Veterinary practices are being urged to raise awareness of summer skin conditions, such as sweet itch, following research carried out by Elanco Companion Animal Health, distributor of Cavalesse, which revealed that vets only tend to be consulted after horse owners have tried to manage the condition themselves (73%), or if the clinical signs have become severe (67%), potentially leading to major welfare implications.

According to the research, this is despite the fact that over half (55%) of owners of a horse with sweet itch showed concern that their horse will suffer, and nearly half being stressed about the way the condition will affect it (47%).  While many horse owners are fairly knowledgeable about the causes of sweet itch and its clinical signs, over a quarter of respondents (26%) did not start managing the condition before the midge season in the spring, which may make managing the condition more frustrating.  Nearly a third (31%) stated that they had to curtail their activities with their horse due to welfare, aesthetic and behavioural issues, such as head shaking, rubbing, unpredictability and aggression.

Ed Whittle, technical consultant at Elanco Companion Animal Health said: "86% of those questioned considered sweet itch to be a very serious welfare issue if left untreated, with the worst aspects of the condition being the suffering and distress caused by the constant irritation which affects the quality of life of the horse. Over half (55%) felt that sweet itch had adversely affected the behaviour of their horse, making them difficult to handle or ride. Veterinary practices should be proactively talking to their clients about summer skin conditions such as sweet itch to help alleviate the suffering and distress caused by this frustrating disease."

Elanco says it will be joining forces with the British Horse Society (BHS), The Blue Cross, The Horse Trust, Redwings Horse Sanctuary and World Horse Welfare (WHW) to raise awareness of summer skin conditions, such as sweet itch, during Sweet Itch Awareness Month (SIAM) in March. The campaign will highlight the preventative measures that should be carried out to help alleviate sweet itch and the importance of management of the condition before the start of the midge season in the spring.

Lee Hackett, head of welfare at the BHS, said: "The results of this survey show just how important raising awareness of sweet itch is. All of us, whether we are welfare organisations or vets, need to play our part in educating owners about sweet itch in the hope that they will seek expert advice at an earlier stage and reduce the number of horses that suffer as a result of this condition."

Kerry Taylor, education officer at The Blue Cross, said: "The Blue Cross is pleased to be supporting the sweet itch campaign to raise awareness of the physical and mental impact this condition has on horses. During our May 2011 National Equine Health Survey, skin problems came out the top syndrome affecting horses, and we continue to see many horses coming into our care suffering from sweet itch. Prevention and early treatment is key to managing the potentially debilitating condition."

For further information on sweet itch, Sweet Itch Awareness Month or Cavalesse, please visit http://www.fidavet.com/, or contact Elanco Companion Animal Health, Lilly House, Priestley Road, Basingstoke, RG24 9NL, 01256 353131.

Reference

Sweet itch - effect on horse and owner.  Mo Gannon & Associates.  Web survey in November 2011.  351 responses - owners who have owned horses with sweet itch in the last two years.

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has suspended a Co. Tyrone veterinary surgeon from the Register for ten months, having found him guilty of serious professional misconduct relating to three convictions for contravening animal export regulations.

Whilst working as an Authorised Veterinary Inspector in Castlederg for the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), William Manson had falsely certified that he had inspected three consignments of sheep presented for assembly at Plumbridge Export Assembly Centre on 16 and 23 August 2009. At this week's two-day hearing, Mr Manson admitted that the convictions he had received at the Strabane Magistrates Court on 26 November 2010 made him unfit to practise veterinary surgery, but said in mitigation that he had examined the sheep nearby at Landahussy, a site he considered more suitable for a large number of animals.

The Committee was satisfied that Mr Manson believed the Landahussy site to be more suitable for large deliveries; the Committee also was satisfied that he did carry out a visual inspection of the sheep at the Landahussy site on 16 and 23 August 2009. However, the information Mr Manson provided on the three certificates was false and misleading. Mr Manson had also been reminded of the importance of complying with government regulations in a disciplinary case in 2004, following convictions for failing to notify DARD about changes in the number of sheep for which he was claiming a premium. The then Committee dismissed the case, deeming the convictions a result of his "genuine but regrettable oversight".

Speaking on behalf of the Committee, Chairman, Prof Peter Lees said: "Mr Manson's actions in certifying that he had examined the sheep at an approved assembly centre when he had not done so amounted to a serious departure from professional standards. If there had been a disease outbreak on either the Plumbridge or Landahussy site, such actions would have rendered contact tracings unreliable and inaccurate."

In mitigation, the Committee accepted medical evidence and Mr Manson's testimony that he was at that time under exceptional stress. He was working long hours in difficult circumstances without an assistant, and was under considerable personal pressure as a result of his wife's serious illness. It also took into account his age (66), exceptional testimonials produced on his behalf, and the impact on the community he served.

Prof Lees said: "The Committee has concluded that the removal of Mr Manson's name from the Register is neither proportionate nor necessary in the public interest nor to protect the welfare of animals. A proportionate sanction in this case is to suspend Mr Manson's name from the Register for a period of ten months."

The Kennel Club has released a film, narrated by Clare Balding, which looks at the issues affecting dog health and wellbeing in this country and what is being done in 2012 to help ensure that dog welfare stays at the top of the agenda.

The film, 'Dogs - A Healthy Future', focuses on the main issues that affect dog health and welfare, including hereditary diseases, issues created by breeding dogs for the way that they look and the problem of cruel puppy farms that breed dogs for profit without regard for their health and welfare.

The film explores the steps that have already been taken to address these issues and the need for united action in order to ensure that the progress continues in 2012.

(The full 1/2 hour video is available here).

Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: "The New Year is a good time for reflection, looking back at what has been done and what more can still be done to safeguard the health of dogs.

"Huge strides have been made to improve dog health, particularly with the knowledge that has been gained in recent years thanks to the advancement of genetic science, but there is still more to do. We particularly need to address the issue of people breeding dogs for money at the expense of health and for looks, whether these be pedigree or crossbreeds.

"The Kennel Club would like to see tighter regulations governing the way people breed their dogs in order to help clamp down on cruel puppy farms, and we ask people to sign our petition asking the government to act.

"As we look towards Crufts 2012 we look forward to introducing even tighter measures to ensure that dog shows play their part in driving change by rewarding, and so encouraging, the breeding of healthy dogs."

Sheila Crispin, Chairman of the Advisory Council on the Welfare Issues of Dog Breeding, said: "We are supposedly a nation of dog lovers and the issue of what we can do to improve dog health is close to the hearts of those that really do care. This film looks at the progress that has been made by the Kennel Club as well as other organisations and committed individuals to help address the complicated issues surrounding dog health and welfare, in addition to looking at what more needs to be done, through collaboration and united effort, to create an even better future for dogs."

Defra has launched a public consultation on proposals that would enable the RCVS to reconstitute its disciplinary committees independently of the RCVS Council, to ensure that the same group of people are not responsible for setting the rules, investigating complaints and hearing cases. The Royal College is urging the profession to support the proposals.

The proposed changes will be made by a Legislative Reform Order that will amend a specific part of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, to require the RCVS Preliminary Investigation and Disciplinary Committees to be made up of veterinary surgeons and lay members who are not RCVS Council members, and who are appointed at arm's-length.

RCVS President, Dr. Jerry Davies said: "I am delighted that Defra is consulting on these long-anticipated proposals, which would allow the RCVS to deliver better, fairer and more effective regulation. I would urge members of the profession and the public to respond to this important consultation and to support the changes."

Under the proposals, following a transitional period, the Committees would cease to include Council members. The bodies which consider allegations of misconduct on the part of veterinary surgeons would thus be independently constituted and detached from policy discussions. The proposals would also improve the independence of the disciplinary processes by formally bringing lay people into the relevant Committees.

In addition, the College says that changes would increase the pool of people available to investigate complaints and sit on disciplinary hearings, thus allowing the case-load to be handled more efficiently, and ensuring that complaints are heard swiftly.

The full details of the proposals can be found in Defra's consultation documents, which can be accessed at:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/consult/2012/01/16/veterinary-surgeons-1201/

Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) has announced the formation of a new independent advisory group to recommend a future delivery model for veterinary surveillance in England and Wales.

The Advisory Group will be chaired by Dirk Pfeiffer, Professor of Veterinary Epidemiology at the Royal Veterinary College. According to the AHVLA, it will include representatives from government, the veterinary profession and the livestock farming and private laboratory industries and is being created so all those with an interest in veterinary surveillance can shape a future model and ensure that all issues are thoroughly considered.

Veterinary surveillance seeks to identify new or re-emerging threats to our livestock population and to public health. It involves a partnership approach between livestock keepers, private veterinary surgeons, the Scottish Agricultural College, industry bodies and AHVLA in order to effectively gather and assess intelligence.

AHVLA is seeking to identify ways to undertake veterinary surveillance both more effectively and at an affordable cost to the taxpayer. Work in this area has been on-going since 2010, and the merger of the former Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) has created opportunities to review how veterinary surveillance can best be delivered.

The new model will aim to address capacity imbalances in the current service where provision sometimes outstrips demand. The independent advisory group are also expected to recommend how better and closer working methods across the partners can make the surveillance stronger as well as more cost effective.

Surveillance has historically been based on in-depth investigation of disease incidents with an emphasis on post mortem examinations carried out at AHVLA's regional laboratories. This system is a key element in the government's risk-based approach to the management of animal disease related threats.

AHVLA says that the current model, although successful in identifying diseases in the past, can be improved upon. A recent internal AHVLA report identified viable options for achieving better surveillance at the same or lower cost by, for example, exploring moving towards risk and intelligence based surveillance and improving the value added by working more closely in partnership with vets and their farmer clients and other sources of intelligence data.

In mid-January 2012, AHVLA will also be publishing, and publicising, an online survey aimed at individual veterinary practioners and livestock keepers. The survey will seek individual opinions on the inputs, mechanisms, outputs and value of surveillance in England and Wales Work is expected to run until spring 2012, following which recommendations on a way forward will be made.

Carl Padgett, President of the BVA, said: “Veterinary surveillance is an essential component in our animal health, public health, food security, and international trade work.

“The emergence of Schmallenberg virus in ruminants in northern Europe demonstrates the current value and ongoing need for a robust surveillance system to work both nationally and internationally.

“The BVA welcomes the establishment of the advisory group and particularly the wide range of veterinary expertise and experience that is represented on the group. It is important that views from both veterinary practitioners and veterinary scientists are fed into this review.

“While we understand that AHVLA and Defra must ensure value for money from the surveillance network, any future model must be shaped by good surveillance strategies, not the need to cut costs.

“We urge all practitioners in England and Wales to contribute to the discussions by completing the online survey.

“We look forward to engaging with the advisory group as it carries out the review and beyond.”

Paul Aldrige MRCVS has won £2000 from Hill's Pet Nutrition after removing a cluster of uroliths from the bladder of an English bulldog.

He won the prize after sending the uroliths to the Minnesota Urolith Center to participate in a competition sponsored by Hill's UK in support of the launch of new Prescription DietTM c/dTM Reduced Calorie for cats.

Hill's says that although the winner was a canine patient this time, it was good news for the Bulldog that the sample was sent in, as the uroliths in question were found to contain urate.

Purine uroliths, including urate, accounted for 6.4% of uroliths submitted to the Minnesota Urolith Center between 1981 - 2007¹. Staff at Center said that urate uroliths can vary in size, color, and texture: "This particular sample represents a good example of the need to submit uroliths for quantitative analysis. Physical appearance alone is insufficient to characterise mineral composition."

English bulldogs are one of the 66 breeds identified by the Minnesota Urolith Centre known to be affected by urate urolithiasis. Hill's says that foods such as its Prescription DietTM u/dTM can be used to help reduce the risk of uroliths recurrence in the future.

Sara Locke, Hill's Associate Marketing Manager said: "We were very pleased to award the prize to Paul and congratulate him on being instrumental in producing such a successful outcome for his patient. Accurate urolith analysis is key. In many cases, these results enable vets to make accurate dietary recommendations that improve the long term prognosis for the patient."

The urolith analysis service is subsidised in part by an educational gift from Hill's Pet Nutrition and is provided to veterinary surgeons at no charge. You can download forms to submit a sample of uroliths at www.hillspet.co.uk/urolith or www.hillspet.ie/urolith or by calling Hill's on 0800 282438 or ROI 1800 626002."

Reference

Small Animal Clinical Nutrition, 5th Edition, Hand, Thatcher, Remillard, Roudebush, Novotny, p833

RCVS President Jerry Davies has apologised to the profession for its overspend on IT and development works at Belgravia House.

In fact, the apology was made to a meeting of BVA Council back on 7th December. VetSurgeon.org understands the College thought the apology would be widely promulgated shortly thereafter, and only later realised that this hadn't happened. 

As a result, the College has now decided to publish Dr Davies' presentation in full.

At the meeting, Dr Davies set out more background about the two RCVS projects under review, explained the decisions taken at the time and the finances involved.

He also described how Professor McKelvey's recommendations were being actioned, alongside those of the College's Governance Review Group which were already underway.

Dr Davies reiterated that the College had always intended to publish the report in full, but that external legal Counsel had advised that to do so would be unlawful under the Data Protection Act.

According to the College, it was not possible to redact the report to an acceptable extent, as the personal data in question were referred to throughout a large proportion of it.

However, Dr Davies did apologise to the profession, saying: "In closing, I would like to emphasise that I, as President of the RCVS, am sorry for what has happened, but I hope you will appreciate that steps are being taken, in particular the setting up of the Audit and Risk Committee, to strengthen governance within our College."

Gordon Hockey has been appointed Acting Registrar at the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons.

He succeeds Jane Hern, who had been Registrar for 15 years before deciding to move on to pursue other interests.

Gordon, who is a qualified pharmacist and barrister, has been at the College for the last 13 years as Head of the Professional Conduct Department and Assistant Registrar.

Meanwhile, the College says it is giving consideration to the future scope of the Registrar and Secretary's roles, as the Officer team begins the recruitment process.

Eleanor Ferguson has taken over as Acting Head of the Professional Conduct Department.

Henry Schein, Inc. has announced the acquisition of Veterinary Instrumentation, the supplier of surgical instruments and implants to veterinary surgeons in the United Kingdom.

Stanley M. Bergman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Henry Schein said: "We are delighted to welcome this highly regarded company to the Henry Schein family, and very pleased that founder John Lapish and Managing Director Steve Fletcher will continue to drive the business forward.

"The success of Veterinary Instrumentation closely parallels the cornerstones of Henry Schein, including a deep understanding of customer needs, innovative solutions, superior product quality and customer service, and a trusted advisory relationship with our customers. Reinforcing our existing animal health business in the U.K., we look forward to strengthening our relationship with veterinary customers in this region, and bringing the Veterinary Instrumentation product portfolio of high-quality surgical specialties to a growing number of veterinarians across Europe, the United States and Australasia."

Veterinary Instrumentation was founded by John Lapish in 1986 in Sheffield, England, where the business and distribution operations are currently conducted from a single facility. Working as a small animal orthopaedic surgeon in the late 1970s, Mr. Lapish began designing and developing a range of instruments specifically for veterinary surgery, initially for his own use. As requests for these products increased, the market need became clear and Veterinary Instrumentation was formed, in particular to meet the needs of orthopaedic surgeons focused on small animals.

Mr Lapish said: "We look forward to contributing to the continued growth and success of a leading supplier of companion animal health products and services in the United Kingdom and to becoming part of a global leader in the distribution of health care products and services.

"The expertise that we bring in the area of veterinary surgical instruments will complement Henry Schein's broad offering, and our customers will benefit greatly from the global resources of a company that has quickly become an animal health care product and service leader on three continents."

With approximately 60 percent of sales in the U.K., and the balance split fairly evenly between Europe and the rest of the world, Veterinary Instrumentation has 20 employees, including a team of eight Veterinary Technicians who advise customers on the most appropriate procedures and instrumentation.

Veterinary Instrumentation sales for the 12 months ended September 30, 2011 were approximately £6.7 million ($10.8 million). Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

BCF Technology has announced that it now has the 9020HF ultralight and the 10040HF ultra orange x-ray generators available in blue. 

Jason Rogers of BCF said: "Our range of generators aims to meet the needs of any size of veterinary practice. The new blue generators will compliment our existing range. The bright blue colour means they will be eye-catching in the field, meaning you wont leave them behind!"

What next? The BCF Spring Collection - a range of ultrasound scanners in pale, neutral shades guaranteed not to clash with your overalls? 

To find out more about BCF Technology's range of x-ray equipment and generators visit http://www.bcftechnology.com/

The Privy Council has dismissed the appeal of a Lincolnshire veterinary surgeon against the RCVS Disciplinary Committee's decision to strike him off the Register in January 2011 for serious professional misconduct.

At a two-week Disciplinary Committee hearing in January, Joseph Lennox Holmes of Waltham Veterinary Clinic, Grimsby, was found to have advised on and undertaken surgical procedures without sufficient clinical grounds or consideration of alternative treatment options; failed to obtain the informed consent of his clients; undertaken procedures outside his area of competence; failed to refer or discuss the option of referral to a specialist; and, failed to provide his patients with adequate pain relief. These findings related to two separate complaints and a total of 31 charges, of which 28 were found to amount to serious professional misconduct.

The Appeal was heard by Baroness Hale, Lord Wilson and Lord Kerr on 1 November 2011, and their judgment was delivered on Tuesday by Lord Wilson.

There were two principal parts to Mr Holmes's appeal: firstly, that RCVS procedures for investigating and determining complaints were biased against him and infringed his human right to a fair hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal; and, secondly, a number of complaints about the DC's findings and conclusions.

According to the RCVS, their Lordships recognised that the College's regulatory framework was constrained by the existing Veterinary Surgeons Act and "support[ed] statutory reform so as to enable members of the disciplinary committees to be chosen from outside the council"; but, they were satisfied that the College had made "strenuous attempts" to ensure its disciplinary procedures were fair and in accordance with human rights legislation.

They also remarked that the College had made "elaborate efforts" to separate the membership and work of the three RCVS Committees that produce guidance, investigate complaints and adjudicate on complaints, respectively. Their Lordships considered that "a fair-minded and informed observer [having considered all the facts] would not conclude there was a real possibility that the DC was biased against Mr Holmes".

Their Lordships also dismissed all of the 'deficiencies' that Mr Holmes had sought to identify in the DC's findings and conclusions. They generally preferred the College's evidence, witness accounts and expert witness testimony, and felt the DC had correctly considered the multiple charges before it.

They also found that the expertise of the DC in assessing the standards of the profession was "entitled to substantial respect" and agreed that the only sanction appropriate to Mr Holmes' "catalogue of egregious misconduct" was the removal of his name from the Register.

"[This sanction] was the only disposal which could properly reflect the primary need to serve both the interests of animal welfare and the reputation of the veterinary profession," they concluded.

Their Lordships' decision is now subject to approval by the Crown, following which, Mr Holmes would be removed from the Register and no longer entitled to practise as a veterinary surgeon.

The Libel Reform Campaign is asking supporters to lobby their MP to make sure that a reform of libel law gets into next year's Queen's Speech, which sets the legislative agenda for 2012.

Two cases in particular serve to highlight the impact of current law on the open discussion of medical science, that of the British Chiropractic Association vs Simon Singh (the author and Guardian journalist) and Matthaias Rath, a vitamin pill manufacturer vs Ben Goldacre (also an author and Guardian journalist).

The proposed new law will, amongst other things, help safeguard free and robust debate about veterinary science, so I urge you to lobby your MP. You can do that by clicking here.

The RSPCA has released details of the more eccentric calls made to the charity over the course of 2011.

Doubtless members of VetSurgeon.org and VetNurse.co.uk will empathise with the RSPCA over some of these, but do you have any better examples? If so, please email them to support@vetsurgeon.org.

• A caller rang to complain that a neighbour's power shower caused their dog to go to the toilet.
• A concerned resident who thought gulls were in their area were radioactive - it turned out that nearby garden lights were illuminating them and turning them green.
• —A lady phoned in to complain that the blackbird in her garden didn't sing.
• —The RSPCA had a call from someone who wanted to complain about someone else's dirty house. An odd call to the RSPCA because there were no animals involved.
• —One caller rang to cancel a visit as their dead tortoise had 'come back to life'.
• —Another caller rang in concerned about the talking meerkats on the Compare the Market advertisement.
• —A caller requested the RSPCA to come and get their dog down the stairs as it was too heavy for them to carry.
• —One caller rang concerned about a hedgehog on their path. She tried to move it to shelter but was not able to pick up the creature because its suction pad was too firmly attached to the floor.
• —Someone asked if they could get advice on microchipping...their guitar.
• —Finally an inspector was called out to deal with a report of improper killing of ferrets dumped in a bag. On arrival the inspector found a fake mink shawl.