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
Reference
Mr Meacock faced six charges relating to his website - naturalhealingsolutions.co.uk - which has claimed, amongst many other things, that:
VetSurgeon.org understands this is the first time that claims made on a practitioner's website have been the subject of a disciplinary hearing. However, before the case could be heard and the claims tested, counsel for the College and the defendant met in private, whereupon Mr Meacock voluntarily entered into undertakings with the RCVS to amend his website in order to make it compliant with his professional responsibilities.
As a result, the College applied to adjourn the hearing generally (ie indefinitely). This application was not opposed by Mr Meacock and was granted by the Committee.
Judith Webb, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, explained that the adjourned charges would be kept open indefinitely but the Committee encouraged the College not to extend the period beyond two years. However, if at any time in the future Mr Meacock failed to keep up his undertakings or made further claims which the College found unacceptable, then a fresh case could be brought.
Because Mr Meacock's undertakings were agreed in private, it is not yet known whether he has agreed to remove all of the content on his website alleged by the College to bring the profession into disrepute, although presumably time will tell.
In addition, it is not clear whether Mr Meacock also undertook not to practise those treatments which the College claimed bring the profession into disrepute (as opposed to just advertising them on his website).
Either way, the implications of the case could stretch beyond Marine Plasma, Russian Healing Blankets and Bio-Resonance Technology. In particular, it raises a serious question over the unsupported claims being made by other practitioners of alternative and complementary therapies, such as the claim by the British Association of Homeopathic Veterinary Surgeons that homeopathy is effective in resolving cancer: http://www.bahvs.com/cured-cases/.
The Committee's full findings and decision are available here.
The charge against Ms Law was that in November 2017, having performed surgery on Kiwi, a German Shepherd/Wolfhound-cross dog, to address gastric dilation volvulus (GDV), she failed to obtain informed consent to the entirety of the surgical process and management, including post-operative aftercare.
The charge also stated that she failed to provide adequate analgesia to Kiwi before, during or after the surgery, failed to provide appropriate and adequate fluid therapy to Kiwi, failed to offer an appropriate and adequate post-operative care plan and/or post-operative transfer for Kiwi to another practice and failed to inform the owners that there would be nobody present at the practice to provide post-operative monitoring and aftercare for Kiwi for approximately seven hours during the night.
Finally the charge stated that Ms Law allowed Kiwi to remain at the practice overnight from 12:30am to 07:45am without adequate monitoring or post-operative aftercare.
Ms Law admitted some of the charges against her, including that she had failed to obtain informed consent, failed to offer an appropriate and/or adequate post-operative care plan, failed to inform the owners that there would be nobody present at the practice and allowed Kiwi to remain at the practice overnight without adequate monitoring and/or post-operative aftercare. However, she denied that she failed to provide adequate analgesia or fluid therapy to Kiwi.
The Committee found all of the charges proved, with the exception of failing to provide adequate analgesia during the perioperative period.
Having considered the facts, the Committee then moved on to consider whether the admitted and proven charges against Ms Law amounted to serious professional misconduct, taking into account any aggravating and mitigating factors. The aggravating features were that, as a result of Ms Law’s failures in relation to analgesia and fluid therapy, there was either actual injury to Kiwi, or a risk of such injury.
In mitigation, the Committee considered that she promptly and accurately diagnosed GDV, and proceeded to perform the necessary emergency surgery. The Committee considered that the charges related to a single isolated incident and that Ms Law has had an unblemished career to date. They also noted that Ms Law had made open and frank admissions as to the majority of the charges.
The Committee found that the conduct of Ms Law set out in the majority of the charges did not amount to serious professional misconduct. However, in the judgement of the Committee, Ms Law’s conduct in allowing Kiwi to remain at the practice overnight without adequate monitoring or post-operative aftercare did amount to serious professional misconduct.
Jane Downes, who chaired the Committee and spoke on its behalf, said: "The Committee considers that the respondent (Ms Law) has insight into the serious mistake that she made in failing to ensure that Kiwi was checked or monitored overnight. The Committee has found that this was a single isolated incident, which involved a serious lapse of clinical judgement, which will probably stay in the mind of the respondent for the rest of her career.
"The respondent has been in practice for some nine years now, and apart from this incident, there is no suggestion that the respondent has fallen short of the standards expected of her on any other occasion. The Committee does not consider that there is a risk that the respondent is likely to leave an animal overnight after major surgery again, without ensuring that it is checked during that time, and, as such, the Committee considers that there is no future risk to the welfare of animals so far as the respondent is concerned."
The Committee considered that the finding of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect in this case is too serious for no further action to be taken, having regard to the need to maintain public confidence in the profession and declare and uphold proper standards of conduct.
The Committee therefore concluded that the appropriate sanction in this case was to issue a reprimand to Ms Law, in relation to the finding of serious professional misconduct.
Jane Downes added: "The Committee considers that this sanction, coupled with the findings of fact and disgraceful conduct made against the respondent, is sufficient to maintain public confidence in the profession and uphold proper standards of conduct. The Committee does not consider it necessary to issue a warning to the respondent about her future conduct, on the basis that the Committee has concluded that there is no risk of repetition."
There were three charges against Ms Creese, all pertaining to the period between July 2016 and November 2017.
The first charge was that she failed to ensure that there were adequate systems and processes in place for out-of-hours’ care for in-patients.
The second charge was that she publicised that the practice had "24 hour care provided by our vets at our practice" and/or "Care 24/7 for your pets" on its website, which suggested that staff were present at the practice 24 hours a day when they were not and as such publicity was dishonest and/or misleading.
The third charge against Ms Creese was that she failed to ensure that Kiwi's owners were informed about arrangements at the practice for out-of-hours’ care for in-patients.
At the outset of the hearing, Ms Creese denied all the charges against her.
After hearing evidence from relevant witnesses, the Committee considered that the practice did have in place systems and processes for out-of-hours care for in-patients and that there was no evidence of repeated or ignored failures of these systems and processes. The Committee therefore found the charges against Ms Creese not proved and all three were dismissed.
In its statement, the company blamed the situation on the poor performance of 24 practices it bought in the Netherlands, and its new farm and equine divisions.
CVS says that another important factor has been employment costs, in particular the increase in market rates for locum veterinary surgeons and nurses on which it remains heavily reliant.
The company also blames its financial performance on the poor support of pharmaceutical companies, which it says it is continuing to push for transparent and 'appropriate' pricing.
Aside from trying to drive down the costs of drugs, the company says it has introduced 'additional procedures' designed to reduce the cost of employing locums, although it didn't specify what these are.
The group is also reevaluating its pipeline of acquisitions, in particular the multiples it is prepared to pay.
At the time of writing, the CVS share price had dropped over 28% to 465p overnight and 70% since the share price peaked at 1477p in November 2017.
In the game of acquisitions musical chairs, did the music just stop?
Full trading statement.
VetSurgeon.org has joined forces with referral practitioner Alex Gough to conduct a survey into the profession's attitude to the use of homeopathy in animals.
Whilst the debate continues to rage over its use in human medicine, this is believed to be the first time that there has been a survey of opinion within the veterinary profession.
Alex Gough said: "This should give us an interesting insight into how practitioners feel about one of the more well-known systems of alternative medicine. That in turn may add something to the broader debate outside the veterinary profession."
Arlo said: "We really need as many veterinary surgeons as possible to take part, in order to get the most accurate picture. There are only 8 questions, and it should take less than a minute."
Click here (veterinary surgeons only), to take part in the survey.
Vets Now has published a response to the RCVS DC ruling in which Munhuwepasi Chikosi, a locum working for the company, was struck off for delaying an emergency OOH home visit.
The response is available in full here: http://www.vets-now.com/news/?item=4191
In the week that Prince Charles has become embroiled in another row about the use of homeopathy in the NHS, British veterinary surgeons have denounced its use for the treatment of pets and other animals.
In a survey of veterinary surgeons carried out on this website, in which 460 members took part and the preliminary results of which are announced today, an overwhelming 83% said that there are no medical conditions for which homeopathy could be an effective treatment in animals. This figure included the 6.3% of participants who practice veterinary homeopathy themselves, without whom the figure would be even higher.
More specifically, when asked how they would best describe veterinary homeopathy, 4.5% said 'A reliably effective form of veterinary medicine', 8.7% said 'an occasionally effective form of veterinary medicine, 9.5% said: 'a rarely effective form of veterinary medicine, and 77.3% said: 'An ineffective form of veterinary medicine'.
The survey was carried with Alex Gough MA VetMB CertSAM CertVC PGCert MRCVS, Head of Medicine Referrals at Bath Veterinary Group.
So strongly did veterinary surgeons feel about the matter, 78.4% felt that their colleagues should not be allowed to practice homeopathy under their professional title of MRCVS. 73% said that whilst they are still allowed to do so, pet owners should be asked to sign a disclaimer that they understand that in trials, homeopathy has been shown to be ineffective.
However despite the almost universal denunciation of veterinary homeopathy within the profession, when it comes to directing their clients, it seems that many veterinary surgeons do not have quite the same courage of their convictions. Asked what would be the most appropriate response when asked by a client to refer an animal for homeopathic treatment, only 24% of vets said they would explain that homeopathy does not work and recommend the client does not self-refer for homeopathic treatment. 17.5% said they would explain that homeopathy does not work and advise the client to self-refer. 34% said that they would explain that homeopathy doesn't work and refer anyway, and 24% said they would just refer the case.
VetSurgeon member Alex Gough MRCVS, Head of Medicine Referrals at Bath Veterinary Referrals, has published his second historical thriller, Bandits of Rome, available for pre-order now in paperback (£7.99) or Kindle (£1.99) from Amazon.
The book picks up the story of Gaius Valerius Carbo as he leaves Rome with his family for the Italian countryside, only to be set upon by masked bandits.
Alex's first thriller, Watchmen of Rome, went to the top of the Amazon bestseller charts and has achieved reader reviews of an average 4.4 out of 5 stars.
Apparently the more people that pre-order the book before the 26th August, the higher it'll go up the charts. So if this sounds like it could be up your street, buy it today and you'll give a colleague a helping hand up the ladder at the same time.
Virbac has launched Sulfatrim, the first veterinary-licensed Trimethoprim and Sulfamethoxazole (TMPS) oral antibiotic for use in rabbits, pigeons and bearded dragons.
Kate Woolley MRCVS, Product Manager, said: "Until now, no similar veterinary-licensed product has been available for these species and, in an environment where vets are increasingly aware of the responsible use of antibiotics across all species, we are very happy to launch Sulfatrim, the first licensed TMPS for rabbits, pigeons and bearded dragons."
Sulfatrim is presented in a 30ml bottle with a dispensing cap and syringe.
Vet Futures, the joint initiative by the RCVS and BVA to stimulate debate about the future of the profession, has opened a new discussion about whether VAT on vet fees for pets should be dropped.
The discussion has been opened by this month's Vet Futures guest blogger, Stuart Winter, the Sunday Express small animal columnist and a campaigner to end VAT on pet fees.
Stuart argues that owning a pet is not a luxury to be taxed when they need medical intervention, because owning a companion improves the health and wellbeing of its owner.
He writes that removing VAT on veterinary fees for domestic animals, or at least reducing it to five pence in the pound, would improve the nation's animal welfare. It would allow low-income families to seek medical attention earlier, he argues, while allowing more owners to afford and take out pet insurance.
He says that shifting Government thinking on the subject might be a Herculean task, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't campaign for its removal. "No Chancellor delights in losing revenue. Treating, curing and caring for sick and injured animals is nothing more than a service and services are ripe to be harvested.
"It is time for a counter argument. Pet ownership is not a luxury. It is more than a privilege. Is it not a human right? Welcoming animals into our lives makes our lives more fulfilled and more civilised."
To tie in with the discussion, Vet Futures is inviting vets to take part in a poll which asks: "Would you agree that VAT should no longer be levelled on vet fees?"
The College is encouraging members of the veterinary team and the public to take part in the poll so that it can generate debate on the issue of VAT and better understand the full consequences if it was removed.
January's poll asked members of the profession if they could recognise the signs of mental ill-health in a colleague. Reassuringly, just over half (58%) of the 65 respondents said they would be able to recognise the signs, although that leaves 40% who would not feel comfortable in their ability to do so.
To read Stuart Winter's blog, contribute to the discussion and vote in the poll, visit www.vetfutures.org.uk
The RCVS has launched a new College honour, the RCVS Queen's Medal.
RCVS President Col Neil Smith said: "The Queen's Medal will be the most prestigious honour that the RCVS can bestow upon a veterinary surgeon and will be reserved for those whose distinguished careers and outstanding lifetime achievements deserve wider recognition."
The honour was created following a review of the RCVS honours system, which demonstrated the need for a new aspirational award.
The RCVS wrote to the Cabinet Office last year, together with letters of support from Peers and MPs, many of whom attended the reception, to request permission to name this new honour after Her Majesty the Queen.
Col Smith said: "We are honoured that Her Majesty has supported the proposal and allowed the College to name the award after her, and express our sincere thanks to those Parliamentarians who supported our endeavour."
The first RCVS Queen's Medal will be presented at RCVS Day in July 2014. The nomination form for the Queen's Medal can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/Queensmedal.
The Kennel Club has announced the results of a survey of 329 Breed Kennel Rescue organisations which has revealed that over 50% of dogs given up for rehoming are given up by women, compared to 17% by men and 27% by couples who made the decision jointly.
The Kennel Club said the survey also revealed lifestyle changes, a lack of training and time to look after the family pet adequately are the main reasons why dogs are rehomed.
Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary, said: "People really need to explore their reasons for wanting a dog in the first place, do the research properly and invest time into training their dog. We are seeing an increasing number of owners being driven by celebrity trends in choice of dog breed, such as the French Bulldog, owned by Millie Mackintosh, Jessie J and Jonathan Ross.
"Every year dogs are abandoned or given up when the novelty wears off. Dogs are a lifelong commitment and anyone considering getting a pet needs to be sure that they will be able to properly care for the animal for the rest of its life."
Kennel Club Breed Rescue organisations last year rehomed over 20,000 dogs, more than Dogs Trust and Battersea Dogs & Cats Home combined. January was revealed to be the busiest month, highlighting the impact of many families being unprepared for getting a dog and potentially still buying them as a Christmas gift, despite advice to the contrary. More than one in three breed rescue organisations reported an increase of dogs needing to be rehomed compared with 2012.
Caroline continued: "Although not as well-known as other organisations, Kennel Club Breed Rescues work incredibly hard to support their breed. They are set up and run by people passionate about dogs and their particular breed in particular. There is a breed rescue organisation for almost every one of the 212 breeds of pedigree dog in the UK, and more than one in three of the breed rescue organisations also accept crossbreeds as well as pedigrees.
"Breed rescue is a fantastic place to consider when looking for a dog. The expert staff and volunteers will often know the full history of the dogs in their care and provide you with invaluable knowledge on the breed and tips for caring for individual dogs to make sure the dogs find a family for life."
Derbyshire surgeon Victoria Lilley BVSc CertSAM MRCVS has launched a petition calling on the RCVS to abandon its plans to remove Certificate and Diploma holders' post nominals from the RCVS Register at www.rcvs.org.uk.
Under the current plan, which followed a consultation in 2011 and a submission to Council in 2012, the College will only distinguish the new "Advanced Practitioners" and "RCVS Recognised Specialists" in the Register from some time after the autumn. Vets with old-style RCVS Certificates can apply for "Advanced Practitioner" status but must complete module A of the CertAVP or 100 hours of equivalent CPD and pay £50 to apply, plus £110 per year to maintain the status.
Victoria said: "I want to spread the word that this is happening, as I don't feel the RCVS has publicised it well enough. I did my certificate in practice, it was a lot of hard work and I feel that the RCVS removing my CertSAM post-nominals from the register undermines this. Whilst I acknowledge that I could apply for "Advanced Practitioner" status, I strongly feel that spending a large proportion of my CPD time and budget learning about ethics and public safety is not going to help me improve my small animal medicine knowledge or skills. I also don't feel that I should be penalised by having to pay to be an "Advanced Practitioner" when the Royal College should be supportive of vets who undertake further study. My biggest objection is to post-nominals being removed from the register, which I feel is very unfair."
Speaking at the RCVS's online Question Time on thewebinarvet.com, RCVS Treasurer and Vice-President-elect Dr Bradley Viner said: "To clarify the situation with the Register: the Register no longer goes out to members routinely as a printed document. It is now primarily online, and in line with other regulators such as the GMC, the only information that is in the official part of Register is whether that person is a Member or a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and their registrable qualifications, in other words the primary qualification they achieved which entitled them to become a Member or Fellow of the Royal College.
"But we are certainly not going to be inhibiting people from using their post-nominals freely. They can use any of the post-nominals that they have achieved as long as they are not misleading.
"But I think there is confusion between a qualification and a status. A qualification is something that you obtain and you've got for life, and of course the old style Certificate is one of those, the new RCVS CertAVP is another. A status is something that a qualification within our context might enable you to attain, but it is something that has to be maintained.
"So what is going to be happening, hopefully from autumn this year, is that in line with the recommendations of the Specialisation Working Party, [there will be] an extra tier. So there will be Practitioners, there will be Advanced Practitioners and there will be RCVS Recognised Specialists, and there will be lists of those available via the Royal College. An Advanced Practitioner will be somebody who has a relevant qualification in the area of their advanced practice, and that may well be an old-style Certificate, certainly the CertAVP but there are also other qualifications which can also be relevant and used for that purpose. But they also have to prove that they are working actively in that area of practice, and they have an advanced requirement for CPD.
"Now in the case of old style RCVS Certificate holders, that qualification will be in line with the qualification they require to be listed as an Advanced Practitioner, but within the first three years they will have to show that they have either done the RCVS A module which is part of the new RCVS Certificate, or have done work that is equivalent to that in various areas such as communications, teamworking and personal and professional development, because we think from a Royal College point of view that it is really important that those areas are included within the Advanced Practitioner Status."
To sign the petition, visit: http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/royal-college-of-veterinary-surgeons-keep-post-graduate-qualifications-on-the-rcvs-register?recruiter=89624244&utm_campaign=mailto_link&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition
A sign up section where Official Veterinarians (OVs) can register to continue providing bTB testing with aspiring Delivery Partner Xperior Farm Health under AHVLA's Veterinary Delivery Partnership programme has been added to Xperior's website (www.xperiorfarmhealth.co.uk/vets/).
Xperior Farm Health is the joint venture between Eville & Jones and Westpoint Veterinary Group that is one of the declared bidders for appointment by AHVLA as a Delivery Partner. Veterinary Director Phil Elkins said: "If appointed, we are fully committed to maintaining sub-contractor OV involvement."
As alternatives to website sign up, OVs can also do so by email (phil.elkins@xperiorfarmhealth.co.uk) or post using either a printed form that was mailed recently to more than 1,000 farm vets or by writing to Mr Elkins at Century House, Thorpe Park, Leeds LS15 8ZB.
To give experienced OVs an opportunity to influence the Delivery Partner bid, Xperior have also extended their online survey (https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PQFSWZN) until the end of July.
Phil added: "If appointed, our commitment is to provide an exemplary standard of accurate and trustworthy on-farm animal health testing services, where possible using subcontracted practices. These will be farmer friendly, provide an ongoing source of work and revenue to subcontractor Official Veterinarians, and represent excellent value for money to the taxpayer."
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has announced the results of the 2011 RCVS and VN Council elections.
Elected to the RCVS Council are:
Not elected are:
For the first time in eight years, all six successful RCVS Council candidates have served on Council before, although one - Sandy Trees - is currently an appointed, rather than an elected, member.
For VN Council, one existing member has been returned and two new members have been elected:
Not elected to VN Council was:
Following rises in previous turnouts, voting figures have dropped markedly this year in both RCVS and VN Councils elections, to 15.9% (3,887 voters) and 7.6% (723 voters) respectively. The previous turnouts were 18.8% (in 2010) and 11.2% (in 2009).
RCVS Registrar Jane Hern said: "It's certainly disappointing that the turnout has dropped so much this year. It's unclear whether this is due to lack of time, lack of awareness, or lack of interest, but perhaps anyone who didn't vote could let us know why, so we can see what we could do to increase participation.
"Nevertheless, my congratulations to all successful candidates, who I look forward to formally welcoming, or welcoming back, onto the Councils at RCVS Day in July, and my commiserations to those who were unsuccessful this time and who I hope won't be discouraged from standing again next year."
This year's chosen charity - the Veterinary Benevolent Fund - will receive a cheque for £922 arising from the College's pledge to donate 20p for each veterinary surgeon and veterinary nurse who cast a vote.
Eurovet Animal Health has announced that it is bringing a veterinary licensed vitamin K1 (phytomenadione) injectable preparation to the UK.
Eurovet says the new preparation, available from the wholesalers by Monday at the latest, will ensure that the previous supply problems of vitamin K1, will be overcome.
According to the company, the intravenous route is the only route to ensure a 100% bioavailability of vitamin K1 almost immediately and in a crisis situation is the best route of treatment. During anticoagulant poisoning, the coagulation factors are present in the body but are not functional. The faster vitamin K1 enters the blood flow, the quicker the coagulation function is restored.
Ruth Vernon, Technical Services Manager for Eurovet said: "We also plan to bring veterinary licenced vitamin K1 tablets to the UK market later in the year, allowing them to be ordered direct from veterinary wholesalers. The future continuity of supply represents a significant improvement on the current situation."
Anticoagulant rodenticide poisoning is the second most common query received by the VPIS. Alexander Campbell, Head of Service at VPIS, said: "The Veterinary Poisons Information Service receives well over 1000 telephone enquiries per annum from UK veterinary professionals seeking advice on how to manage potential and accidental exposures to anticoagulant rodenticides in a variety of animals - mainly pet dogs. Whilst most cases require basic assessment, first-aid and precautionary laboratory tests, an inevitable few develop serious intoxication and need long-term treatment. Vitamin K1 is a mainstay of therapy in these instances, and the availability of licensed veterinary-specific products in the UK is a major advance. Previously, preparations licensed for human use were often the only option when these could be sourced. Anything that ensures ready supply and facilitates speed of therapy for severe cases has to be welcomed."
There are over 500 anticoagulant rodent killing preparations available across Europe. They are available ready to use, as coated cereals, bait blocks, tracking powders, semolina formats or concentrates (which are reserved for professional use). Following cut backs in local council spending on pest control, the National Pest Technicians Association identified in a recent survey* that there is a 'worrying increase in poorly-managed DIY rodent control'.
*The NPTA National Rodent Survey 2009/2010
Vétoquinol has released the results of a survey of 1000 dog owners, which looked into their attitudes towards long-term medication for their pet1.
Owners were asked to rate how important various factors were to them when it came to giving medicine long term to their dog. They were also asked to consider what they felt was most important to their vet when it came to choosing a medicine.
Vétoquinol says the fact that dog owners rate the effectiveness of a medication much more highly than the cost means there is very little reason to compromise on treatment based on a presumption of what clients will want to pay. These findings are also largely very positive in that they suggest that dog owners believe that in many areas vets are making decisions based on criteria that are important to owners. The area where there is the greatest mismatch is over the risk of side effects of medication.
Pet owners think that vets may take the risk of side effects from long-term medications less seriously than the owners themselves might prefer. It suggests that the risk of potential harm, no matter how small the risk of actual harm is, may be more unacceptable to the dog owner than vets and nurses might otherwise presume. When prescribing long-term medication there is a need to talk about the risks associated with medication more openly and to take the client's attitudes to risk into consideration.
1. A survey of 1048 dog owners, carried out by petbuzz, on behalf of Vétoquinol, March 2011
Kruuse is to launch a new Manuka honey dressing at BEVA 2011 in September.
Kruuse says that honey has been used as a topical anti-microbial agent and dressing for over 2000 years, and that honey derived from the nectar of the Manuka tree (Leptospermum scoparium) has its own unique chemical properties. Manuka honey contains glucose oxidase imparted by the bees during its collection and storage. This enzyme facilitates low level release of hydrogen peroxide when in the presence of wound exudates and thus supports cellular proliferation and metabolism through an antioxidant effect. The high sugar and low pH content creates a high osmotic potential which gives honey excellent debridement and anti-inflammatory properties.
The company says that one of the biggest difficulties with the use of honey in wound dressings is ensuring that once applied it stays over the wound area. Many attempts to coat dressings have been unsuccessful; often the active honey ingredient is left within the packaging severely reducing the effectiveness of the dressing. Kruuse says its Manuka dressings have the active honey impregnated 'within' the dressing, which ensures precise and easy application even if wearing surgical gloves.
The Kruuse Manuka dressings range comes in impregnated adherent (Kruuse Manuka AD), non-adherent dressing (Kruuse Manuka ND) and 15g tube of Manuka G. Each dressing comes in 3 sizes 5x5 cm , 10x12.5 cm and the KRUUSE Manuka roll (10x100 cm) a unique product ideal for large vertical wounds. E.G. Equine forelimb.
Kruuse also says that the antimicrobial potency in Manuka honey is rated by a standardised rating known as Unique Manuka Factor (UMF). The higher the UMF the better the antimicrobial effect. A minimum UMF of 10 is required to ensure sufficient effect in the wound environment, Kruuse Manuka Honey Wound Dressings have a Unique Manuka Factor of 15.
There is a restricted annual supply of Manuka honey as this unique product supply is controlled by a small number of producers in New Zealand. Many current honey products available use blends of Manuka honey with other poorer quality honey, these are often less effective. Kruuse Manuka uses 100% Manuka honey in all its dressings with the profits of the sale being returned directly to the Maori tribe that oversee the production of Manuka honey.
Andrew Groom, Managing Director Kruuse UK Ltd. said: "I am very excited that we have been able to secure a direct connection to supply this unique product with the knowledge that the Maori suppliers will see the returns for generations to come whilst this new range of dressing will add huge versatility for day to day wound management!"
Eurovet has launched Comfortan, the first EU-authorised methadone in the UK, available as an injectable solution for use in dogs.
Eurovet says that whilst methadone may seem an unfamiliar analgesic choice for some vets in practice, that is about to change very quickly.
Ruth Vernon Technical Services Manager at Eurovet says that prior to the launch of Comfortan, reports show that usage of methadone to manage pain in animals is much higher than previously thought: "We have become aware that many practices are using methadone routinely for orthopaedic procedures and that several specialists use it in preference to any other analgesic where rapid onset of action and profound analgesia is important. This opioid provides vets with an animal analgesic with very rapid onset of action: exerting an effect in just 10 minutes of intravenous administration and 15 minutes of intramuscular administration. Comfortan is licensed both as an analgesic and as a premed in combination with a neuroleptic drug. As a full opioid agonist, Comfortan results in very effective pain relief, particularly when used for moderate to severe pain. Comfortan provides pain relief for approximately four hours and can be re-dosed to achieve the desired level and duration of pain relief."Ruth is anticipating high demand for Comfortan from launch: "Comfortan enables many more patients to be given methadone immediately to control their acute pain without their vets having to go through lengthy protocols involved in using products off-licence, so we think that more vets are about to become convinced of the benefits. Comfortan is licensed for veterinary use and it offers the convenience of a 10 ml vial with a shelf life of 28 days. Those who have not used methadone before, or indeed anyone with a query about storage or monitoring, can source all the information and advice they need by contacting us at Eurovet Animal Health."
For further information contact Eurovet Animal Health on 01223 257933, e-mail: office@eurovet-ah.co.uk, or visit: http://www.eurovet-ah.co.uk/
The RCVS has advised that veterinary surgeons should delegate Schedule 3 work to veterinary nurse students only during students' training, following a series of queries from employers about such students locuming.
Veterinary surgeons have dispensations under Schedule 3 of the Veterinary Surgeons Act to delegate to student veterinary nurses in the course of their training, so that students can learn how to give medical treatments to animals.
Crucially, these dispensations apply only when the student is working as a student in their approved training practice or on a placement organised by their university, and is under the supervision of qualified staff.
These dispensations do not apply to any extra-curricula activity so, if working as locums, they are legally classified as unqualified lay staff
The RCVS is concerned that locum agencies do not always appear to know this and are placing locums in their capacity as students, or even "senior students." This has the potential to mislead employers and the students concerned, and result in illegal practice.
Liz Branscombe, Chairman of the RCVS Veterinary Nurses Council said: "We know that student VNs, especially those on university courses, often undertake locum work to supplement their earnings. However, beyond the training practice which employs them, or in a placement organised by their university, they can only carry out tasks that may be expected of an unqualified staff member, and cannot legally undertake Schedule 3 work."
Practices may check the details of a student VN directly with the RCVS or with the student's college. If you notice an agency promoting student VN locums, please contact the RCVS so that we can provide guidance.
VetSurgeon members, husband and wife Cat Henstridge and Dave Hough MsRCVS have set up vCPD, a low cost CPD company based in the West Midlands.
Cat said: "Many of you will have noticed how CPD has become extremely expensive with some of the larger providers. Single days of theory based lectures are often well over £300+VAT, even for vet nurses, and more practical sessions can be far more than this. In these tough economic times it is a cost many practices can ill afford but one which, due to the RCVS regulations on Continuing Professional Development for both Vets and Vet Nurses, they are often forced to meet.
"vCPD is very different. Courses cost only £150 +VAT , all of which are given by highly qualified and experienced professionals (often the very same ones used by the more expensive companies) at an extremely convenient location, with excellent transport links and plenty of free parking, in the West Midlands. We are initially concentrating on vet nurses but will be expanding to vets later in the year."
You can find out more, view the courses and download a booking form by visiting http://www.vcpd.co.uk/. You can also follow vCPD on facebook and twitter.
A group of brave veterinary nurses and a student nurse leapt out of a perfectly serviceable aircraft last weekend, both to raise money for children with epilepsy, and to highlight the need to protect the title 'Veterinary Nurse' in law.
Vicky Couzens, Jenny Cook, Kim Blowing, Michelle Dickens, Gillian James and Leigh Martin, none of whom had parachuted before (in fact, Gillian hadn't even been in a plane before), were raising money for the Muir Maxwell Trust, a charity which funds research into childhood epilepsy, and supports the families of some of the 70,000 children affected by it in the UK.
The daredevil nurses also wanted to highlight the fact that anyone can call themselves a veterinary nurse, regardless of whether they've ever even set foot inside a veterinary practice, let alone passed the demanding examinations. They argue that the title 'Veterinary Nurse' should be protected in law, in exactly the same way as 'Veterinary Surgeon', so that the pet-owning public can have the reassurance of knowing when their animal is being cared for by a qualified professional.
To support these nurses' efforts, and help them reach their fundraising targets, click the links below:
http://www.justgiving.com/Victoria-Couzens http://www.justgiving.com/Jenny-Cook23 http://www.justgiving.com/KimBlowing http://www.justgiving.com/Michelle-Dickens
Meanwhile, one of the children that has benefitted from the work done by the Muir Maxwell Trust is Emily Guthrie, daughter of the editor of VetNurse.co.uk and VetSurgeon.org. She sent the jumpers her own message of thanks:
The removal of names from the RCVS Register of Veterinary Surgeons for non-payment of retention fees is now complete, with 386 veterinary surgeons having been removed, compared with 616 last year.
The RCVS says that the administration involved with removing a name for non-payment is time-consuming and costly. Hence, to be restored to the Register, the veterinary surgeon must pay the appropriate annual retention fee, and the restoration fee, currently £294, which multiplies each time if fees are not paid in successive years.
The College writes to members' Register addresses to remind them when fees are due and, where an email address is maintained by the member as part of their formal record, also sends an email. It is, however, the responsibility of members to inform the RCVS Registration Department of any changes to their contact details and to ensure that payment is made. It is illegal for veterinary surgeons to practise or undertake any veterinary-related activities if their name does not appear on the RCVS Register as a home-practising member.
To help ensure that members removed for non-payment are aware that they have been removed from the Register, the full list of those removed for non-payment and not restored by 10 June can be downloaded from RCVSonline. The current status of individual veterinary surgeons can be checked online (www.rcvs.org.uk/checkregister).
A veterinary surgeon whose name has been removed from the Register and who wishes to restore him or herself should view the information on restoration to the Register.
Alternatively, please ring the RCVS Registration Department on 020 7202 0707. Restorations made since 10 June are not shown on this list.
The long-awaited Panorama programme about the veterinary profession will air on Thursday 22 July at 9pm on BBC One.
Rumour has it that the programme will cover a range of issues, including the role of unqualified nursing staff in the practice, support for new graduates, over-charging in relation to insurance and regulation of corporate practices.
The RCVS says it expects increased public interest in the regulation of the profession following the programme and is gearing itself up to address any concerns it raises. A statement will be posted on www.rcvs.org.uk immediately following the programme, and the RCVS has said that it will work with the British Veterinary Association and other organisations to ensure that the robust nature of the regulatory system is communicated to the public, from undergraduate degrees through the Professional Development Phase and the Guide to Professional Conduct, to mandatory continuing professional development and the voluntary Practice Standards Scheme and Register for Veterinary Nurses.
In a statement issued today, the RCVS said: "We currently receive around 700 complaints a year - about one every 15 years of a member's practising life. It's a record to be proud of. However, if the programme raises areas of genuine concern, we will do all we can to act on them and we have already made it clear to the BBC that we would expect their support in this."