The novel 50mg tablet presentation will enable accurate dosing of horses that require orally administered steroid treatment".
For more information, contact your Virbac Territory Manager.
Ms Mulvey faced a total of nine charges against her:
Ms Mulvey did not respond to the charges, was not present at the hearing and was not represented.
She told the College that she couldn't attend for health reasons, but did not then provide any medical evidence and did not apply for a remote hearing, which was offered.
She had appeared before the Disciplinary Committee twice previously, facing a number of similar charges.
In 2016/2017, Ms Mulvey admitted all charges she was faced with and was found guilty of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.
The Committee then decided to postpone the sanction for a period of one year.
In 2019, Ms Mulvey appeared before the Committee for the resumed sanction hearing and faced further new charges relating to failures to provide clinical history, failing to communicate with clients, failing to respond to requests for information from the College concerning complaints made against her, continuing professional development and indemnity insurance.
Ms Mulvey admitted the new charges and that she was guilty of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect, for which she was struck off for six months.
Taking into account the fact that this was not Ms Mulvey’s first time before the Committee, as well as new accompanying evidence, the Committee considered the facts of each subsection of each charge individually.
The Committee found all charges proved, apart from one subsection of charge 1.
The Committee then went on to decide if Ms Mulvey was guilty of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect, noting that it was entitled to consider the facts on a cumulative basis.
In other words, whilst any one charge may not fall far below the relevant standard expected of a veterinary surgeon on a standalone basis, it may when considered in conjunction with other failings that have been found proved.
The Committee found a number of aggravating factors in the case, including actual injury to animals (including death and amputation), dishonesty, breach of trust, sustained behaviour, disregard of the role of the RCVS, lack of insight by the defendant and previous adverse findings.
There were no mitigating factors.
The Committee then went on to decide upon a sanction.
Paul Morris, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee found that Dr Mulvey has demonstrated a wilful disregard for the role of her regulator and the systems that regulate the profession which are designed to ensure animal welfare.
"She has failed to learn from, or respond to in any meaningful way, her previous appearances before her regulator and advice given.
"The instant charges found proved dated back to shortly after the earlier suspension had elapsed.
"The Committee further noted that, if a period of suspension were to be imposed, at the end of the suspension Dr Mulvey would be entitled to resume practice without any preconditions.
“This is a case involving serious malpractice.
"It was sustained over a period of time.
"It followed previous adverse findings for almost identical failures.
"From as long ago as 2013, Dr Mulvey was given ample opportunity and support to remedy the deficiencies in her practice, which she squandered.
"Dr Mulvey’s conduct had very serious consequences for animal welfare.
"She continued, and continues, to display a wilful disregard for her responsibilities as a veterinary surgeon under the Code of Professional Conduct.
"Dr Mulvey’s conduct was a gross departure from the conduct expected of a veterinary surgeon.
“Dr Mulvey’s disgraceful conduct is so serious that removal from the Register is the only means of protecting animals and the wider public interest which includes protection of the public, the maintenance of public confidence in the profession, and the upholding of standards.”
Dr Mulvey has 28 days from being notified of her removal from the Register to lodge an appeal with the Privy Council.
The affected batches are: IsoFlo 250 ml 58006XN, 60003XN, 59005XN, 60006XN, 61001XN, 60016XN, 60017XN, 61018XN, 61015XN, 61016XN, 61017XN, 6062216, 6062225, 6062226, 6062217, 6063738 and Isothesia 250ml 6062335, 6063318.
Manufacturer Zoetis says there were a small number of reports of veterinary surgeons having difficulty in re-sealing the bottles after initial opening as the thread on the screw cap had not been fully formed. This defect does not impact the safety and efficacy of the product for animal use but the concern was related to potential evaporation from opened bottles which did not re-seal fully when closed.
Veterinary surgeons are asked to return any unopened bottles to the wholesaler and dispose of any opened bottles in the usual way. They will be fully reimbursed for the stock.
Zoetis says it has already addressed this packaging issue at the manufacturing site so that new batches of the product are unaffected.
Practices requiring further information on the matter should call Zoetis Technical Services on 0845 300 8034.