The trial starts on Monday 11 July and will continue for three months to allow the College to determine levels of demand for such a service and, therefore, whether it should be made permanent.
Eleanor Ferguson, RCVS Acting Registrar, said: "This was a potential service identified in our Strategic Plan as a way of allowing veterinary professionals to have informal, confidential, discussions with members of the Professional Conduct Department about potential fitness to practise issues, short of formally raising a concern.
"Although any discussions via the new reporting line or email address will be confidential, if a veterinary surgeon or a veterinary nurse subsequently wishes to raise a formal concern about another veterinary professional, then they generally will need to identify both themselves and the individual in order to take it through our investigation process.
"We have developed a bespoke concerns form for members of the professions who do want to raise concerns about other professionals."
Veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses who wish to contact a member of the RCVS Professional Conduct Department in confidence can do so by calling 07599 958 294 between 9am and 5pm, or by emailing reporting@rcvs.org.uk.
The bespoke concerns from for members of the profession can be downloaded from www.rcvs.org.uk/concerns.
According to statistics from the RCVS, almost 40% of veterinary surgeons that have registered in the UK since 2005 qualified from veterinary schools elsewhere in the EU.
Of course, it's not just in general practice that veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses from other EU member states make such an important contribution. They work across all areas of veterinary science, including the fields of animal health and welfare, animal disease surveillance, scientific research and education, wildlife conservation, and public health and food safety.
Figures from the Veterinary Public Health Association (VPHA) estimate that over 90% of vets in meat hygiene services are non-British EU citizens.
To highlight the impact of Brexit on the veterinary profession, the BVA has written to the Secretary of State, Liz Truss MP, and to Ministers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, requesting an early statement to the effect that non-British EU vets and vet nurses who are currently living, studying or working in the UK will continue to be able to do so in future.
BVA is also seeking reassurance for UK veterinary professionals working and studying in other EU member states.
BVA President Sean Wensley said: "It is not yet possible to comment on the reality of ‘Brexit’ since much will depend on forthcoming negotiations and the decisions that will be taken by the Government regarding, for example, whether or not to maintain existing EU legislation and rules. However, we recognise that these unanswered questions are having a profound impact on many of our members – particularly members who are non-British EU citizens, or have family members who are, and members who work alongside colleagues from other European Member States."
In the letters, Mr Wensley wrote: "I am sure there are many significant issues that your Department needs to consider [and] given the profound personal impact that the uncertainty caused by the referendum outcome is having on some of our members, we wanted to contact you at the earliest opportunity. In the forthcoming negotiations about the future relationship between the UK and the EU, we strongly urge you to make the case for all EU citizens and EU-qualified veterinary surgeons and nurses to have ongoing rights to live, work and study in the UK."
In the letter to the Northern Ireland (NI) Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Michelle McIlveen MLA, the BVA President and BVA NI Branch President Seamus O’Kane highlighted NI’s land border with EU member state the Republic of Ireland and called for the maintenance of the Common Travel Area to facilitate movement in an all-island context for both work and study purposes.
VPHA President Lewis Grant said: "Due to the particular focus on public health in many European veterinary degree courses, EU vets make an enormous contribution to both public health and animal health and welfare in the UK - often behind closed doors, monitoring and protecting public health in Approved Premises as well as welfare at slaughter to ensure slaughterhouses meet the standards that are required by law and expected by the public. Without their input and expertise, it would be difficult to ensure that Statutory requirements within the food industry are complied with."
Described as a first-of-its-kind, mobile-enabled digital whitepaper, the publication offers veterinary surgeons and farmers a resource on ketosis, scientific insights on the impact of the disease, and tools to help optimize dairy herd management.
According to the company, the whitepaper reveals that ketone bodies play a more significant role in metabolic diseases than was previously realized, and that beta-hydroxybutyrate is a good indicator of the presence of subclinical ketosis in dairy cattle.
Rinse Boersma, Dairy Species Manager, Animal Health, Bayer said: "Recognizing the significance of ketone bodies is a positive step towards further enhancing dairy cattle health and welfare. Veterinarians can now reliably detect the presence of subclinical ketosis in dairy herds with a simple blood test, and act quickly with the appropriate corrective measures to arrest disease progression."
Also at Congress, Bayer revealed its enhanced BCS Cowdition smartphone application, designed to support ease and accuracy of body condition scoring (BCS) of dairy cows. Bayer says the upgrade helps farmers to improve herd health management by enabling assessment of individual cows’ BCS scores based on its lactation cycle, alerts for cows that need to be attended to, and a dashboard that offers farmers an overview of their entire herd’s health.
BCS Cowdition is available in 10 languages and is free for download from the AppStore and GooglePlay.
The company has introduced a new online range of pack inserts for several of its key products including Vetoryl, Felimazole, Metrobactin and Thyforon so veterinary practices can download and print the latest pack inserts for the treatments.
The move will ensure that practices always have access to the most up-to-date information about the prescribed medication. Dechra says it will also save time as staff will not have to copy original documents from the pack.
The pack inserts will be available via www.dechra.co.uk and www.dechra.ie. In addition, Dechra has developed dispensing envelopes which are available at no charge from wholesalers in packs of 25.
Larry King, Marketing Manager, said: "Veterinary practices often dispense pharmaceuticals from bulk which involves having to copy original pack inserts for owners.
"By printing the online pack inserts, practices will no longer have piles of inserts to store and will be safe in the knowledge they are supplying the most up to date pack insert to their clients.
"When used together, the pack inserts and dispensing envelopes provide practices with an effective solution when dispensing from bulk."
The service offers Galen myotherapy, a form of massage, together with diet, exercise, nutraceutical and weight advice, house management advice, and an owner awareness and pain indicator assessment.
Hannah, who spent 14 years in small animal practice, said: "During a very bad week in practice I put two dogs to sleep in quick succession who’d both gone off their back legs. They were mentally there but their bodies had given up. I realised that osteoarthritis needed to be approached much more thoroughly and at a much earlier stage in a dog’s life."
CAM’s home-visiting service assesses arthritic dogs in the calm of their own surroundings. Hannah says that treatment aims to improve a dog’s posture and movement, support their ability to exercise and give owners the tools they need to make life easier for arthritic dogs. She added: "In a consultation, it can be very difficult to get all the information across to an owner whose dog has just been diagnosed with arthritis. CAM is a unique service that fills a gap. It aims to go into a dog’s home and make adjustments that will be good for that individual long-term."
Hannah says that the new service is offered alongside the owner's existing veterinary surgeon, who will need to give consent and prescribe any other treatments, such as NSAIDs, which are needed as part of the larger treatment plan. In other words, it's an additional service that vets can offer to their clients, ensuring they are doing everything they can to help their many arthritic patients.
Hannah said: "Arthritis is a household name, it's massively prevalent in humans and there are huge support services for people dealing with the chronic pain associated with the condition. As a profession we know that dogs with arthritis suffer the same pain – it’s time we had a proper service for them too. CAM is that service – a tailored, multimodal approach to help successfully manage these patients."
Canine Arthritis Management (CAM) is currently available to dog owners throughout Sussex. If you would like to know more, email info@caninearthritis.co.uk
The College has kicked off with questions and answers about the right to work in the UK and the impact on those currently studying to become a veterinary surgeon or planning to do so.
Although it's not yet possible to give definitive answers and there will doubtless be many more questions, the College says it will be keeping the new page updated as the situation unfolds.
The Q&A page can be found here: http://www.rcvs.org.uk/registration/about-the-rcvs-register/frequently-asked-questions-on-the-impact-of-the-eu-referendum/
The upgraded site uses 'machine learning', a type of artificial intelligence based on pattern recognition, to offer personalised content. The technology is now commonly used in consumer sites, such as Netflix and Amazon, but until now has not been used in the veterinary world. Content is further personalised for those vets and nurses that complete their profile on the site.
The upgrade was commissioned after Boehringer carried out a user experience survey of its old website, which revealed that whilst vets appreciated the CPD and educational materials, many were trawling through content that was not of interest to them or struggling to find what they wanted.
Jemima Mead, brand manager at Boehringer, said: "We aimed to create an engaging portal – a one-stop shop for vets who want to access high quality CPD and/or relevant information about any of our products. Vets are busy people so need to find relevant information quickly – giving them more time to focus on their clinical responsibilities. Our new slick site, tailored to their individual professional preferences, provides a valuable service that simply has not existed before."
The day included a number of CPD sessions on parasitology from ESCCAP board member Dr Hany Elsheikha, Associate Professor of Veterinary Parasitology at Nottingham University. In between, delegates were put through their paces by former Bake-off winner, Nancy Birtwhistle, after which there was a competition which Derek and Vici won with their pet- and parasite-themed cup-cakes.
Josien Woolmer, Virbac Senior Territory Manager, said: "Awareness and knowledge of parasite diseases in companion animals is increasing both in Europe and in the UK so it’s more important than ever that veterinary professionals are kept up to date with the latest developments. With the start of the 2016 series only weeks away, we thought we’d ‘spice up’ this CPD session by inviting delegates to show Nancy their baking skills. We also asked them to show creativity in carrying the pets and parasites theme across to their cup-cakes and they certainly rose to this challenge!"
Picture shows: Monique Noronha MRCVS from the Park Veterinary Centre in Watford with some of her creations.
Mark Colonnese, Aquarium’s Sales and Marketing Director said: "As someone who owns two dogs, the results of the survey have not come as too much of a surprise to me, but I know that some of my colleagues were pretty surprised just how important we think our pets are."
The survey showed that the feelings were even stronger among women, 71% of whom would regard a pet death as equally upsetting to that of a family member’s, compared to 55% of men.
Mark added: "Our results really highlight the sensitivity of issues surrounding a pet’s death. While this would be obvious to, for instance, a life insurance company, our survey reinforces the need for an empathetic customer journey among pet insurers. The first step of this process is ensuring a smooth, seamless process to minimise stress for newly bereaved pet parents."
BVA President Sean Wensley said: "The UK's decision to leave the European Union will have a significant impact on matters of interest to the veterinary profession, particularly in relation to regulation, education, and workforce planning, but also in terms of animal welfare, research, surveillance, and animal movements.
"BVA will work hard to ensure the voice of the veterinary profession is heard during the negotiation and discussions that will now begin, in order to secure the best possible outcomes for our profession and for animal health and welfare in the UK. The Vet Futures report provides an excellent summary of issues we need to consider in those discussions, and the Vet Futures Action Plan, due to be launched at the Vet Futures Summit on 4 July, outlines key initiatives that we need to take forward, albeit with revised timelines while the full impact of Brexit is determined.
"BVA will retain an outward looking and inclusive perspective through our relationships with international partners, including the Federation of Veterinarians for Europe (FVE), Commonwealth Veterinary Association (CVA) and World Veterinary Association (WVA) to ensure the UK veterinary profession continues to influence and engage on cross border issues such as disease surveillance, veterinary medicines and antimicrobial resistance."
Locum vets can now come and update their VetSurgeon Profile to display their location and a business card on a map of the UK which practices can browse when they need a locum (NB. login required to see the locums on the map).
Clicking on a locum’s flag on the VetSurgeon Locum Map reveals a summary profile and the distance they can travel. There are plans to add more detail in the future.
VetSurgeon.org Editor Arlo Guthrie said: "This is all part of our programme of ongoing development with VetSurgeon Jobs, to make sure it is the ‘go to’ place for anyone looking to hire a veterinary surgeon or find a job.
"Whilst I’m here, I’d like to thank the practices and businesses that have already advertised on VetSurgeon Jobs. Your continued support is what allows us to develop these kinds of new features, all designed to help lower your recruitment costs."
Having been told at school that he'd never cut it as a veterinary surgeon, Julian qualified from Liverpool in 1981. He became a partner at Banovallum Vets in Horncastle in 1989 and later the sole owner. Along the way, he also gained AP status in Sheep and Animal Welfare and served as President of the Sheep Veterinary Society and the Lincolnshire Veterinary Association. Oh, and in 1991, he was part of a team that set a world record relay time cycling from Land's End to John O'Groats, raising £8,500 in the process.
Then, in 2012, everything changed. Julian had a cycling accident during a road race in Lincolnshire. He fractured his skull and suffered multiple brain haemorrhages, broken ribs, a fractured shoulder and a punctured lung. Doctors told his wife he'd be unlikely to survive.
But survive he did, and with his injuries precluding a return to practice, he's reinvented himself as an author and approved para-cyclist.
His book is a collection of light-hearted anecdotes and memories from his life in practice, with practical advice about what to try and avoid when working as a veterinary surgeon.
And yes, he was once called out to attend a cow stuck in a tree!
You can buy the book on Amazon in hardcover for £12.95, here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Julian-Earl/e/B01EVCT67K/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1461874827&sr=1-1
The initiative was set up in 2014 by Mark Hirschel and Jo Amit, the co-founders of pet product company HOWND. It gained momentum last year when Ricky Gervais lent his support.
Jo said: "We have always brought our dogs Roxy and Laila to work with us, but when we moved into new offices back in 2014 we discovered that they weren’t allowed in the premises.
"This inspired us to create an event that publicised why dogs can make a positive difference in safe work environments, in attempt to encourage companies across the UK to adopt dog friendly policies.
"We’re overwhelmed with how successful Bring Your Dog To Work Day has become. It’s been amazing to see how many people have posted their dogs at work across all social media in 2014 and 2015. Most importantly, it was fantastic to raise money for a cause that has always been close to our hearts - the wonderful work of All Dogs Matter. We’re hopeful that this year will prove even more popular, building on the momentum of 2015."
The organisers point to an American study published in 2012 which concluded that dogs at work may make a positive difference by reducing stress levels in staff and increasing their levels of job satisfaction.
For more information, visit: https://bringyourdogtoworkday.co.uk
The reported behaviour patterns, seen on a weekly basis, included rabbits biting the bars of their run or hutch repeatedly, fur pulling, biting, growling and hissing.
The charity says that with more than 680,0001 rabbits living alone, despite being highly sociable animals, and thousands more living in small hutches with no opportunity for exercise or mental stimulation, it is no surprise owners and vets are seeing these issues on a regular basis.
PDSA veterinary surgeon Rebecca Ashman said: "Our figures highlight that lack of mental stimulation can have a huge impact on pet behaviour. What’s most frustrating is the fact that many of these issues could easily be avoided if rabbits were given the right conditions, diet and companions to live alongside."
For this reason, PDSA is backing Rabbit Awareness Week’s #BuddiesForBunnies campaign to get solitary rabbits paired up with suitable companions from rescue centres. The charity says the findings should be a call to action for the 57% of rabbit owners who own single rabbits.
Rebecca added: "Pets do so much to enrich and improve our lives, but by not meeting their needs, their physical and mental wellbeing can be severely compromised. "Sadly, rabbits seem to be the forgotten pet". They can’t speak up and tell us if they’re unhappy, but with the right information and education, owners can make positive changes to their pets’ lives."
Reference
The investment is being made to increase the speed at which concerns are either closed or referred, ensure that the process meets its service standards and reduce stress for the public and profession.
The decision to increase investment in the process was made by the College’s Operational Board in response to a steady increase in the number of concerns being investigated. The College forecasts that it will receive in excess of 1,000 concerns raised about the professional conduct of veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses this year.
The RCVS developed a simplified, three-stage concerns process in 2014 which included the introduction of targets for cases to be either closed or referred at each stage. In order to ensure that these targets can be met, the College will now be hiring five paralegals to assist the existing five case managers.
Eleanor Ferguson, Acting Registrar, said: "Currently we are only closing or referring just over half of concerns we receive at stage 1 (case examiner stage) within our four month target. In order for the system to run more smoothly we will be investing in extra staff to help clear the backlog and ensure that these targets are met going forward.
"Similarly, in order to deal with the increase in the number of cases being referred to Preliminary Investigation Committee (stage 2), we will be increasing the frequency of these committee meetings from one to two per month.
"It is important to add that this investment is not just about dealing with concerns more quickly but is also about quality of service and having more staff on hand will ensure that this quality is maintained in terms of how we communicate with complainants and members of the profession. Speeding up the process will reduce the stress and anxiety felt by all involved."
More details about the College’s concerns investigation process and its different stages can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/concerns
Zoetis says Lokivetmab targets and neutralizes canine interleukin-31 (IL-31), a cytokine associated with atopic dermatitis which sends the itch signal to the brain.
The company has submitted an application for marketing authorisation of the product, which is conditionally licensed in the US and Canada under the name Canine Atopic Dermatitis Immunotherapeutic, in the European Union.
The new data was presented at the 8th World Congress of Veterinary Dermatology (WCVD).
Supporting the efficacy of Lokivetmab in canine AD, Zoetis presented the results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled dose determination trial to evaluate efficacy of three doses of lokivetmab (0.125, 0.5 or 2.0 mg/kg) in providing relief from the clinical signs of pruritus (itching) and other clinical signs associated with atopic dermatitis in dogs.
Veterinary investigators at 15 clinics enrolled 245 client-owned, live-at-home dogs with chronic atopic dermatitis. Lokivetmab or a placebo was administered by subcutaneous injection on day 0, and efficacy was evaluated periodically over 56 days. Dog owners assessed their dog’s pruritus using a visual analog scale (VAS), and investigators assessed the associated skin lesions using Canine Atopic Dermatitis Extent and Severity Index-03 (CADESI-03) scores.
Lokivetmab, injected once subcutaneously, provided dose-dependent improvement in owner-assessed pruritus and clinician-assessed CADESI-03 scores for four to six weeks in dogs with atopic dermatitis.
Zoetis also presented results of a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to assess the safety of lokivetmab at the nominal dose tested of 1 mg/kg (range, 1-3.3 mg/kg) in the treatment of canine atopic dermatitis. Veterinary surgeons evaluated 245 client-owned, live-at-home dogs with chronic, naturally-occurring atopic dermatitis. These dogs were randomized at a 2:1 ratio to receive two monthly injections of lokivetmab (162 dogs) or placebo on days 0 and 28.
No immediate hypersensitivity reactions were observed and there were no clinically important differences in clinical pathology results. No apparent adverse drug interactions were reported. Dogs studied were taking a wide variety of medications, which is important because multimodal therapy is commonly prescribed for dogs with atopic dermatitis. Adverse events were reported at a similar frequency between the groups.
Nockolds Solicitors was approved as the new administrator of the ADR trial by RCVS Council at its June 2016 meeting at Cardiff City Hall. The company was identified and approved by the RCVS Operational Board as meeting its requirements, a decision which the RCVS says has been welcomed by the Veterinary Defence Society and the British Veterinary Association, as well as receiving lay and consumer support.
The current trial, which was launched in November 2014 and is administered by Ombudsman Services, will come to a close by 1 October, when the new trial with Nockolds will start.
Nick Stace, RCVS Chief Executive and Secretary, said: "In order to be able to make an informed choice about how we wish to design and implement a permanent ADR scheme we wanted to ensure that we have as many different options and as much data as possible. It is very important that we get the permanent scheme right and this is why Operational Board made the decision to have a second trial. It was also clear that satisfaction levels from consumers for the previous trial were lower than we would have liked and that we therefore need to explore other options.
"It is important to note that this will not just be a re-run of the first trial with a different administrator – there will be some significant differences between this and our first trial with Ombudsman Services.
"First, this will be a truly alternative process as consumers will be able to access the trial directly rather than having to go through the College’s concerns process first.
"Second, this will be a process of mediation meaning that expert advisors from Nockolds will facilitate communication between the complainant and the veterinary surgeon to try and find a satisfactory solution to the concern."
The trial will be promoted to both the public and the profession as an alternative to the College’s formal concerns investigation process and participation in the trial will be voluntary. There will also still be a panel of veterinary advisors overseeing the trial and helping staff at Nockolds with any clinical queries they may have.
Jennie Jones is a Partner at Nockolds and will head up the trial. She said: "We are committed to providing a service that mediates complaints to find a fair, efficient and proportionate resolution. We are looking forward to working with everyone involved in veterinary profession to develop an effective mediation service that can be accessed by both the public and members of the profession.
"The service will focus on finding effective and practical resolutions. Understanding the root cause of the complaint and re-establishing effective communication are the crucial first steps in mediation and helping the parties to find a solution they can both accept. Over the coming months, we will be working with the RCVS, representative bodies for the profession and consumers to launch the service.
"In addition to mediating complaints, we will share insight in mediation and complaint resolution to inform practitioners and stakeholders and to enhance standards at veterinary practices. This enables complaint analysis to be used to help improve client care, avoid complaints and maintain trust and confidence in the profession."
A bespoke website for the trial will be set up in time for the launch on 1 October 2016.
Graham, 72, who worked at Westover Veterinary Centre in Norfolk for 40 years, set off on his bike from his home in Crostwick last week. He aims to complete the journey in two years, following a route that will take him through Western Europe and into Greece before flying to Ethiopia and cycling through Kenya, where he spent eight years as a government veterinary officer in his early career. He will then follow the Indian Ocean down the African continent's east coast to Cape Town.
Graham said: "I’m no stranger to life on the road – my first job on qualifying was as a field vet in Kenya which I did for eight years. This will be a real adventure though as I am definitely not an accomplished cyclist, however I look forward to the challenge and to raising money for AWF. The route may change slightly as the trip goes along, but that’s down more to government travel advice than my decision - for example, although not currently on my route, I would still like to cycle through Egypt to give a lecture or two, however we’ll need to see what’s possible."
Graham cycled via London to join the annual AWF Discussion Forum in Westminster, attended by other vets, parliamentarians and key stakeholders from the sector, before continuing his cycle to the English south coast with TV vet Emma Milne. Along the way Graham will also be working with equine charitable organisations including the Brooke, SPANA and World Horse Welfare, giving equine welfare and dentistry talks, as well as occasionally returning to the UK to lecture and attend AWF Trustee meetings.
If you would like to sponsor Graham and donate to AWF, or simply find out more about his trip through his regular blog posts, visit vetduncdares.wordpress.com.
Available for download now, the MobiVet Veterinary Formulary App is designed to make drug calculations and prescribing faster, easier and safer. It contains dose rate and interval data for over 250 drugs commonly used in small animal practice.
Searchable by drug name or trade names, with species-specific dosing information, the app calculates doses based on the patient type, weight, or body surface area as appropriate. MobiVet also provides a checklist of known relevant drug interactions for each medication, to prevent prescribing errors.
Stuart says an iOS version is in production.
To download the Android version, visit: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.project.user.drug_formulary&hl=en
It is hoped that the treatment centre, which will use radio-iodine therapy to treat the condition, will be completed within three months at its base near Winchester.
The new centre will be one of only 11 in the UK and the aim is to reduce the waiting time for cats with hyperthyroidism to receive treatment.
Davina Anderson, European and RCVS Recognised Vet Specialist at Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists, said: "We’re delighted to be able to get the go-ahead to build this facility and will start construction work imminently.
"Radio-iodine therapy is the gold standard of treatment for hyperthyroidism in cats, far exceeding the results seen with surgery or oral medication.
"We intend to offer a service tailor-made to each individual cat and their family, with their clinical history and circumstances screened before they travel to us. This is to ensure that treatment with radio-iodine therapy is the correct therapeutic decision.
"The ten other centres in the UK providing this treatment are spread few and far between, and we hope that opening this facility will help to reduce waiting lists for cats awaiting treatment, particularly across southern England."
The centre at Anderson Moores will be run and managed by Boarded Specialists in Internal Medicine, supported by Boarded Cardiologists and qualified nurses.
It will also have the capacity to address other clinical concerns, if necessary. Davina said: "Cats that are presented with hyperthyroidism are older, more fragile and potentially have other concurrent conditions. It’s very rare for a cat under seven years of age to develop hyperthyroidism.
"The treatment of cats with hyperthyroidism involves a single injection of radioactive iodine, followed by isolation in a radiation-proof facility for two weeks.
"Cats usually respond extremely well to treatment, and if the condition is recognised early and treated appropriately, then the outlook for the affected cat is generally very good."
The example above right demonstrates a badge linking to jobs advertised by the out-of-hours emergency care provider, Vets Now.
VetSurgeon.org Editor Arlo Guthrie said: "When you've got a vacancy available, you need to get the word out as far and wide as possible, which means you really should post details on your own practice website. Of course, your website is mainly for pet owners, but you never know, a veterinary surgeon or nurse looking for a job may stumble upon it. They need to know straight away that you're hiring."
VetSurgeon.org reviewed 20 of the lastest advertisements posted on VetSurgeon by independent practices and found that 80% had not posted any indication that they have a job available on their own website. Two even had a jobs page, but hadn't updated it.
Arlo said: "Updating your website when there's a job available can be a hassle. And when you've gone to the trouble to create a professional-looking advertisement on VetSurgeon or VetNurse, it's a duplication of effort to do it all over again on your own website."
So, as an alternative, practices can now create a unique VetSurgeon Jobs badge which, when added to their website, links to a display of just the jobs they have advertised on VetSurgeon. If there are no current vacancies advertised, there's a message to that effect.
To add the badge, login to VetSurgeon using the account used to advertise vacancies. Then visit https://www.vetsurgeon.org/p/find-our-veterinary-surgeon-jobs.aspx, grab the code snippet and add it to your website (or email it to your IT guy). If your site is one of the majority that doesn't have a jobs page, VetSurgeon.org recommends you add the badge either to your home page or the 'Contact Us' page.
If the badge doesn't fit well on your website (either the colour clashes, or it's the wrong size), you can add a text link, rather than a badge. There are instructions about how to do this.
For veterinary nursing vacancies advertised on VetNurse.co.uk, you'll need to head over to VetNurse, login and grab your code here: https://www.vetnurse.co.uk/p/find-our-veterinary-nurse-jobs.aspx.
Arlo added: "Aside from the convenience of having your jobs linked to from your own website, it'll also give your adverts a little boost, visitor traffic-wise.
"Finally, it's a good way to help spread the word about the low-cost recruitment advertising service on VetSurgeon and VetNurse."
The charity says that the survey is the largest, most comprehensive insight into pet wellbeing in the UK; an opportunity for veterinary professionals to share their views on the issues affecting the health and welfare of UK pets today.
Vicki Betton, PDSA Policy and Campaigns manager, said: "For the last five years, the PAW Report has provided valuable insight into the reality of pet health and wellbeing in the UK.
"It delivers a robust evidence base for our education programmes, campaigns and collaborative work, and enables us to track our impact on the pet wellbeing issues which are of most concern to the veterinary profession. It also provides an excellent opportunity for everyone to voice their opinions and have their say.
"In 2015, two of the main concerns identified were lack of public understanding of the cost of pet ownership, and a lack of pre-purchase education relating to suitable pet choice. This was reinforced in our survey of pet owners, in which over 95% of pet owners incorrectly estimated the lifetime costs for their pet. As a result, we launched our #PawsFirst campaign to engage pet owners about how to choose the right pet for their lifestyle, while raising awareness of the lifetime costs of different species."
The current survey closes on 4 July. Vicki added: "It only takes 15 minutes, so please help us maintain an accurate picture of the biggest welfare issues facing pets in the UK today."
Take the survey at www.yougov.com/PDSA and help spread the word by sharing on social media - #PAWreport
Effipro Duo contains fipronil to kill adult fleas and ticks, and pyriproxyfen, an insect growth regulator, to sterilise adult fleas and inhibit the immature life stages. It provides three months protection against flea life cycle completion.
The product is presented in Effipro’s patented ‘drop-lock’ pipette, designed to ensure that the solution is released only when the owner is ready.
Effipro Duo is offered in packs of 4 pipettes and in a 24-pipette dispensing pack to suit practices offering health plans.
Product Manager Kate Woolley MRCVS said: "Because Effipro Duo targets not just the adult fleas on the pet but also the key developmental stages in the flea life cycle often found in the home, it represents an integrated and easy-to-use solution, both for on-animal flea and tick control and for long-lasting protection of the home environment.
"Household flea infestations are common all year round and experts agree that the combination of an adulticide and an insect growth regulator is the most effective way for owners to protect their homes from this unpleasant problem¹. For complete flea control in the home, we recommend that it is used in conjunction with Indorex®, the UK’s no. 1 household flea spray².
"Virbac offers one of the most extensive parasiticide ranges on the market and we believe Effipro Duo will provide a popular addition, offering owners long-lasting protection from fleas and ticks for their cats and dogs, while helping practices to retain vital parasite control sales in-house."
References
Zoetis has announced that a batch of the bluetongue vaccines, Zulvac® 8 Bovis and Zulvac® 8 Ovis, is expected to become available to veterinary practices in mid-July, in time to manage the risk of an outbreak predicted by Defra to reach mainland UK by the late summer.
The company says the quantity of vaccine will not be unlimited and that it will strive to achieve as widespread availability as possible.
The two vaccines (Bovis for cattle and Ovis for sheep) are licensed to “prevent viraemia” caused by bluetongue virus serotype 8 (BTV-8). Prevention of viraemia, the presence of bluetongue virus in the blood, ensures no onward spread of infection via the blood sucking Culicoides midge.
The vaccines can be used in cattle from three months of age, or six weeks in sheep, requiring two doses three weeks apart in either species. Each dose is 2ml administered intramuscularly in cattle or subcutaneously in sheep, and onset of immunity is 25 days after the second dose. The vaccine provides immunity for a full 12 months.
The British Veterinary Association (BVA), British Cattle Veterinary Association (BCVA), Goat Veterinary Society (GVS), and Sheep Veterinary Society (SVS) welcomed the announcement from Zoetis, and another from MSD, but sought clarification about the cost and the amount of vaccine likely to be available in July and thereafter.
BVA President Sean Wensley said: "We welcome the announcement that vaccine will be available in time to meet potential demand. This disease seriously affects animal health and welfare as well as the productivity of livestock, and vaccination is the key control. While it is good news that vaccine will be available, we know that both farmers and vets will have questions about cost and whether there will a limit to the amount of vaccine available in July. It would be helpful to have these questions clarified as soon as possible."
Photo by Fourrure (http://www.boulesdefourrure.fr) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
1004 veterinary professionals attended VET Festival to hear talks from a line up of 21 speakers from around the world. On the Friday night, VETFest Live provided an opportunity for delegates to network and relax in front of a number of acts, including Hunter and the Bear, Lucy Spraggan and Morrissey & Marshall.
Noel said: "I think that change is inevitable within veterinary education. My experience with the students of today is that they wish to embrace new learning formats and are especially enthusiastic about learning environments where didactic lectures become an immersive experience. My goal therefore was to achieve the perfect mix of education and a chilled-out festival atmosphere.
"We are learning all the time, and we invite suggestions. I take very seriously the commitment I voiced in the welcome address, which is to reinvest every penny for the greater good for animals and the profession. I sincerely believe that vets and vet nurses will over time question where their money is spent and will take a good hard look not only at what value they get for their investment, but also where their money actually goes."
Picture: Richard Dunwoody.