However, the preliminary analysislumps together part- and full-time staffand so it is unclear if these lowest paidstaff are only working a few hours perweek or whether their employers areflouting the law.

Certainly, 13% of respondents havesome form of second income, whichMrs Andrea Jeffery, who chairs theRCVS Veterinary Nurses Council,

interpreted as an indication that manywere struggling to survive on their mainsalary. There are other indicators in thesurvey that the terms and conditions forVNs are not the most generous: 14%have to pay for their own CPD, 15%receive no overtime payments and 23%receive nothing for time spent on call.

Nevertheless, a large majority ofrespondents are happy in their work:75% say they plan to stay in theircurrent job for the foreseeable future;and, if they had their time again, 55%would choose to train as a VN, a similarlevel of satisfaction to that in acomparable survey of veterinarians.

The study also threw up a numberof positive findings: generally VNs arebeing given opportunities in practice todevelop areas of special expertise andmost are able to devote more than thebasic minimum time each year to CPD.

More importantly, a substantialmajority appear to find their worksatisfying, although better pay andbeing shown more respect by theiremployers would make theirenjoyment even greater.

VETERINARY surgeons will oftensay that their nurses make avaluable contribution to the successof the practice, but are theyprepared to put their money wheretheir mouth is and offer these staffa decent wage?

That question must have crossed theminds of many of those who attendedthe session held by the Royal Collegeduring the BSAVA congress to highlightthe initial results of its 2008 survey ofveterinary nurses.

A questionnaire was completed by3,871 listed, registered and studentVNs and gives an insight into theirtraining, working conditions andattitudes towards the futuredevelopment of their profession.

The overall message of the surveywill come as no surprise to the nursesthemselves or their employers inshowing that qualified VNs are stillextremely poorly paid.

About 40% earn an annual salary ofbetween £15,000 and £20,000 withunder 20% earning above the nationalmedian for women in the UKworkforce of £21,700.

About 10% have earnings belowthe national minimum wage of£10,664 for a 37.5 hour week.

MAY 2008 Volume 40 Number 3

Marbocyl 10% has been shown to achieve highbacteriological cure rates in acute mastitis1

Marbocyl 10% has a short milk withdrawal

A case of acute E. coli mastitis can lead to losses inmilk production and milk discard of over 600 litres2

With the milk price at 28p a litre*, milk loss alone is significant.

Marbocyl® 10% allows rapid return to normal milk production

Marbofloxacin

References: 1 Gandemange E.,2002 Field Evaluation of the efficacy of marbfloxacin in the treatment of acute mastitis due to Gram- negative bacteria in the dairy cow. Cattle Practice Vol 10 Part 1 57-62. 2 Andrews T., Oct 2002 Costs and treatment of E.colimastitis Veterinary Times.*Source: Farmers Weekly April 2008

Further information is available on request from:Vetoquinol UK Limited, Vetoquinol House,

Great Slade, Buckingham Industrial Park, Buckingham, MK18 1PA.

TEL: 01280 814500 FAX: 01280 825460Email: office@vetoquinol.co.ukWebsite: www.vetoquinol.co.uk

Marbocyl is a prescription only medicine POM-V

BSAVA congress:quantity and quality– page 4

CENTAUR Services is seekingapproval from its existingshareholders to proceed with an IPO(initial public offering) on the AIMmarket, the London Stock Exchangesubsidiary for smaller growingcompanies.

If agreement is reached, proceedsshould be distributed to shareholderswho sell shares in the flotation withinthree to six months.

Managing director Paul Gerringand his fellow directors believe themove is the best one to enablefurther development of theveterinary wholesaler.

Centaur will be the secondveterinary company to take this route,followingthecorporatefirm, CVS,now knownas CVSGroup plc,whichfloated lastOctober. Itsshares arecurrently trading at around £2.40 andin March it purchased the AnimedVeterinary Group for £1.6 million,taking the number of veterinarysurgeries in the group to 146.

Hands-onveterinary education

– page 22

an interviewwith the RVC’sQuintinMcKellar

Suicide: why is theprofession’s rate so high?– page 18

Banking: is your practicegetting the best deal? – page 28

Wholesaler aims tofollow corporate ARE NURSES GETTING

A FAIR DEAL?

Andrea Jeffery.

Paul Gerring.News 2The Mercury column 3 BSAVA 4-8Products 10-11Farming 12

Out and about 13Letter from America 14-15Conservation + CPD 16Personal 18-19Abstracts 20-21

Profile 24-25Equine 26-27Management 28-29On the road 30Money 31

INS

IDE

NEWS2 VETERINARY PRACTICE MAY 2008

£1 million in grantsTHE RCVS Trust has awarded over£1,000,000 to nearly 60 research andanimal welfare projects in the UK andoverseas to mark its golden jubilee year.

In addition to a £250,000investment in six new UK residenciesand nearly £120,000 across nine newBlue Sky Research projects, the Trusthas released an additional £500,000 tofund two golden jubilee awards: one atthe Royal (Dick) looking at canineageing and regeneration and another atthe Liverpool veterinary school inveterinary pathogen genomics.

The Trust is also funding a numberof overseas projects through its networkof charity partners, including SPANA,Wildlife Vets International and theWorldwide Veterinary Service.

Welfare initiatives the Trust issupporting include an evaluation ofyoung graduate well-being, thedevelopment of support schemes forrecent graduates and the Lancaster FinalYear Seminar.

Poisons information THE BVA Animal Welfare Foundation,in conjunction with the VeterinaryPoisons Information Service (VPIS),has published an update of the Pets andPoisons – Keeping Your Animals Safe leaflet,first produced in 2004.

It provides a reference guide forowners on preventing poisoning alongwith what to do if you think an animalhas been poisoned.

Practices can obtain batches of 50leaflets for the waiting room free(although a donation to AWF is

encouraged) directly from the BVAagent, Ten Alps, telephone 02078782307, or download copies fromwww.bvaawf.org.uk/resources/leaflets/pets_poisons_leaflet_2008 _FINAL1.pdf.

It shouldn’t happen!THE National Office of AnimalHealth is looking for “it shouldn’thappen to a pet” anecdotes to highlightthe lack of awareness of pet healthissues amongst owners.

With a prize of £500 towards a staffChristmas party for the winninganecdote, NOAH will use the stories ina campaign to raise awareness ofcommon pet care misconceptions andto highlight the importance of animalhealth and welfare considerations.

“Funny” pet-related anecdotes canbe submitted on entry forms onwww.noah.co.uk. Closing date is Friday30th May.

Roslin joins DickTHE Roslin Institute is joining forceswith the Royal (Dick) School ofVeterinary Studies in Edinburgh. Theveterinary school is contributing 18group leaders and their research teams.

Further recruitment over the nextfew years is expected to see The RoslinInstitute double its staff numbers toabout 500. As part of its expansion, theinstitute will move to a £58.5 millionbuilding next to the new veterinaryschool development at Easter Bush,Midlothian, which is planned forcompletion in 2010.

The Roslin Institute is to benefitfrom £40 million of research funding

from the Biotechnology and BiologicalSciences Research Council over the nextfive years.

Professor David Hume, director ofthe institute, said the pooling ofresources and expertise would furthercement the position of Scotland as theworld’s leading centre of animalsciences research.

‘One world’ seminar ONE World, One Disease is the title of aseminar to be held at the Royal Societyof Medicine in London on 24th June.

Jointly organised by the RSM andthe RCVS, it will examine some of theeffects of climate change on patterns ofanimal health and the impact of this onhumans.

The meeting, says the College, willprovide an understanding of thecomplexity of the global changes faced,and work towards the integratedapproach needed to manage the seriousproblems that threaten animal andhuman health.

Speakers will include ProfessorSheila Crispin, RCVS senior vice-president, who has been instrumental inorganising the conference; CarolineLucas, MEP; Professor Bob Watson,DEFRA’s chief scientific adviser;Professor Quintin McKellar of theRVC; and Lt Col Tim Brookes from theHealth Protection Agency.

Tickets are available via the RSMwebsite, www.rsm.ac.uk/academ/e10-oneworld.php.

Worming campaignNOVARTIS Animal Health islaunching an initiative designed to raisepet owner awareness about the

importance of worming. The WormPatrol is a campaign which can be easilyimplemented in practice, the firm says,and is supported by a comprehensiverange of marketing materials.

The company is also introducingthis month a four-tablet pack ofMilbemax in both the Dog and CatTasty tablets for use alongside thecampaign “to provide a complete andconvenient service for clients”.

Practices can choose when theywish to run their Worm Patrolcampaign and interested practicesshould contact a Novartis territorymanager or call the practice supportline on 0800 854100 to find out how.

Marketing materials include awaiting room display kit, clientinformation leaflets, badges, stickersand a PR toolkit. A focal point in thewaiting room will be a Worm Patrol5ft post.

Microchip month JUNE is National Microchip Month.Virbac reports that it is giving fullsupport to the month with specialoffers on BackHome microchipsthroughout May and June for practicesoffering Microchip events.

These chips can be read by allscanners conforming to the ISOstandard, being a pan-European brandpresent in eight European countries.The chips are pre-loaded in disposableimplanters.

They come with registrationdocuments for postal or internetregistration on the AniBase database,collar tags to show the animal ischipped and receipt confirmationreply-cards to enable back-tracking ofchips to practice.

■ Funding for senior lectureship – Vets Now is funding the creation of a seniorlectureship in emergency and critical care (ECC) at the Glasgow veterinaryschool. The post is being taken up in June by Dr Ava Firth, a Diplomate of theAmerican College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care, who is currentlyclinical training specialist with Vets Now.

■ Change of caps – Vétoquinol is introducing new flip-off plastic caps on itsinjectable range. First product with the new cap is Marbocyl 10%; others willchange during the year. The new caps mean it is no longer necessary to havethe aluminium caps which were used to protect the rubber bung and were notalways easy to remove, the firm states.

■ SAC head of veterinary services – SAC has appointed Brian Hosie as the newhead of veterinary services. He will replace Dr Barti Synge who will be retiringin the summer. A graduate of the Royal (Dick), Mr Hosie has been with SAC foralmost 25 years.

■ New directors appointed – Tina Hunt has been appointed veterinarybusiness unit director and Nigel Robinson OTC business unit director at FortDodge Animal Health. Mrs Hunt spent 10 years working primarily in equinepractice before moving into industry where she has held a variety of technical,sales and management roles, most recently as area business manager at Pfizer.Mr Robinson has moved from the role of finance director which he has heldsince November 2004.

■ International technical manager – Jane McNae has taken up the newly-created role of international technical manager for Protexin Veterinary, part ofProbiotics International. Since graduating from Queensland in 1997, Jane hasworked in small animal practices in both Hong Kong and the UK, as well as inindustry as a technical manager. Another personnel change for ProtexinVeterinary is the recent promotion of Dan Marley to UK national sales manager.

Published monthly by VVPP PPuubblliisshhiinngg LLttdd30 Diamond Ridge, Camberley, Surrey GU15 4LDTelephone: 01276 686654Fax: 01276 63307E-mail: teamwork@ukonline.co.uk

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Veterinary Practice is an independentmonthly publication for members ofthe veterinary profession in the UK. It is mailed free to all veterinarysurgeons in practice and is available onsubscription (£36 a year) to othersinterested.

Editor: David Ritchie, BA,HonAssocRCVS(teamwork@ukonline.co.uk)Editorial consultant: John Tandy,BVSc, MRCVSAdvertising contact: John Alborough( john@jcagroup.com)Design: Erol Rezvan

© VP Publishing Ltd (2008): no part ofthis publication may be reproduced inany form (except for review purposes)without the express permission of the editor.

Printed by The Lavenham Press Ltd

Veterinary Practice is the registered trade mark of A. E. Morgan Publications Ltd

Website: www.veterinary-practice.com

VPPUBLISHING LTD

COMMENT 3MAY 2008 VETERINARY PRACTICE

THE papers are full of gloom, theTV news is dire and, on occasion,the temptation to pull the duvetover one’s head and stay in bed fora month can be overwhelming.

Of course, humannature propels usalong at an amazingspeed because badnews is nearly alwaysabout someone elseand, howeveraltruistic ourapproach, murderand mayhem don’treally touch us asindividuals.

So, despite whatever may be goingon in the world, we continue to goabout our business as if nothing hashappened. In reality, of course,nothing has usually happened to affectus directly but it’s the indirect effect ofdistant happenings that can take us bysurprise.

Until Christmas last year, howmany of us had ever heard of sub-prime mortgages? Even the conceptthat lending money to impecuniousAmerican citizens was actually anestablished financial sector came as ashock to many of us.

Here, in the UK, people arrangemortgages – whatever they have to do,they do it – and we all cross ourfingers that we’ll carry on workingenough to meet the costs involved.Perhaps there’s a category of lendinghere that specialises in similar higher-risk mortgages but most of us hadnever been even vaguely aware of ituntil Northern Rock hit the headlines.

A reason to do nothingNow, in roughly the same way that allfinancial institutions justify theirintransigence by citing the FinancialServices Authority as a legitimatereason to do nothing, loudly, thecollapse of Northern Rock willcontinue to appear like one of the uglysisters when you least expect it.

The Government may have savedthe investors but a new code offinancial caution has beset the country,rolling in like a sea mist that simplywon’t go away.

Does it matter? Will it affect us?

Yes, almost certainly. As Mervyn King,the Bank of England’s governor, putit, “Lenders intend to tightenconditions further this year. Thistightening is unlikely to be short-

lived.”What King was

really saying was thatthis will directly, andadversely, affect thestandard of living forthose residing in theUK. This will simplyfuel the current trendof insecuritysurrounding house

prices and willaccelerate an already rising rate ofinflation. For most of us, fingerscrossed as if we fear the return of thebogeyman, we’re simply holding ourbreath and hoping thatunemployment rates donot increase to furtherdamage the housingmarket.

In the meantimeseveral things arehappening. People arenot buying houses, norare they – mostly –buying new cars, orboats or caravans. Earlybookings for summerholidays are down,except at the elite end ofthe market where cash isstill king and sellers aredoing expensive deals toshore up the slide lowerdown.

There are still peoplewandering into Tiffany, people buyingCristal champagne (a jeroboam of1999 will set you back £1,475) andsales of Bentley are significantlyimproved. But this, as in so manyother ways, reflects a widening gap inUK society and in people’s ability topay for the things they want or need.

Unless one is disabled, it’s hard tosay that any of us actually needs a dogbut most of us find solace or even joyin the companionship of a pet dog orcat. What is apparent, though, is thatthe costs of owning a pet areincreasing along with everything else.The Feline Advisory Bureau has just

launched an excellent initiative –WellCat for life – and, at thelaunch meeting, showedstatistics that confirmedthe urban myth thataround 50% of thenation’s cats may neversee the vet in theirlifetime.

Perhaps moreworrying was the concernthat, while approximately 10% of catowners are so utterly committed thatthey will do everything that their vetasks, promptly and without question, afurther 40% or so are well-intentionedbut largely non-compliant because, asthe FAB put it, “Life gets in the way.”

That must be a familiar thought forall of us. How often do we plan to dosomething but then shelve that plan at

the last minute because“life gets in the way”?Doesn’t that apply tous just as much as itdoes to the clients whovisit veterinarypractices every day, inevery town?

Inexorable fallIf so, how can we besurprised when thedata, reflecting ourbusiness dynamics,show a steady andinexorable fall-off inthe number of activeclients per FTE. Onedoesn’t need to beMervyn King to puttwo and two together

to predict a further tightening in thenumbers of people electing to comeinto veterinary surgeries when there isno apparent health reason to warrantthe trip.

This will most likely be moreaccentuated in cats as cat owners areall too well aware of the inherent joysin trapping and transporting anunwilling cat to the vet. On occasion,one can turn a blind eye to life gettingin the way, particularly if it avoidsfurther financial drain, and we shouldexpect this trend to increase unless wemanage it directly.

The future doesn’t have to begloomy but it does require the ownersof practices to think creatively toencourage greater traffic through thedoor, at a time when money will beincreasingly scarce for clients andmore expensive for businesses.

The industry surrounding practice

hascome up with

some excellent and timelyinitiatives – National Pet Month,National Flea Week, WellCat for life,to name but three. Let’s put 2008down as the year when practices joinedforces wholeheartedly with industry tobring about change.

We urgently need to change theway in which so many pet owners viewtheir veterinary practices. We need tochange the way in which people seekinformation about their pets and weneed to change the passivity withwhich much of the professionapproaches the future.

If money is tight and people electto come to the practice less frequently,veterinary preventive care will becomesimply a commodity that pet ownerscan buy wherever it suits them anddecreased frequency of visiting willbecome a habit.

Some creative thought and acollective burst of energy across theboard might just make the differencebetween holding on to the profession’sability to steer its own future course orfinding that the options available tothe profession have been furthereroded through an increased degree offinancial depression.

A HOSPITAL in Hawaii has restated itsrules on pets after a man took a horseup in a lift in a bid to cheer up a sickrelative with his favourite steed.

Man and beast were stopped bysecurity guards only after reaching thethird floor, after apparently passingthrough the lobby unchallenged.

The patient was allowed to seethem but it turned out to be thewrong horse.

A hospital spokeswoman saidthere was a visitation policy for dogsand cats, but not for horses.

Security managed to remove thevisitor and the horse with just a fewscuff marks, she added.

No equinevisitors allowedat hospital...

QUOTE OF THE MONTH...

“My comments do not accurately reflect my views.” – Gerry Sutcliffe, LabourMember of Parliament for the Bradford South constituency and the Home OfficeMinister in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

How do you ‘value’ aneconomic recession?

THE MERCURYCOLUMN

in which a guestcolumnist takes

the temperature of theprofession –

and the world around

BSAVA CONGRESS4 VETERINARY PRACTICE MAY 2008

THE BSAVA president, FrancesBarr, narrowly achieved everypresident’s ambition to reign over arecord congress. It was announcedat the AGM that the number ofdelegate days had beaten theprevious year’s totalby one!

However, quantityis not the onlycriterion by which acongress should bejudged – quality is farmore important. Theprevailing viewseemed to be that shehad managed tocrown her year onboth scores.

My first encounterafter arrival onThursday at middaywas to cross herproud parent’s path:Jennifer and Alastair Porter were foronce basking in her reflected glory andAlastair was like the cat that had gotthe cream.

My first encounter with sciencewas the stimulating and masterlypresentation by Baroness Greenfieldon Consciousness. Her delivery, centrestage, without notes, away from thelectern, was reminiscent of DavidCameron’s delivery at last year’s Toryparty conference. Even morefascinating was her unfaltering use ofthe English language, combininghumour and throw-away lines thatreminded one of Victoria Wood.

An early encounter with RogerGreen established that he was (at last)retired from doing locums – as hefound his preferred treatments weregradually disappearing from thedispensary shelves. Not that he hasgiven up work completely. He stillprovides his experience as an expert

witness. In these days of litigation-minded clientele, his is a name worthnoting!

I heard that The World of JamesHerriott Museum in Thirsk is underthreat as the local authority says it

cannot afford tocontinue its annualgrant. The museummight have to closebut there are movesafoot to save it. Weshall hear more ofthis, no doubt, as itdeserves to be saved,as much as theLondon Poisons Unitwhich is alsothreatened withclosure.

The grapevineinforms me that apossible remedy is an

annual practicesubscription set on the basis of thenumber of vets in the practice and aconsultation fee for each referral.

The Commercial Exhibitionprovided the usual alternative ofcontinuing education on products, oldand new, from characters similarly oldand new. One old hand was DavidJames, founder of DRM Dental, whosupplied me with my first reliabledental scaler some 28 years ago.Indeed, he told me he had onlyrecently been to South Croydon toservice it, and it was still going strong,like David!

Sporting prowessHe was once the World No. 3 LatinAmerican Dancer as well as a memberof the Peggy Spencer Latin AmericanFormation Team when they wereWorld Champions. He actually battedin a Kent match with DennisCompton when he was 15; at the same

age, he played in theArsenal B Team – until hebroke his arm and had toleave. I suggested it was agood job he did not breakhis leg or they might haveput him down.

Schering-PloughAnimal Health, a congresssponsor, enlarged sincelast year’s acquisition ofIntervet, launched its newproduct, Zylkène, atcongress. I was informedit takes the stress out oflife in the same way thatmother’s milk has acalming effect on thenewborn in the first fewdays of life. It contains abioactive decapeptide,

derived fromcasein, but is notbroken down bypepsin.

I commentedthat Zylkènewould thereforebe undigesteduntil it was in thesmall intestinewhen itencounteredtrypsin. Theyoung ladyexpressed surprisethat I wouldknow that; inmuch the sameway that I was encouraged to learnthat my memory was better than Ithought!

David Hallas, Schering-Plough’sgeneral manager, was flying in fromthe USA overnight Friday and was dueto land at Heathrow early morning onSaturday. It should have been in goodtime for his arrival to participate with100 invited vets at the product launchand the lunch afterwards.

Unfortunately, he was flying BAinto Terminal 5. He did, in fact, arrivein Birmingham late afternoon,miraculously with his luggage. Wehope he had some Zylkène with him.

Attracted to the Bayer HealthCarestand by new claims for Advocate, itappears that this has much potentialalready but more for the future asglobal warming increases the incidenceof lungworm, as well as heartworm.According to Bayer, 38% of vets inone survey have had suspected orconfirmed cases of lungworm in theUK. Not always easy to diagnose, it isobviously something to bear in mind.

2Sys Ltd offers a practicemanagement computer system basedsolely on an internet connection andbrowser. You do not need a server orpractice software and it is claimed tosave on capital investment. You do notneed to back-up and clients can logonto their own account, monitorpatient progress, check statements,order repeatprescriptions, paybills and so on.

There is moreto it than just thatbut you can learnmore from thewebsite,www.vetit.co.uk,an unfortunatename perhaps!However, someISPs and phoneconnections tobroadband are

not always that reliable so there maybe pluses and minuses.

My packed lunch on Saturdayincluded a bottle of Johnson’s Orangeand Raspberry Juice that wasremarkably palatable, although one vetat our table remarked that the last timehe saw a similar liquid was in a bitchwith pyometra!

Information serviceSunday saw the AGM which hastended to be somewhat mundane inrecent years and not as lively as in theearly days when I started attendingBSAVA congress.

This year, however, we were treatedto the award of honorary membershipto Bruce V. Jones, a founder memberof the BSAVA who initiated ascientific information service on behalfof the association with all the abstractsof possible interest to members. Fromthis grew the first BSAVA publication,which gave rise to the JSAP under hiseditorship.

One must not forget he is theJones of Jones’ Animal Nursing! Itculminated in his hard work producingthe commemorative booklet for theassociation’s fiftieth anniversary in2007. This recognition was not beforetime and greeted with acclamation.

The AGM came to an end afterFrances Barr handed over to her bossat the Bristol vet school, Ed Hall.

Quantity and quality at year’s big event

MIKE NELSONrecords his impressions

of another successfulcongress and his

encounters with someof the folk there

The Petsavers’ stand in the congress exhibition.The new BSAVA president, Professor Ed Hall, withthe new senior-vice president, Dr Frances Barr.

Bruce Jones receives his certificate of honorarymembership from Dr Frances Barr, president, during theBSAVA’s AGM.

BSAVA CONGRESS 5MAY 2008 VETERINARY PRACTICE

Among the many delegates from overseas this year wasAmbreen (known as Nonee) Magre. After qualifying inKenya nearly 20 years ago, she spent 12 years at theStone Lion Veterinary Centre in Wimbledon, latermoving to practices in New Malden and then Croydonbefore returning to Wimbeldon; she completed theCertVOphthal in 1997. Returning to Kenya she hasworked for the KSPCA for the past five years, mainlydoing neutering and vaccination work, carrying out upto 30 operations a day with little help and minimalequipment – and no anaesthetic machine, and dealingwith all in-patients for free. Nonee, who lives with herparents, also works with children in some of the poorest areas of Nairobi. Although sheenjoys what she is doing she is toying with the idea of returning to the UK and setting upher own practice.

The Royal Canin Pet Health Counsellor of the Year awards dinner was held during thecongress. The overall winner was selected from a short list of six of the Pet HealthCounsellor of the Month winners. SarahHeath (fourth from left), who was oneof the judges, presented the award forPet Health Counsellor of the Year, with£1,500 travel vouchers, to JanStevenson (sixth from left) from SevernVeterinary Centre, Worcestershire. Thejudges were impressed with “herinnovative approach to clinics inpractice and that she was able todemonstrate the impact these can haveon a practice’s profile and profitablity”.Between them is Gudi Stuttard of RoyalCanin. The others on the shortlist were(from left): Rachel Burbridge, WessexVets, Somerset; Dawn Childs, BishopStortford Vet Hospital; MichelleHerbert, Abbey Vet Group, Berkshire;Lydia Downes, Burghley Vet Centre,Lincs.; and Clare O’Dwyer, PrioryClinic, Norfolk. They are shown withAndrew Doyle, sales director at Royal Canin.

The Merck Veterinary Manual is wellknown in the veterinary profession. Nowa companion volume has been publishedfor pet owners: The Merck/MerialManual for Pet Health. Dr Scott Line,associate editor of both publications,attended the BSAVA congress to launchthe weighty volume – it has over 1,350pages – in the UK. With more than 200contributors from around the world –including Andrew Bathe, Caroline Hahn,Svend Kold, Maureen Milne, PeterHolmes, Morag Kerr and Stuart Taylorfrom the UK – it focuses on preventivecare and animal health advice for dogs,cats, horses, birds, fish, reptiles and otherexotic pets. Published in America lastNovember with a print run of 250,000,more than 120,000 have already beensold and there are plans for translationsinto several languages. It is published on anot-for-profit basis through an educational

partnership between Merck and Merialand will be sold through bookshops.

BVA president Nick Blayney in an unusualpose at the congress. VP will send somebubbly to the sender of the mostentertaining caption!

Manual for pet owners

Past presidents of the BSAVA met with current officers during the congress: John Bower,Mike Jessop, Dr Richard Harvey, Dr Richard Dixon, Lynne Hill, Ray Butcher, JulianWells, Dr Ed Hall, Dr Carmel Mooney, Dr Frances Barr, Roger Green, Des Thompson,Dr Andrew Edney, Harvey Locke, Professor Neil Gorman, John Foster, Geoff Parkin,Mark Johnston and Grant Petrie.

Delegate from Kenya

If your practice has that WOW! factor, then you should enter the 2008WOW! Awards being run by Veterinary Practice in association withParadigm Design. We want to pay tribute to excellence in the design offront-of-house appearance and facilities in veterinary practices, both largeand small. The judges will look for imaginative and innovativeapproaches and ideas, which promote higher standards of care for bothclients and patients and help make visits to practices a pleasurable andmemorable experience.

Please use the entry form – available to download from the websitewww.veterinary-practice.com (which also has full details) or by postfrom Veterinary Practice (30 Diamond Ridge, Camberley, Surrey GU154LD; telephone 01276 686654, fax 01276 63307) – to tell us, in up to 200words, why your practice deserves to win one of the 2008 awards and alsosend up to a maximum of 10 photographs covering the main areas.There are two categories:1. practices with no more than 10 full-time (or FTE) staff2. practices with more than 10 full-time (or FTE) staff

Entries close on Thursday 10th July 2008Judging will take place during the summer; the results will be announcedin the October issue of Veterinary Practice.The prizes: each of the two winning practices will receive £500; agourmet meal will be arranged for up to four staff from each of thewinners where the presentation will be made; a certificate to display in thepractice; the winners will be featured in Veterinary Practice.

BSAVA CONGRESS6 VETERINARY PRACTICE MAY 2008

GENITRIX first appeared on theveterinary scene at the BSAVAcongress in 1998.

That year, the firm’s founder,Howard Wilder, invested in fourposters and 500 leaflets and placed hisentire stock of products on a picnictable in the smallest shell stand hecould get in the exhibition hall in theICC – this was in the days before theexhibition outgrew the conventioncentre and moved to the NationalIndoor Arena.

All the stock was sold and all theleaflets handed out and Howard,having removed the posters and table,went off to buy more – and so thebusiness got under way, and has neverlooked back.

For the past three years it has beenthe fastest growing veterinarymedicines company in the UK and hassteadily been expanding its productrange. At that first congress, Howardhad Arthrotabs, a mobility supplementfor dogs, and Lacto B, one of the first

probiotics on the UK market. Therehas been a regular stream of newproducts since then, including XenexUltra, the first insecticide developedfor small furries, HY-50 Vet, a sodiumhyaluronate injection for horses, andXeno-450, an ivermectin derivative.

At this year’s congress the firmlaunched Dentagen, a dental plaqueprotection system for dogs and cats,and RIP Fleas Extra, a newformulation of its environmental fleatreatment (further details of both productsare on the “products” page).

The firm’s marketing director, RobWatkins, says that since its launch in2005, RIP Fleas has broken all records,becoming the fastest growing productin the market.

The company, now beginning its11th year, is based in a two-storeybuilding close to Billingshurst Stationin West Sussex, and is determined, saysMr Wilder, to remain a fast-growingindependent supplier of specialistproducts to veterinary practices.

Eleventh year gets under wayHoward Wilder, managing director of Genitrix, on his company’s stand.

BSAVA presents its annual awardsThe BSAVA Awards were presented on the first morning of thecongress. The photos show (below) Chris Laurence (right)receiving the J. A. Wight Memorial Award (awarded by theBlue Cross) from Jim Wight (Alf Wight’s son); and (right) thethen president, Dr Frances Barr, hands over the WoodrowAward (watched over by a photo of “Woody” Woodrow, theBSAVA’s first president) to Sèverine Tasker.

The stands in the commercialexhibition at the congress get everfancier, more imaginative and morevaried. Shown here is a selection ofthe free-standing ones (clockwisefrom above) – Animalcare; Dechra(now including the productspreviously marketed by VetXX);BSAVA Publications, featuring thenew manuals published in the last12 months; Kruuse, Pfizer andBoehringer Inghelheim.

John Yorke of YDT Medical withthe new VetSpecs VSM7 digitalmulti-parameter vital signsmonitor launched at the congress.

Scene in the NIA

Awards forpeople andpractice ofthe yearBRIAN Faulkner,from the MeltonVeterinary Surgery inWoodbridge, Suffolk,was named Vet of theYear 2008 at thePetplan VeterinaryAwards, presented onthe Thursday night ofthe BSAVA congress.

He impressed thejudges with hiscommitment,enthusiasm andcompassion for boththe animals he dealswith and their owners and they described him as an “outstanding ambassador”for the profession.

Orwell Veterinary Group in Ipswichwas named Veterinary Practice of theYear; Rita Dingwall of SpringfieldSurgery in Cranbrook, Kent, was namedPractice Manager of the Year; LouisaBaker, from the Priors Leaze VeterinaryCentre in Chichester, was namedVeterinary Nurse of the Year; andMargaret Gait, from Cinque PortsVeterinary Associates in Lydd, Suffolk,took the Receptionist of the Year title.Matt Brash, who starred in the ITVseries Zoo Vet and Zoo Vet at Large,received a Special Recognition Award.

The Petsavers VeterinaryAchievement Award went to AustenReid and the Petplan Charitable TrustScientific Award to David Argyle for hiswork in oncology.

Stephen Gates,managing director, withGudrun Ravetz (left),veterinary consultant,and Juliet Long, newproduct developmentmanager for ThePractice Business, atrading name ofDenplan and part ofthe AXA group, at thelaunch of the firm’s payments scheme for veterinary practices during the BSAVAcongress. It involves monthly payments by clients for preventive healthcare for dogsand cats. “The plans complement standard pet insurance and cover important routinetreatment,” explained Juliet Long. Interest-free loans can be arranged for non-routinework. The Winchester-based firm runs similar schemes in the dental field. For detailstelephone 0800 169 9958 or e-mail enquiries@pethealthplans.co.uk.

SOMETHING disappears everytime a veterinary surgeonadministers an anaesthetic to hisor her patient – and if we knewwhat exactly it was, we would havethe answer to the most intriguingof all puzzles, neuroscientistSusan Greenfield told the BSAVAcongress.

Baroness Greenfield has spent herentire career trying to answer thequestion, “What is consciousness?”,and admits that she is no nearer toformulating a definitive answer thanwhen she began.

But studies in neurologydepartments around the world areproviding a better model forexplaining how the subjectiveexperience of consciousness isgenerated in the brain and how thisproduces the different levels ofconsciousness observed in differentspecies and at different times withinthe same individual.

Brain imaging techniques such asPET (Positron EmissionTomography) have been used tocompare the activity of the humanbrain when awake and unconscious.These have shown only differences inthe amount but not the location ofactivity, so there is no single “centre”in the brain responsible for theexperience of consciousness, she said

In any case, the temporalresolution of any conventionalimaging methods would be too slowto identify the short-lived phenomenathat constitute conscious thoughts.However, electrophysiological studieshave identified a plausible candidatein the waves of electrical activity thatcirculate around particular regions ofthe brain with a frequency of 40Hz.But as this same phenomenon could

occur in a section of brain in a dish,it is not the whole story, she said.

In reality, consciousness is likely toresult from an interplay betweenseveral different factors. This includethe networks of neuronal connectionsestablished between brain cells inresponse to an individual’s experience– of which there is a far greatercomplexity within human brain thanin, say, a goldfish, she pointed out.

Sensory stimuliOthers include the effects of sensorystimuli which cause waves ofelectrical activity like the wavescaused by a stone falling into water.But there are also biochemicalfactors, neuropeptides which controlthe level of arousal in the brain andso control the strength of thoseelectrical ripples. But they alsocommunicate with the rest of thebody so that the brain is notfunctioning in isolation.

In opening her lecture at thecongress, Baroness Greenfieldrecalled much earlier in her careerholding in her hand a formalin-fixedhuman brain and wondering how thatunprepossessing lump of grey tissuecould encapsulate the personality,thoughts, dreams and emotions of itsformer owner. At the end, sheacknowledged that her presentationwould not have provided the answer.

“I am still asking the samequestion an embarrassing number ofdecades later. Although I may nothave got to the real answer of howwater is turned into wine, I hope Ihave convinced you that neurosciencecan bring something to the party andpermit some interesting experimentson issues that otherwise we wouldhave to leave to the philosophers.”

Trying to understand‘consciousness’

‘Pet health plans’ launched

Charles Bagnall (left) of the Orwell Veterinary Group in Ipswich celebrates withmany of his staff after his practice was named Practice of the Year at the PetplanAwards. Fifth from left is John Hill, the SPVS president, who preesented theaward; at right is comedian Michael McIntyre, the compère for this ninthpresentation of the awards.

Brian Faulkner receives the Vet of the Year Awardfrom the BVA president, Nick Blayney.

Louisa Baker (left) receives the VetNurse of the Year Award from ClaireFraser, president of the BVNA.

PRIZEWINNERS AT THE CONGRESS

■ Twelve delegates won Nintendo Wiis in prize draws on the Hill’s stand: JamesHamilton of the Pet Vaccination Clinic in Nuneaton; A. Kinch of the SpringfieldVet Group in Sheffield; Anira Gandhi of the PDSA in Coventry; Miss C. E.Hepher of Castle Vets in Reading; Miss A. M. Ruff of Hornchurch; Miss H.Stranwood of Riverside Veterinary Centre in Stratford upon Avon; CarolineGaldas of Yorkshire Vets in Bradford; Clare Treacher of Passey Place Vets inLondon; Mr N. T. Rudram of Priory Close Vet Surgery in Taunton; Miss K.Bennett of Aylesbury; Tina Swoder of Coombefield Veterinary Hospital inAxminster; and Kirsty Preston of R. S. Dowding in Gainsborough.

■ Louise Turley, of the Vale Veterinary Group in Tiverton, beat 606 other entrantsto win Ceva Animal Health’s quiz, run to mark the launch of Prilactone andSkoosh, at the BSAVA congress. She won a new iPod Touch.

BSAVA CONGRESS8 VETERINARY PRACTICE MAY 2008

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PRODUCTS10 VETERINARY PRACTICE MAY 2008

Bluetongue vaccinelicensedINTERVET’s bluetongue vaccine,Bovilis BTV8, has been granted a licenceby the VMD. The licence, the first for abluetongue vaccine in the UK, sets outdose rates and treatment regimes.

The recommended dose rates foranimals over one month of age are:sheep – 1 x 1ml, injectedsubcutaneously; cattle – 2 x 1ml,approximately three weeks apart,injected subcutaneously. In successiveyears, re-vaccination should be given twoweeks prior to the risk period.

Treated animals should haveprotective immunity three weeks afterthe initial course but may have a slightswelling at the site of injection.

The vaccine is available in 20ml and50ml bottles.

The licence recommends the use ofmulti-injection vaccination systems andthe firm will be supplying a discounted1ml vaccination gun.

Dental plaqueprotection systemGENITRIX has launched Dentagen, adental plaque protection system for dogsand cats. The company says it offers anew solution to existing dentaltreatments, for which client compliancecan be poor, with clinical trialsdemonstrating its ability to significantlyinhibit the formation of plaque.

The active principle is a plant extractcalled RF2 and the product operates asan “anti-biofilm” treatment bymodifying the membrane of oralbacteria to prevent them from producingplaque even at low concentrations.

The product differs from existingdental products, says Genitrix, inoffering an integrated treatment regimeinvolving both the practice and the petowner.

Dentagen wax is presented forpractice use in a syringe for easyapplication to the gingival layer and thebuccal area of teeth. The initialprotective coating of wax is applied todogs or cats at the end of dentalprocedures in practice and while theanimal is still sedated. The coating lastsfor two to three days.

Dog owners can then maintain theprotective coating by giving their petDentagen plaque prevention chewsevery other day. These chews,

impregnated with RF2 and of a speciallydesigned shape and consistency, aresupplied in two sizes with the larger sizedesigned for dogs over 8kg and a smallersize for dogs less than 8kg.

Katy Horton of White Hart LaneVets, who has trialled the product,commented: “The Dentagen wax wascertainly very easy to apply and, fromthe small sample of dogs we’ve so fartried it on, the palatability of the chewswas good.

“While tooth-brushing remains thegold standard for dental care, werecognise that it can be difficult forowners and believe that this newapproach could be a valuablealternative.”

Five syringes of Dentagen wax forapplication in practice cost £12.50. Packsof nine small chews cost £5.10 and apack of the larger chews £6.50.

Flea treatmentreformulatedRIP Fleas, the environmental fleatreatment from Genitrix, has been givena new formulation, says the firm, toensure it acts more quickly in the killingof adult fleas and that it continues to killfleas as they emerge from pupae for upto 12 months.

Now known as RIP Fleas Extra, theproduct is also licensed for the controlof house dust mites in the environmentfor up to 12 months.

The reformulation is said to makethe product the only environmental fleatreatment to contain three activeingredients while complying fully withnew EU Biocides regulations. It is theonly such treatment to be fragrancedand is also the only product to bepresented in a volume which will cover120 square metres – the size of anaverage house.

It contains: tetramethrin – a secondgeneration synthetic pythrethroid and acontact insecticide with a rapidknockdown action of insect pests;permethrin – a potent insecticide with apowerful contact action on insects butwith a low toxicity to most mammals;and methoprene – a compound thatmimics the insect juvenile hormone andarrests development of fleas and housedust mites in the environment.

When used synergistically,tetramethrin and permethrin provide arapid knockdown and kill of fleas asthey hatch from pupae. The firm reportsthat studies have shown that thiscombination works four times morequickly than permethrin alone.

Two new productsfor dogsVIRBAC has introduced Suprelorin, acontraceptive implant for male dogswhich, the firm states, provides apioneering method for effective,

temporary de-sexing for a six-monthperiod. “Testosterone is safelysuppressed to deliver the same results ascastration, yet eliminates the need forsurgery,” it says.

“The implants can be used incombination with annual vaccinationsand as part of a general healthprogramme for the patient, whileowners can assess the benefits of de-sexing prior to making a decision aboutsurgery.”

Also new from Virbac is Ypozanefor the treatment of benign prostatichyperplasia in dogs. This is a long-actinganti-androgen targeting the prostate,while maintaining reproductive function.Tablets are available in four differentstrengths for dogs of all sizes.

The firm says the product providesrapid clinical benefits, visible within aweek of treatment, that last for sixmonths in correctly treated dogs. “Theconvenience of the short, seven-daytreatment period and oral route promoteowner compliance and thereforetreatment success,” Virbac reports.

Hyperthyroidism incats treatmentINTERVET UK has launched Vidalta(carbimazole), which it describes as thefirst hyperthyroidism drug to be fullyeffective with once daily administration.

It is the first 24-hour sustainedrelease formulation for the treatment ofhyperthyroidism in cats which isreported to deliver a rapid, long-term,practical and reliable method to treat andstabilise the condition.

Trials have shown that clinical signsof hyperthyroidism may be eliminatedwithin 10 days of commencingtreatment.

There are two tablet strengths in twopack sizes: Vidalta 10mg and Vidalta15mg in 30 tablet packs for early

stabilisation and in 100 tablet packs forlong-term maintenance.

Four licensedgenerics DECHRA is expanding its VeterinaryEssentials portfolio of veterinarylicensed generics with the introductionof four new products.

These are Flexicam, a NSAID forthe control of pain and inflammation indogs with acute and chronic musculo-skeletal disorders (which joins the rangefollowing the acquisition of VetXX);Prednidale 25, the first veterinarylicensed 25mg strength prednisolone;and a new combination of sedation andreversal agents – Sedator (medetomidinehydrochloride) and Atipam, an alpha-2-adrenoceptor antagonist.■ Dechra has also introduced a marginand profit calculator which is said toprovide an instant analysis of how muchcan be saved when stocking veterinarylicensed generic products over anequivalent.

Equine anthelminticlaunchedCHANELLE Animal Health haslaunched Animec Paste for Horses.

Animec (ivermectin) 18.7mg/g oralpaste is presented in a calibrated dosingsyringe which includes a locking-ring foraccurate dosing. It is indicated for thetreatment of roundworms, bloodworms,pinworms, neck threadworms and botsand is said to be ideal for rotationalworming.

Gastro-intestinaldiet PROTEXIN Veterinary has launched

Kruuse UK has expanded theBuster range of Elizabethan collarswith the introduction of a BusterComfort Collar. This new design isdescribed as softer and more flexibleand has a soft rubber outer edge forbetter comfort for the animal. Thecollars are available in seven sizesranging from 7.5 to 30cm.

Latest collar

Clark Dentalhas introducedthe Nomadhand-held x-raymachine fromAribex. Theoperator isprotected by a patented internalradiation shield as well as anexternal backscatter shield. Oneoperator would have to expose over10,000 E-speed films per year inorder to approach the lowestmeasurable dose on a monitoringbadge, the firm states. Tworechargeable batteries provide 150exposures each, and it is compatiblewith both digital sensors andtraditional x-ray film. Details areavailable from Clark Dental,telephone 01270 613750, e-mailmaria@clarkdental.co.uk.

Hand-held x-raymachine

PRODUCTS 11MAY 2008 VETERINARY PRACTICE

Pro-Balance, which it describes as atherapeutic GI diet.

It is the first such diet to contain anadded probiotic, Enterococcus faecium, andalso contains Protexin Preplex, a multi-sourced prebiotic.

Low in fibre, it has low to moderatefat levels with Omega 3 fatty acids tohelp reduce gastro-intestinalinflammation. There are two pack sizesof 1kg and 3kg.

New model ofCIDR deviceA NEW model of the controlledinternal drug release (CIDR) devicefor oestrus synchronisation in cowsand maiden heifers has beenintroduced by Pfizer Animal Health.

The CIDR-1380 supersedes theCIDR-1900 and has been re-designedfor reduced invasiveness and minimalcontact with the reproductive tract’sinternal surfaces consistent withachieving the target rate ofprogesterone absorption.

According to Pfizer’s seniorlivestock veterinary surgeon, CarolynHogan, improved functionality hasallowed the total progesteronecontent to be reduced to 1,380mg perdevice without reducing the efficacy,in line with responsible design

parameters to avoid over-supply ofmedicinal active ingredients.

Liver functionsupplementEQUISTRO has introducedLegaphyton for the support of liverfunction. It incorporates Siliphos, acomplex of concentrated milk thistlefruit extract and phospholipids, and isa source of readily availablecarbohydrates.

The product is available in 900gpacks, which is sufficient for 30 daysfor a standard 500kg horse.

‘Best home fleatreatment’INDOREX household flea spray hasbeen voted the Best Home FleaTreatment by readers of Your Dogmagazine, the biggest circulation dogjournal in the UK.

Virbac reports that it is the onlyproduct to kill adult fleas and dustmites and prevent the development oftheir eggs and larvae for two months,providing 12-month’s protection froma single application. This, plus its easeof use with no residual smell, hasmade it the leading environmental fleacontrol product available through

vets, says the firm, with over onemillion cans sold.

Antimicrobial re-namedCOLISCOUR is the new name forColivet solution, a solubleantimicrobial for pigs from Ceva. It is

the UK’s only colistin-basedantimicrobial.

Phil McGuire, Ceva’s businessunit manager, said the change ofname was the easiest way to avoidconfusion between this productand a totally different non-prescription product of a similarname.

New locum recruitment guidesRIG Vet Recruitment has added twonew titles to its range of personnelrecruitment guides with theintroduction of “Rig’s Practice VNGuide” and “Rig’s Locum VNGuide”.

Using a similar format to theother guides covering employinglocum veterinary surgeons, the newleaflets offer basic information andadvice laid out in an A5 format accompanied by light-hearted cartoons.

“At the end of last year, we conducted a survey among some vet nursesand frankly were surprised at how little information on practice admin andprocedures some VNs were given on their first day,” said Justin Carpenter,the firm’s managing director.

“For example, 88% were not given a formal induction, 78% were notadvised on fire and health and safety regulations, and when expected toundertake reception work, 97% were not informed on phone protocols orappointment systems.”

For copies, contact the firm on 01392 332858.

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FARMING12 VETERINARY PRACTICE MAY 2008

A RECENT conference entitledSouth West Excellence leading theway in food, farming and tourismhad speakers demonstrating a firmintention to develop farm produceas a major initiative.

These were not the usual farmerrepresentatives bemoaning the lack ofprofitability butspecialists extollingthe excellence ofavailable farmproduce.Underpinning thediscussions was arecognition thathealthy animals aredelivered forconsumption and thatquality food comesfrom green, welfare-friendly production.

At the South WestDairy Event, a directlinkage was shown between the effortsof veterinary surgeons on behalf oftheir clients and the produce that issold as a direct result of healthplanning.

The Delaware Veterinary Group inSomerset had buffalo sausages, variouscheeses and other tasty things on itsstand, the produce from clients’ farms.It seems important that veterinaryadvice and action is clearly seen as apart of the food production chain.

Much work needs to be done toachieve this and one of the benefitsmay be that quality restaurants willwelcome veterinary surgeons asinformed customers. A highlight hasalready been given to the chef of theyear that the smell of disinfectant on acustomer is a sign of intense interestin quality food!

Rises expectedTom Vosa of Clydesdale Bankcommented on the high cereal pricesworldwide and the current 20-year lowin world stocks. Demand isoutstripping supply and terms of tradehave moved in favour of agriculture.Higher food prices will be needed tosupport increases in production. Theprice of meat is expected to rise, witha rise in farmers’ incomes despiteraised input costs for fertilisers andfuel.

In the UK this will mean consumerprice inflation with less disposableincome. An increase in tourism is likelyto come from the Middle East andAsia and the South West currently hasa low level of foreign tourists.

An alliance with other gastronomicregions is proposed by Marc Millon, afood, wine and travel writer, with theintegration of farming, leisure, food

and drink. The South West is seen ashaving “the best larder in Europe” andbears comparison with thedevelopment of Chiantishire, the areaaround Florence and Sienna.

Tuscan Agriturismo has developedfrom a poor base and now attractshigh-spending tourists from within

Italy and beyond.People are looking torediscover thecountryside with itsslower pace and toenjoy local produce.

An incitement toconsumers has beenvital to the Tuscanexperience andproducts are linked toplace with emphasison a protecteddesignation of origin.He emphasises thatthis is not “budget

tourism”. Producers from Tuscany,complete with translator, wereintroduced, to hear what was beingdiscussed and attending in order todevelop the Tuscan-South West links.

Marketing prideMichael Caines, two-star Michelin chefand businessman, described the pridetaken within his hotels and restaurantsin marketing the difference in the foodand hospitality on offer.

A local hotel has more thandoubled its turnover by offering localproduce and as the hotel businessgrows so do the businesses of thesupplying producers. Internationalrecognition of the hotel also givesrecognition to the suppliers. Utilisingthe local larder enables a food cultureto be developed which customersappreciate.

An example of producing air-driedpork and beef was highlighted by JeanCole. She and her husband havedeveloped an air drying process thatproduces salami that is equivalent totraditional salami from southernEurope. The greatest compliment shereceived was from a customer whosimply believed that the product hadto be imported. Prime Cornish beefand pork is dried and matured.

Both she and Mark Sharman,Sharpham wines and unpasteurisedcheese, have resisted approaches fromsupermarkets to retail their products.As small producers, sufficient demandis currently generated by specialistoutlets. However, the wine needed tobe taken up by recognised outlets inLondon before local restaurantsaccepted the brand.

Approximately half of theproduction is sold on the farm and

guided lunch toursare a growth areawhere people walkthe farm andstagger off, loadedwith cheeses fromthe Jersey herdand wine from thevines. Bacchus isthe grape varietyto look out for ifwine is your thing.

One of thehighlightedadvantages wasthat customers aremet on a face toface basis which isnot enjoyed bymany farmers.Knowing that people are enjoying yourproduce is important.

The conference had manysponsors and linked in with a festivalof food organised by Taste of theWest, and John Sheaves, chiefexecutive, offered further insights.Food is listed among the top threereasons for tourists to visit an area.

Food tourism has great potential.By 2015 it is planned that the SouthWest of England will be the majorfood region with the best foodavailable in the UK. The modelencompasses food quality, provenance,integrity and sustainability. Links withthe land and the local culture togetherwith green issues and carbon footprintare important.

Adding valueTechnical expertise is required tointroduce change and to add value.Currently there are 214 million trips ofvisitors to Devon and Cornwall alonewith a spend of £4.6 billion. TheSouth West has 18% of the nationalland area with 50,000 registeredholdings and 20,000 farmers.

The agricultural output is threetimes that of Wales and there are 150different cheeses produced within theregion. Regional branding is important.Emphasis is to be placed on producersupport, quality assurance andcommunication to change perceptions.

Sir Harry Studholme, Perridge

estate with arable, sheep andwoodland, chaired the conference andencouraged the food-relatedbusinesses present to embrace thedevelopment of local food. Atwinning network between the SouthWest and Tuscany is being arrangedand anyone interested should registerwith info@southwestengland-tuscany.org.uk.

Outside the veterinary practiceclient box, there appears to be roomfor recognition of the technicalexpertise applied to achieve healthystock. Which veterinary practice willbe the first to offer health planningtours for non agriculturalists?

Veterinary surgeons and quality food

RICHARD GARD hears about producesold as a direct result

of health planning

RCVS QUESTION TIME IN ILMINSTER

THE final RCVS regional question time of the current presidential year is to beheld at the Shrubbery Hotel in Ilminster, Somerset, on Thursday 22nd May. Theevening starts at 6.30pm with food and drink, followed by question time at 7.15with the meeting finishing at around 10pm.

Bob Moore will chair the meeting and the panel will be made up of theofficer team and Veterinary Nurses Council chairman Andrea Jeffery.

To book a place, contact Fiona Clark at the RCVS on 02072 020773 orf.clark@rcvs.org.uk before 9th May.

Species branding and (below) thebest bangers in the west.

OUT AND ABOUT 13MAY 2008 VETERINARY PRACTICE

Preventive healthinitiativesLINKS Vet Group in Haddington,Scotland, has introduced a series ofpreventive health initiatives for pets.

As well as introducing programmesfor animals to treat the early signs ofallergic skin disease, spot genetic risks ofblindness and treat arthritis, specialistprogrammes are being drawn up for bothoverweight and elderly animals.

The group’s Glen Watson explains:“These initiatives aim to both educate petowners in spotting conditions early andgive their pets the opportunity toundergo treatments to preventcomplications in the future.”

The initiatives proved incrediblypopular when piloted in late 2007, hesays, and this year sees the introductionof diet management, arthritis treatmentand allergic skin care plans.

Discounted healthcare plans for catsand dogs have been introduced and aHorse Health Plan, for horse owners whowould like to have annual clinical healthchecks performed on their animals, is alsoin the pipeline.

The practice has used its database toidentify patients who are deemedgenetically at risk of certain conditions, orwho have exhibited symptoms whichmight act as a marker for the emergenceof disease at a later stage.

Where appropriate, owners havebeen contacted and invited to attend thesurgery for appropriate screeningexaminations. A recent client educationevening on canine arthritis was attendedby 150. ■ The Links Vet Group has beenoperating in Haddington, East Lothian,since the mid 19th century and currentlyhas clinics in the centre of Haddington,Dunbar, Musselburgh and North Berwick.The HaddingtonClinic is moving tonew purpose-builtpremises later this yearwhich will providedouble the immediateworking capacity.

Donations soughtfor Benin projectAFTER raising over £30,000 to build awall that will stop snakes from invading aschool in Benin, Jacqui Molyneux, whoruns the Prince Bishop VeterinaryHospital in Leadgate near Consett,County Durham, along with Rotary Clubcolleagues, has raised money to build alibrary.

Once equipped, this will introducethe children to computers as well as TVand video for the first time in their lives.

As well as securing sponsorship tofund 17 youngsters through school at £90a year, she has had vital medicalequipment from her practice, includingan ultrasound machine, converted fromanimal to human use and transported tothe region.

Jacqui aims to raise the £13,000needed to fully equip the library by theend of this summer, and is seekingdonations from individuals andbusinesses. Cheques payable to The WestAfrica Trust should be sent to: The WestAfrica Trust, c/o Newton Press, StCuthbert’s Way, Newton Aycliffe, Co.Durham DH5 6DX.

Guest Speakers include:

Prof. David LloydBVetMed, PhD, DipECVD, ILTM, FRCVS

Dr. Tim NuttallBSc, BVSc, PhD, CertVD, CBiol, MRCVS

Ms. Amanda BoagMA, VetMB, DipACVIM, DipACVECC, MRCVS

For further information:contact your Janssen Animal Health territory manageror Helen Milton on: 01494 567358or email: ahealth@jacgb.jnj.com

The

MRSA seminars 2008An in-depth look at the threatof MRSA to veterinary practice.Leading experts discuss MRSA,along with practical advice to helpyou control and tackle it.

FRIDAY 9TH MAY 2008

THURROCK - EAST LONDONProf. David Lloyd BVetMed, PhD, DipECVD, ILTM, FRCVS

Prof. Mark Enright BSc, PhD

Dr. Susan Dawson BVMS PhD MRCVSS

TUESDAY 13TH MAY 2008

NEWCASTLE Dr. Tim Nuttall BSc, BVSc, PhD, CertVD, CBiol, MRCVS

Dr. Giles Edwards MB, BChir, MA, PhD, MRCPath

Dr. Nicola Williams BSc, PhD

WEDNESDAY 14TH MAY 2008

CHEADLE - SOUTH MANCHESTER Dr. Tim Nuttall BSc, BVSc, PhD, CertVD, CBiol, MRCVS

Dr. Giles Edwards MB, BChir, MA, PhD, MRCPath

Dr. Susan Dawson BVMS PhD MRCVSS

TUESDAY 20TH MAY 2008

LEAMINGTON SPAMs. Amanda Boag MA, VetMB, DipACVIM, DipACVECC, MRCVS

Mr. Jonathan Otter BSc

Dr. Nicola Williams BSc, PhD

Event approved by the BSAVA

Glen Watson.

Involving the nation’s pet ownersMARC Abraham, who frequentlyappears on the Paul O’Grady Show on Channel 4, is setting up anew website, www.thepet.net, which,he says, is aimed at involving thenation’s pet owners to revolutionise

the pet industry. “The website aims to be the most

trusted and up-to-date source of petinformation available,” he states.

He adds: “After working in the petindustry as a vet for 13 years, I believe

it’s time for a much-needed shake-up.Increasing corporate attitudes,widespread complacency and lack ofthe personal touch are turning petsinto luxury items when they were oncejust a normal part of everyone’s family.”

14 VETERINARY PRACTICE MAY 2008

A COVERT philosophical “battle” istaking place in the United States overthe future structure of small animal(pet) veterinary practice.

Most of the participants are unawarethat a battle is going onbecause they are eitherpart of the proud andparadigm-insulatedgroup that isresponsible for gettingthe profession towhere it is today, orthey have the siloperspective that marksa professiondominated by small,separate, and isolatedwork centers.

Nevertheless, Ibelieve that we are atan importantinflection pointregarding the future structure of petpractice: will the dominant practicemodel be “general practice” embracingwellness care, preventive medicine, andsickness (reactive) care and supported byclinical specialty referral practices forrare and challenging cases, or, will theprofession continue to adopt the human

medicine practice model of providingexpensive and inconvenient reactive careby a multitude of clinical specialists, withgeneral practice relegated to providingroutine health and sickness evaluations

and triage services? Proponents of the

latter model are mainlyclinical specialists whoseem to equate qualitymedicine withsophisticatedtechnologies andbelieve that two tofour years ofadditional clinicaltraining and experience(i.e. internships andresidencies) and boardcertification arenecessary in order topractise quality

medicine.This, of course, is the model

followed by human medicine in the US.However, there is now widespreadagreement that this reactive humanmedicine practice model, althoughcapable of delivering daily miracles, istoo expensive and inconvenient – andfailing to provide the care wanted by

broad segments of society.In veterinary medicine,

approximately one third of newgraduates of US veterinary schoolsnow apply for such clinical specialtytrack training programmes, believingthat this is essential for success inveterinary practice.

As a result, specialty practices arebeing established in virtually every urbanenvironment. Generalpractices are beingurged to refer cases tosuch practices, andmany school clinicalfaculties now advocatesuch referrals asrepresenting the newstandard of care.

Senior veterinarystudents who rotatethrough clinicalspecialty clinics repeatedly hear that, “Ifyou see a case like this, you should referit to someone like me – a specialist!”

I suspect that the same battle isquietly changing the face of veterinarymedicine in the UK and Europe, too. Inthis and future articles, I will illustratethrough specific vignettes how the“battle” is being waged and the

implications for practice.It is important that we understand

the current state at the macro level sothat we, as general practitioners, have achance to participate thoughtfully ratherthan be caught unaware after the battleis over! I hope that these commentsgenerate some vigorous discussion!

Reactive practiceIn the United States, human medicalpractice is essentially entirely reactive:practitioners have almost completely lost

any role in wellnesscare and preventivemedicine. Suchservices can now beobtained throughpharmacies, largestores and,increasingly, via theinternet.

Self-care is thedominant wellnessmodel in the US

and is extending its reach into reactivecare through web-based systems and theready availability of prescription drugs,vaccines, etc., through internet sites.

Similarly, food animal practice in theUS has largely gone the same route aspractitioners have persisted in playingreactive roles (being part of theproblem) while farmers wanted

LETTER FROM AMERICA

HUGH LEWISbegins a series in

which he commentson developments on

the other side of the Atlantic

The battle for the profession’s future

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LETTER FROM AMERICA 15MAY 2008 VETERINARY PRACTICE

preventive help in maintainingmaximum health and productivity fortheir herds (i.e. preventing the problemsfrom arising).

It is less obvious in the pet market,but there is a growing gap between whatpet owners want for their pets (health,happiness, a strong and satisfying bond,and long life), and what veterinarianswant and are trained to provide:sophisticated, reactive services(diagnosis, treatment).

It is easy to forget that the veterinaryprofession is a service profession andwhat clients want matters. They, throughthe marketplace, have a history ofgetting what they want.

An ethical dilemma?A number of infectious diseases arecurrently sweeping across the US, drivenby people movement, lack ofgeographical barriers, and perhaps byclimate change and the migration ofvectors. Examples include heartworm,West Nile virus, Lyme disease,

anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, etc.In the future, it could include SARS,avian flu, monkey pox, leishmania, etc.

It seems that if an infectious diseaseis endemic anywhere, it can now becomeendemic everywhere! This presents uswith an interesting ethical dilemmawhich depends upon whether one takesa micro (individual pet) view or a macro(pet population) view and how oneanswers the question, “When is itappropriate to initiate preventivetreatments for infectious disease?”

Should one try to prevent a diseasefrom becoming endemic in an area (e.g.Oregon) by initiating a vaccinationprogramme (e.g. for West Nile virus),or should one wait for it to becomeendemic before it is justified in tryingto prevent it?

The predominant opinion in the US,focused as we are on reactive medicineand the individual pet (member of thefamily), is that exposing it tounnecessary risk is viewed as unethical.

On the other hand, not working toprevent a serious disease from becomingendemic when the means (vaccine) areon hand surely must also be unethical,but only if one views the larger pictureof population health which onlysecondarily affects the individual pet.

I have been aware of this ever sinceour practice was accused of being

unethical because we recommendedheartworm preventive treatment in ournorth-western region hospitals. Dogmahad it that the disease did not occur inthese states because the ambienttemperature did not support the fulldevelopment cycle of the parasite.

Fortunately, we had hospitals inmost states and had been able totrack the disease’s spread westwardand northward into these states. Thisis a privilege that practitioners insingle, stand-alone practices do nothave. It allows us to see the bigpicture as well as understand thedynamics of disease spread.

It also raises our awareness of howimportant it is to our patients andclients for us to prevent disease ratherthan wait for it to arise and then treat it.It also raises the clear responsibility wehave to share our knowledge with ourcolleagues in the veterinary profession.

Risk assessmentsSo, how does this tie in to the “battle”mentioned above? We have becomeaware that resistance to diseaseprevention measures predominantlycomes from our clinical specialtycolleagues who are oriented to reactivemedicine by virtue of their clinicaldisciplines (problem first, solutionsecond) and individual pet focus.

Because of their clinical expertiseand reputations, they understandablydominate groups and panels makingmedical recommendations. In view oftheir orientation, they naturallyadvocate performing risk assessmentsfor each pet prior to initiatingpreventive care (vaccination, heartwormprevention, etc.).

In cases where the disease inquestion is rare because it is not yetendemic, it is viewed as all risk and nobenefit – and hence any preventivetreatment would be untenable. As aresult, advocating measures to prevent adisease from becoming endemic isviewed as quite unethical andconstituting “malpractice” to some.

This view reflects their reactive,patient-centric perspective. Generalpractices are more attuned to theneed for preventive care of theirpatient population, but can beintimidated by these “practicestandards-setting” groups.

Travel by both people and animalsand the translocation of culturalpractices are also starting to affect theanimal disease spectrum in the USA andUK. We must guard against letting themove towards a focus on the needs ofthe individual pet get in the way ofmaking sensible decisions to prevent therise of new endemic diseases.

Hugh B. Lewis, BVMS, DipACVP,MRCVS, is president of DataSavantLLC and senior vice-president/practice development of Banfield, theAmerican (and now international)chain of pet hospitals, withheadquarters in Portland, Oregon.

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CONSERVATION16 VETERINARY PRACTICE MAY 2008

APRIL saw the publication of theBritish Government’s draft MarineBill, a long-awaited move to giveadded protection to British marinelife and to designate a newnetwork of marine nature reserves.

One of the functions of the Billwill be to create a new agency knownas the MarineManagementOrganisation, whichwill enforce therelevantenvironmentallegislation andregulate developmentssuch as offshore wind farms.

The RSPB has given a cautiouswelcome to the Bill’s publication inthe hope that robust environmentalprotection laws will follow. However,it has some concerns that the Bill willsimply involve “a rehash of thecurrent, ineffective legislation”.

Why do we need to give ourcoastline and territorial waters moreprotection than they currentlyreceive? Well, consider that at presentonly 0.001% of UK seas have highlevels of protection from damagingactivities. And that Sally Bailey of theconservation group WWF UKreckons: “There is a considerablebody of work suggesting that anetwork of marine protected areas

should cover from 20-30% of waters,with some work even suggesting asmuch as 40%.”

So there is obviously huge scopefor the Bill with currently just threehighly-protected marine reserves inUK waters: Lundy Island off thenorth Devon coast; Strangford Lough

in Northern Island;and Skomer inPembrokeshire.

And whilst allseabirds in the UKare protected whenthey are on land,there is no protection

extended (other than in the threereserves mentioned), to those areas ofsea next to where they breed and inwhich they need to fish.

Conservation zonesBearing this is mind the RSPB hasjust published a report, Safeguarding ourSeabirds, in which it identifies 70 near-shore sites that are of nationalimportance for breeding seabirds andworthy of protection as MarineConservation Zones (MCZs).

If the new Bill, once enacted,enables a network of MCZs to beestablished then it could have far-reaching consequences for the long-term future of not just seabirds butof all forms of marine life.

Another function of the Bill is todeclare a “right to roam” around thewhole of the English coastline withthe exception of some railway linesand MOD sites. The National Trusthas welcomed this as a means ofimproving access by all to what is a“highly prized Public asset”. Privateindividuals who own parts of thecoastline, and the likes of golf coursecommittees, are likely to be lessenthusiastic, with talk of big drops inthe retail value of some propertiesshould the idea go ahead.

My own feeling on the matter isthat it could be a wonderfulopportunity to see parts of ourcountry that have previously been off

limits but I worry that us humans arejust too irresponsible to be trustedwith the privilege. Think litter,erosion, malicious damage to fencesand styles, noise pollution, gates leftopen, and you might be able toimagine my concerns.

The saving grace I suppose is thatmany of the newly opened up areaswill be relatively remote and thussufficiently far away from the carparks and ice cream vans such thatonly the most dedicated of ramblerswill want to access them.

One hopes that the more intrepidwill be all too aware of the need toconserve what they see and notdespoil it.

Draft Marine Billpromises much

ANDREW COEbelieves the legislationcould have far-reaching

consequences

Common seals may be one of the beneficiaries of the new Bill.

CPDmedium for the profession since itoffers varied and interestingprogramming covering CPD sessions,information on broad general interestand practice-related subjects. It will beup-to-date, forward thinking and aninformation packed service designedspecifically for the veterinaryprofessional.”

Nursing day at ESFMTHE European Society of FelineMedicine (ESFM) congress is to be heldin Edinburgh in September.

It will include, for the first time, afeline nursing programme. This will beon Saturday 27th September at theSheraton Hotel. Sponsored by Hill’s PetNutrition and Ceva, the theme for theday will be Making yours a cat friendlypractice.

On Saturday evening, there will bea “Golden Party” to celebrate the 50thanniversary of the ESFM’s founder, theFAB, at The Hub, home of Edinburgh’sInternational Festival, sponsored bySchering-Plough.

To register, see www.fabcats.org orcall 0870 742 2278.

The future of CPD?THE BVA launched a pilot of VETS.TVat the BSAVA congress.

This is an internet television site runjointly by the BVA and Ten AlpsPublishing which will be available via amicrosite of www.bva.co.uk.

The pilot includes custom-madevideos on MRSA, litigation and stressmanagement, a series of interviews withkey veterinary figures and a number ofspecially acquired programmes.

The BVA president, Nick Blayney,says he believes that VETS.TVrepresents the future of CPD. “It willbecome a significant and popular

APBC coursesTHE Association of Pet BehaviourCounsellors is to run a series of one-dayseminars for veterinary surgeons andnurses. All the events will be held at theHenley Golf and Country Club inWarwickshire.

Subjects, speakers and dates are:Canine aggression – handling the bitingdog with Robin Walker on 23rd May;

Focusing on felines with Sarah Heath on13th June; Dealing with the fireworkchallenge with Sarah Heath on 12thSeptember; Practical solutions for puppyproblems with Gwen Bailey and ClaireArrowsmith on 3rd October.

Details can be found atwww.apbc.org.uk.

BVNA in ScotlandTHE British Veterinary Nursing

Association (BVNA) is organising aday of CPD training for its membersin Scotland on Saturday 14th June atthe Quality Inn in Edinburgh.

Attendance will qualify nursesfor six CPD hours.

Sarah Heath, Paul Crawford andChris Bradley will speak on topicssuch as “behaviour issues”, “criticalcare”, “analgesia” and “diabetesmanagement”.

Further details are available fromthe BVNA office or onwww.bvna.co.uk.

FAB day in May FELINE respiratory disease is the themeof the Feline Advisory Bureau StudyDay to be held on Friday 9th May at theRoyal (Dick) Hospital for Small Animalsat Easter Bush.

Information on the new highlypathogenic feline calicivirus strains willbe presented by Dr Danielle Gunn-Moore, professor in Feline Medicine atthe Dick Vet. She will also discuss thetreatment of chronicbronchopulmonary disease.

Other speakers will be Dr KerrySimpson, Anita Schwartz and VickyHalls.

Cost of attending is £40. For detailssee the website www.fabcats.org/conferences/edinburgh/08 or e-mailconferences@fabcats.org.

Passionate about Animal Health

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PERSONAL18 VETERINARY PRACTICE MAY 2008

VETS, doctors and dentists have asuicide rate around four timeshigher than that of the populationin general. So why do so many ofus choose to kill ourselves?

There is a point where the painbecomes too much,where the black holeof depression turnsinto an unclimbablebarricade. It feels as ifeverything hurts,there is no relief.

It’s time for “Stopthe world, I want toget off ” but in realitythe world willcontinue to turn withor without me. It isnot responding to myneeds and is obliviousto my existence. So,in eliminating myselfit will stop my badfeelings and stop them forever. I needsuffer no more.

But then, at what price? In ceasingto be Marion McCullagh I will be 60kgof clinical waste. I’ll ruin my kids byleaving them a bad example and aburden of grief. My friends will besad. I won’t see the horse again andwho will look after the dog?

For me, so far, reality has kicked in.I’ll phone someone, walk the dog, gofor a ride. Throw some excitement atme and I’m happy to rush back intothe arena and continue the struggle.The depression gets pushed away againas soon as I am sufficiently involved.

Fun, doing something with goodfriends, physical or mental stimuluscan provide a way out of the badfeelings. Perhaps it is because I am soused to dealing with other people’s

problems in the clinical area, so usedto timetables, appointments, highly-structured days at work, that I simplycannot switch off and do withoutthem when I have some free time. LikeWinston Churchill’s black dog, my

depression staysfaithfully at heel andmoves in whenever itsees an opportunity.

The veterinaryprofession is wellregarded by society. Ittakes a sparklingschool career to gainentry to veterinaryundergraduatetraining. Vets are seenas compassionate,intelligent andeffective. SometimesI think that vetschoose their part of

medicine because theyprefer animals to people.

The pleasure of having a “hands-on” occupation that deals withproblems in the flesh rather thanalways via e-mail may be underminedby an inherent shyness.

Nick Blayney, the current BVApresident, said, “I think vets lead avery lonely life professionally. Theydon’t get stimulation or new ideasfrom outside unless they seek them.”The daily routine in practice can beisolating, frustrating or boring andsupport from management andcolleagues may not be enough tobalance the stress.

One of the things under-emphasised in training is the very highexposure to clients’ grief. Vets aretrained to prevent animal sufferingand to preserve the function of the

animal. Doctors also relieve sufferingbut are obliged to preserve life to thebitter end.

To a farmer, death can be the endpoint of production. If it comes tooearly and is a financial loss, he mayexpress anger, disappointment and adegree of grief but he survives byacceptance and optimism and bymoving on to the next task.

Pet owners have a negative viewof death and many of them are verybad at accepting that life has a finitetime span. We live in an era where sexin all its variety is acceptable butdeath is taboo.

Compassion is centralSmall animal practitioners are expectedto kill an animal in the mostcomfortable way possible. Providingcompassion for animals is central toour ethic and we are well trained for itbut we find ourselves obliged toextend our skill and compassion todeeply grieving owners on a veryregular basis.

We are not trained as counsellorsand extending so much sympathy sooften can erode the detachment andresilience that is necessary to enjoy lifeas a practising veterinary surgeon.Counsellors have a strong supportsystem. The grief that they pick upfrom their clients is dissipated bysupervision where they can discusstheir case load and gain perspective.

Too much euthanasia wears out avet, and the more caring the individualthe more susceptible he or she will beto the emotional distress which feedsinto depression with the potential forsuicide.

Performing euthanasia can beregarded as part of anaesthesia, but it

is a loss to the veterinary surgeon aswell as to the owner. Very often thereis an emotional bond between the vetand the animal. I might havevaccinated the dog for 15 years, orseen the horse through the triumphsand disasters of competition.

Euthanasing an animal can leavethe practitioner with a personal burdenof negative emotions as well as thosebrought on by mopping up the client’sfeelings, which are often complex; thesadness can be embellished with anger,guilt or doubt.

So is this what prompted theequine practitioner to shoot himself inhis kitchen and the small animalspecialist to set himself up anintravenous drip of Phenobarbital? Isit because we keep animals only aslong as they are functional? When theycannot produce a calf or jump bigfences or keep us company withoutsoiling the furniture we dispose ofthem.

“I don’t want him to suffer” is agood wish but do veterinary surgeonsapply it to themselves? Doeseuthanasia get distorted into untimelysuicide and what can the profession doto stop this happening?

It seems that there is a niche forsetting up an easily accessible supportsystem of debriefing within practices,especially small animal practices whereeuthanasia is so frequent andsentiment flows so freely. Veterinarysurgeons take on every bit as muchemotional pressure as humancounsellors and do not have thebenefit of formal emotional support.

Prevention is better than cure soperhaps it is time for us to take asgood care of ourselves as we do ofour patients.

Suicide and the veterinary profession

MARION McCULLAGHbelieves it’s time forveterinary surgeonsto take as good careof themselves as of

their patients

Sources of help...

■ VET HELPLINEtelephone 07659 811118A 24-hour rapid response answerphone service fordiscussion of problems with someone who hasexperience of the veterinary profession

■ VETERINARY SURGEONS’ HEALTHSUPPORT PROGRAMMEtelephone 07946 634220Confidential treatment and advice on mental healthand addictive issues such as alcohol, drugs andeating disorders

■ VETLIFEwebsite www.vetlife.org.ukA website run by the Veterinary Benevolent Fundto provide information on the support available toanyone in the veterinary profession

■ THE SAMARITANStelephone 08457 90 90 90Emotional support helpline for anyone in a crisis

FEW of us can have been inpractice for very long beforehearing from a child that his orher aspiration is to become aveterinary surgeon, or the lamentfrom an adult, with justificationsand excuses, why a similarambition wasthwarted.

Why, then, does aprofession, the envyof so many, havesuch a high incidenceof suicide amongthose who haveachieved theirobjective? Could itbe that there is anemotional andphilosophical chasmbetween theexpectations of lifein the profession andthe reality?

Our founding fathers, fired withenthusiasm by the Enlightenment,had unashamedly anthropocentricobjectives. Domestic animals wereconsidered commodities by society tobe used and abused as it thought fit.

This position would have beeninfluenced or granted credence by thebiblical statement that humans weregiven dominion over animals. Socialpractice has adversely modified thedivine directive. Humanity dominatesits domestic animals and treats themas slaves. It is largely ignorant oftheir needs and wants, imposes veryfew controls and has littlecompassion.

So long as the nascent professionfunctioned constrained only by thelimiting philosophy of pragmatism,its practitioners were unlikely to beanguished by moral concerns relatingto the well-being of the animals towhich they ministered.

A crime and a sin Recruited largely from those with anagricultural or equine background,for them the status of animals was agiven. No doubt there were suicideswithin the profession but anyenthusiasm for such an activity wouldhave been restrained by the fact thatit was both a crime and a sin.

It would be difficult to over-estimate the subtle shift in attitude toanimals in society between the first

and second centuries of ourprofession’s existence.

It has been claimed that alcoholand drug abuse is responsible for thehigh suicide rate in the medical andrelated professions because of theready availability of both. This surely

begs the question.Presumably theremust be factorsassociated withprofessional activitiesthat incline those,supposedly withabove averageintelligence, towardsself-abuse.

There will, nodoubt, be those whohave problemscommon to allsections of society:mental illness,

financial problems,difficult family conditions andunrequited love. The interestingquestion is whether the veterinaryprofession has a little more of theproblems afflicting the otherprofessions or does it have uniqueand more momentous difficulties? Iincline to the latter.

Anthropocentric perspectiveWe operate on two diverse andconflicting levels. Those associatedwith agricultural and laboratoryanimals have a strictlyanthropocentric perspective.

For them, animals remain acommodity, tools of human societythat justifies the abuse and tormentto which we subject them. They,presumably, justify their indifferenceto the cruelty involved because theyconsider our species to haveoverwhelming prerogative.

Conversely, members ministeringto pet animals are required to adopt atotally different attitude. Pet owners,with varying degrees of concern,expect us to consider their animals’lives sacrosanct. Many demandstandards of medical treatment equalto that enjoyed by human beings.

This conflicts with unworthy actsand manipulations that are the veryantithesis of concern for animalwelfare. Thus, pets are selectivelybred, even genetically mangled, toproduce conformations that ensure

life-long discomfort and disability.Many are socially isolated and

sexually mutilated to ensure that theunfortunate creatures comply with theludicrous demands of owners whohave the need for an animated teddy.

Any veterinary surgeon with theintellectual ability to penetrate thecrust of complacency that concealsour profession’s approach to animalwelfare will be forced to contemplatethe inadequacies of the status quo.

How, then, do new graduatesaccommodate to these obviousanomalies? Those of us who spentour early years in mixed practiceaccepted that all animals were equalbut some were more equal thanothers. We simply switchedphilosophy from farm to the smallanimal consulting table.

Any farm animal not pulling itseconomic weight was “sent in” whilethe ageing, decrepit Pekingese interminal decline was subjected toexpensive, life-prolonging medication.We accepted our subservient role tothe fatuous demands of society. Whoknows what damage was done to us?

Today, when fewer graduates areselected from traditional backgrounds,I suspect that some find theincongruities inherent in ourprofessional philosophy difficult toaccept. Of course, many doaccommodate.

Those with agricultural interests –a declining group – have nodifficulties. Those in the equinebranch seem oblivious to the welfareof the horse. While its practical valuefor transportation and war havediminished, it remains an adjunct tohuman playtime, to be discarded

when age or injury impose functionalinadequacy.

In small animals work, some,indifferent to the fundamentals ofanimal welfare, seek solace in thetechnologies of their calling. Thus, wesee specialisation burgeoning.

Technocrats, unable to see thewelfare wood for the trees thatenhance their kudos, plunge headlonginto scientific medicine, its associatedelectronic contraptions and surgicaltechniques of questionable value.

Several optionsThe real victims, those who havegenuine empathy with animals, whodo not see them as living gadgetssubservient to human aspirations,have several options.

Some leave the profession; thosewith incisive minds, as students. Someadjust their horizons and degradetheir moral concerns to comply withthe profession’s limited expectations.A few, unable to cope, commitsuicide.

If we are to reduce the number ofdisenchanted members who seeksolace in drugs, alcohol or death, theinconsistencies, incongruities andcontradictions inherent in ourprofession’s philosophy should beforcibly explained to prospectivestudents.

The problem is that theprofession’s politicians appearoblivious to our confusing andconfused social role. Rather thananalysing its problems in depth, theyblunder on proclaiming functions andwelfare responsibilities, of which theyhave little knowledge, to thefrustration of many in society whoanguish over the treatment of animalsand to the detriment of our studentsand young graduates.

What are the possible causes?

DAVID J. COFFEYbelieves it’s the

profession’s confusedand confusing social

role that’s at fault

Those of us who spent our early years in mixedpractice accepted that all animals were equal butsome were more equal than others. We simplyswitched philosophy from farm to the small animalconsulting table.

First place where both dogs and people can donate bloodBEECHWOODVeterinary Hospitalin Doncaster hasbecome the firstplace in the countrywhere both dogsand people can giveblood, after teamingup with the NationalBlood Service (NBS)and Pet Blood BankUK (PBBuk). MarkStraw, veterinarysurgeon andassociate director,said: “I’m a regularblood donor andknow howimportant it is togive. I thought itwould be great if Icould do it at work,luckily enough so did the other staff and the owners of our patients. I am proudthat Beechwood is now a people and pets lifesaver.”

Beechwood donors, veterinary nurse Emma Heatonwho gave blood at the last session, and her dogDillon who will donate at the PBBuk session in May,with organiser Mark Straw.

PERSONAL 19MAY 2008 VETERINARY PRACTICE

ENDOPARASITESEnvironmental burden ofToxoplasma gondii cysts in cat faecesHaydee Dabritz and others,University of California, DavisToxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitousprotozoan parasite that infects 30-40%of the world’s human population. Oneof the main routes of human infectionis contact with contaminated cat faeces.The authors assess the analyticalsensitivity of methods for detectingToxoplasma oocysts and theenvironmental load resulting fromshedding by owned and feral cats.

Faecal samples were taken from 326cats in the Morro Bay region ofCalifornia. On the basis of theestimated tonnage of cat faecesdeposited outdoors in this area, theyestimate the annual burden in theenvironment to be between 94 and4,671 oocysts per m2.

Despite the low prevalence andshort duration of oocyst shedding bycats in this and other surveys, they statethat the sheer numbers of oocysts shedby cats during initial infection could leadto substantial environmentalcontamination.Journal of the American Veterinary MedicalAssociation 231 (11): 1,676-1,684.

Problems in diagnosing tapeworminfections in horsesJohn Abbott, Oakham VeterinaryHospital, RutlandThe prevalence of the tapewormAnoplocephala perfiolata in different equinepopulations has been reported to varybetween 20 and 80%. Much of thisvariation can be attributed to thedifficulties in diagnosing tapeworminfections in this species. Abattoirstudies tend to demonstrate a muchhigher prevalence than standardmethods for detecting tapeworm eggs inequine faeces. The author examinesboth the benefits and limitations of anELISA-based method and describes itsapplication as a monitoring tool.Equine Veterinary Journal 40 (1): 5-6.

Interpretation of serum antibodyresponse to Anoplocephalaperfoliata L. N. Kjaer and others, University ofCopenhagen, Denmark

Anoplocephala perfoliata is the mostcommon equine tapeworm and highlevels of infection have been associatedwith cases of intestinal intussuseption,perforation and peritonitis. The authorscompared the response to an A.perfoliata specific ELISA test with thefindings of faecal egg counts and postmortem examination of 84 horses.Antibody levels correlated significantlywith the intensity of infection despitesubstantial individual variation. Theysuggest a cut-off point for this test toindicate horses needing anthelmintictreatment.Equine Veterinary Journal 39 (6): 529-533.

Fatal hookworm infection in aNorth American dogChris Wojnarowicz, PrairieDiagnostic Services, Saskatoon,Canada

The southern hookworm (Ancylostomacaninum) is a relatively rare cause of gutnematode infection in western Canada.A case was confirmed in a 53-day-oldblue lacy puppy which presented with atwo-day history of vomiting andlethargy. The puppy had arrived inAlberta from Texas a few days beforethe beginning of clinical signs. Clinicaland laboratory investigations indicated agastrointestinal parasite infection.Despite aggressive therapy the puppydied and A. caninum was confirmed onpost mortem examination.Canadian Veterinary Journal 48 (11):1,185-1,186.

Evidence of direct transmission ofBabesia gibsoni in dogsR. Jefferies and others, MurdochUniversity, Western Australia

Babesia gibsoni is protozoan parasiteinfecting the erythrocytes of domesticand wild dogs, causing fever, haemolyticanaemia, thrombocytopaenia,splenomegaly and sometimes death. Itcan be transmitted by several species oftick but there have been some cases ofapparent dog to dog transmission.Often these involved dogs of fightingbreeds and it has been suggested thatblood transfer during fights may be thetransmission route. The authors found14 dogs positive for this parasite, all ofwhich were American pit bull terriers.Australian Veterinary Journal 85 (11)459-463.

Prevalence of Campylobacter and four intestinal parasites inHearing DogsC. M. Guest and others, HearingDogs for Deaf People, Princes

Risborough, Bucks.There is little currentinformation on theprevalence ofgastrointestinal parasitesin the UK dogpopulation. Many canineparasites are potentialzoonotic pathogens andtheir control isparticularly important inHearing Dogs which areoften owned by peoplewho may be vulnerableto infection because ofage or a compromisedimmune system. The

authors examined faeces from dogsassociated with the charity. Levels ofCampylobacter infection were as high as31% but the prevalence of otherendoparasites was much lower.Journal of Small Animal Practice 48 (11):632-637.

Trichostrongylus andHaemonchus infections in lowbodyweight lambsS. J. McClure and D. L. Emery,CSIRO, Armidale, New South WalesDuring trials of a new anthelminticvaccine in lambs a correlation wasdetected between bodyweight andvariation in worm counts. The authorsreport further observations on theeffect of bodyweight on protection andimmunity during challenge of lambs inthe control groups for these trials. Theyfound that merino lambs weighing lessthan 23kg at the time of first exposureto Trichostrongylus colubriformis andHaemonchus contortus had an impairedability to develop protective mucosalimmunity and to resist parasitechallenge.Australian Veterinary Journal 85 (11):437-445.

ECTOPARASITESClinical effects and outcome offeline permethrin spot-onpoisonings reported to theVeterinary Poisons InformationService (VPIS), LondonNicholas Sutton and others,Veterinary Poisons InformationServicePermethrin is a pyrethroid insecticideused in topical (spot-on) flea treatmentsfor dogs. These products arecontraindicated in cats because of ahigh risk of toxicosis but there havebeen many reports of owners ignoringor not noticing warnings on theproduct packaging.

The authors describe the findings in286 cases of inappropriate use in catsreported by veterinary practitioners tothe Veterinary Poisons InformationService in London. In 96.9% of thesecases, the cats showed clinical signs,with increased muscle activity(twitching, tremor, fasciculations orconvulsions) occurring in 88% of cases.

The duration of this muscle activitywas long, with convulsions lasting foran average of 39 hours and tremors for32 hours. Recovery typically occurredwithin two to three days but in somecases it took up to seven days. In 10.5%of cases the affected cat died.Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 9 (4):335-339.

Efficacy of an imidacloprid/permethrin product against rabbitectoparasitesOlaf Hansen and others, BayerHealthcare, Leverkusen, GermanyAdvantix (Bayer) is a spot-onformulation containing imidaclopridand permethrin licensed for thetreatment and prevention of fleainfestations in dogs. The authorsevaluate its use in the treatment of flea(Ctenocephalides felis) and mite (Cheytiellaparasitovorax and Listrophorus gibbus)infestations in rabbits. Rabbits received40mg imidacloprid and 200mgpermethrin and were evaluated atintervals over the next six weeks. Fromtwo weeks after treatment no fleas ormites were detected. No adversereactions were recorded.International Journal Applied Research inVeterinary Medicine 4 (4): 320-325.

Prevalence of Rickettsia felis DNAin the blood of cats and their fleasJennifer Hawley and others,Colorado State UniversityRickettsia felis is one of a group ofarthropod borne rickettsial parasitesresponsible for the spotted feverconditions in humans, characterised byfever, headache, myalgia and macularrash. In many parts of the world it hasbeen associated with the cat flea(Ctenocephalides felis). The authors used

Getting to grips with parasites

National flea weekthis monthNATIONAL Flea Week runs from 19th-25th May, providing practices with aplatform from which to advise petowners about ways of dealing withthese parasites. Details are on the website www.nationalfleaweek.com.

ABSTRACTS20 VETERINARY PRACTICE MAY 2008

ABSTRACTS 21MAY 2008 VETERINARY PRACTICE

PCR analyses to detect R. felis DNA incats and their fleas in three US states,using the bacterial citrate synthase geneand the outer membrane protein Bgene. Overall, 67% of the 92 fleasamples but none from the host catswere positive.Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 9 (3):258-262.

Review of tick toxicity inAustralian cats linked to Ixodes species Daniel Schull and others,University of QueenslandTick toxicity in cats is a commoncondition along the eastern coast ofAustralia and is usually linked withexposure to Ixodes holocyclus. Typicalclinical signs include a flaccidascending neuromuscular paralysis,anxiety, dysphonia, hind limbweakness, papillary dilation andrespiratory signs. Mainstays oftreatment are tick removal, antitoxinserum and intensive supportive care.With prompt and appropriatemanagement, the prognosis is goodbut the authors warn that most of theliterature on tick toxicity is highlyanecdotal in nature.Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 9(6): 487-493.

Advances in the control of ticksin small animal practiceAnke Hendricks and NataliePerrins, Royal Veterinary CollegeAlthough ticks can be a cause ofsignificant disease in small animals, inthe UK tick control has often beenconsidered an added bonus of usingflea control products. However, due toan increasing mobility of pets sincethe relaxation of quarantine controlsand a growing awareness of thedangers of tick-borne disease, there isa realisation of the need for better tickcontrol. There are now specificproducts licensed for use in cats anddogs and the authors explain theprinciples behind the implementationof a control programme.In Practice 29 (5): 284-287.

Selamectin in the treatment ofpsoroptic and sarcoptic mange inrabbitsArif Kurtdede and others, AnkaraUniversity, TurkeySarcoptes scabiei and Psoroptes cuniculi arecommon ectoparasites of rabbits, withthe former causing alopecia anddermatitis and the latter responsiblefor severe dermatitis and otitis. Theauthors assessed the efficacy ofselamectin against these parasites.Groups of New Zealand and Angorarabbits were given a minimum dose of6mg/kg bodyweight and examinedregularly over the next eight weeks.Treated rabbits were found to havesignificantly fewer mites on skin

scraping or otoscopy than those givenvehicle alone.Veterinary Dermatology 18 (1): 18-22.

Diagnosis of Malassezia otitisexterna in the dogJ. S. Griffin and others, CornellUniversity, New York

Otitis externa is the most commondisorder of the canine external earcanal, causing inflammation of earcanal, with or without infection. Theyeast Malassezia pachydermatis is involvedin an estimated 57% of all infections.The authors examined the effect ofheat-fixing otic exudate on subsequent

cytological analysis. Exudate collectedon cotton swabs was rolled on to glassslides and heat fixed before staining. Itwas found that there was no differencein the yeast numbers counted on treatedand non-treated slides.Journal of Veterinary Medicine (A) 54 (8):424-427.

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INTERVIEW22 VETERINARY PRACTICE MAY 2008

ROWING would seem to be anideal pastime for anyone preparingfor a working life as a historian, lessso as a research scientist andacademic administrator. But theone sport in which participantsspend their whole time lookingbackwards did help to launch thecareer of Quintin McKellar,principal of the Royal VeterinaryCollege.

After growing up on the familysheep farm in Renfrewshire, ProfessorMcKellar might havebeen expected to takeup a position in largeanimal practice ongraduating from theGlasgow veterinaryschool in 1981.Instead, he appliedand was accepted fora PhD researching thebiology of the bovinegut nematodeOstertagia ostertagi.

“I’d like to be ableto give a differentreason, but my mainmotivation for staying on was tocontinue as a member of the universityrowing club, which I was deeplyinvolved with at the time,” he explains.

Although his rationale for enteringacademia may have been idiosyncratic,Quintin found he was well suited tothe role of a veterinary researcher. Soon completing his PhD in 1984 he wasoffered a job in the department ofpharmacology, working on parasiteresponses to anthelmintics. And itwasn’t long before he was required totest his skills as an administrator when,following the tragic death of JimBogan in 1988, he took over as headof department.

Professor McKellar remained atGlasgow until 1996 when he assumedmuch greater administrativeresponsibilities as director of theMoredun Institute. At that time,Moredun was coping with both thescientific and financial challengespresented by its move to its newlaboratories on the Pentlands SciencePark outside Edinburgh. So he wasfamiliar with the pressures of

justifying massive expenditure on newfacilities when he moved to the RVCin August 2004.

At the Hawkshead campus, theRVC had recently built a new largeanimal clinical centre and was planninga project to double the size of theQueen Mother Hospital, the firstphase of which was completed inMarch this year. There were furtherprojects in the pipeline for the creationof two new research facilities: acontrolled environment building for

carrying out welfareresearch and a centrefor research onlocomotion andmotion whereresearchers examinechanges in anatomyand physiology in abroad range ofdomestic and wildanimal species.

This emphasis ondeveloping theHawkshead siteprompted a long

debate on the futureof the college’s original home inCamden Town. But, he says, thecollege authorities have now decidedto retain the old buildings as the basefor its pre-clinical veterinary studentsand for undergraduates on itsveterinary science course.

“There are many reasons why wehave chosen to stay there but the mainone is the benefits for students ofbeing in central London – the socialand cultural aspects that they wouldmiss out on if they had to spend alltheir time at the one campus.”

While recognising the need tosupport its research and clinicalservices work, the college has toremember its principal responsibility isto its students. So another majorinvestment went into the LIVEbuilding at Hawkshead which officiallyopened in February 2007.

That provides the facilities forundergraduates to carry out the sort ofindependent problem-based learningneeded by today’s undergraduates andwhich it is hoped will equip them withthe ability to continue expanding their

clinical skills throughout theircareers.

The new centre also helpsthose responsible fordirecting this teaching. “Ifyou are trying to assessstudents who will be goingout into a practiceenvironment, then askingthem to write essays isprobably not the best way ofgoing about it,” he notes.

Like the other UK veterinaryschools, the RVC is reviewing thecontent of its undergraduate course tocope with the explosion in knowledgein the biological sciences. This processhas been given added impetus by theopening of the new school inNottingham, which had the luxury ofdesigning its curriculum from scratch.

“Having another competitor on thescene has made us all sharpen ourfocus but it is reassuring to find thatmany of the teaching methodologiesbeing used at the new school areessentially those that we havepioneered.”

Professor McKellar believes theemergence of a new school may alsoaccelerate moves towards a morediverse approach at the differentschools. “Within the constraints of theRCVS guidelines, I think the schoolswill head down the route towardssome level of specialisation in theircourses. Students will be tracked morerobustly than in the past towards aninterest in a particular species orclinical discipline. But hopefully wewill still produce graduates with thepotential to go into any branch of theprofession.”

Wherever they decide to make theircareers, one inescapable fact about thenext generation of veterinarygraduates is their gender. Nearly 90%of the current intake at the RVC isfemale but Prof. McKellar says thatthis imbalance reflects the numbers ofstudents applying to the course andrejects any return to an entry systemheavily biased in favour of malecandidates.

A positive trend He insists that the feminisation of theveterinary profession is largely apositive trend. Any resulting problems,such as the need to provide careerbreaks for childcare, are ones thatshould be addressed by the veterinaryprofession as a whole, and not just theschool admissions tutors.

An aspect of the undergraduateintake that he believes the schoolsshould address is their social mix –one that is increasingly white, middleclass. The RVC is now in the secondyear of a one-year foundationprogramme allowing students fromdisadvantaged backgrounds tocompete for a place on the course onan equal footing.

This programme is supported bygenerous bursaries and every one ofthe 30 students on the first course hasbeen accepted at the RVC or anotherUK school and they are performingextremely well, he says.

But the schools should not be

dropping their academic standards inan effort to attract the more practically-minded students that manypractitioners claim would be bettersuited than the current high-flyers tolife in practice.

“My old gran used to say that ifsomeone wasn’t any good at maths, itwas all right because they would begood at woodwork. Sadly, that isn’t truebecause life isn’t fair. The people withthe best academic skills are, more oftenthan not, the same ones who have thebest practical and social skills, so tryingto disentangle them is just daft.”

He does, however, have moresympathy for that other perennialcomplaint made by older practitionersabout new graduates: their lack ofcommercial acumen. He believesbusiness skills should be learnedbefore graduates begin life in practice.

“Yes, it is our responsibility and wehave let them down.” So the RVC isconsidering the possibility of businessstudies electives for undergraduatesand is also looking at offeringpostgraduate courses to both its ownstudents and those from other schools.

In deciding the future direction ofveterinary education in the UK, theschools will have to work within theframework of the existing legislationas there is little prospect of areplacement for the 1966 VeterinarySurgeons Act.

Prof. McKellar insists that there isplenty of scope within the existingrules to make positive changes to theBritish system. “My goal is to help inproviding veterinary education that issecond to none. If you ask mostpeople which country provides thebest system they would say the US. Iwant ours to be the best on offer: thatisn’t pie-in-the-sky, I really think it canbe achieved.”

Planning how to get there isanother matter. But to meet thechallenge, Prof. McKellar is making anearly start, as he does every day. Hisdaily routine involves getting up at6am and spending half-an-hour on therowing machine set up in his garage.“On cold winter mornings I open thedoors and stare out into the darknesswhile I row. I find that really relaxing.”

Facing up to the challenges

JOHN BONNERmeets the principal

of the RVC

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PROFILE24 VETERINARY PRACTICE MAY 2008

IN the north-west of England, oneof the longest establishedveterinary hospitals in the countryis continuing to lead the field,setting up a newmulti-disciplinaryreferral centre.

The name of theRutland HouseVeterinary Hospital inSt Helens, Merseyside,is well-known in theprofession; for manydecades it has been inthe forefront ofpractice and hasproduced some ofthe profession’s best-known names. Thecurrent partners areorthopods Ian Barclay and DuncanMidgley and dermatologist SuePaterson.

The partners realised that they hadreached the limit of expansion in theirexisting location but were keen todevelop the business and expand theirreferral caseload.

The answer was found in aredundant furniture store four milesaway which they have developed into amulti-disciplinary referral centre,leaving the original site as a firstopinion veterinary hospital.

Tremendous freedomThe new building was acquired as ashell with little internal structure,allowing tremendous freedom for thelayout that the partners could design. Iasked who their architect was, butpractice manager Janie Clare replied

that she and the three partners haddesigned it themselves.

They had met architects initiallybut had found them unsatisfactory,

failing to grasp theissues of workingwith animals in ahealthcare setting.The end result,opened last October,is a very attractivebuilding and acomfortable andfunctional workingenvironment.

The waiting roomis large and bright,and its L-shapeallows separation ofcats and dogs,

resulting in fewer stressed or excitedpatients. The eight consulting roomsare each large enough to accommodatefamily groups that often arrive withreferral patients, and one is windowlessfor the ophthalmologists.

Another room opens into theentrance lobby rather than directly offthe waiting room and will become acondolence room. Two consultingrooms are usedprimarily by thedermatologistswho, in additionto their busy skincaseload, have aparticular interestin ear cases.

These backonto a treatmentroom fitted withtwo work-tables

(one of which is atub-table forflushing ears), abank of cages forday-patients and alaboratory. Thisarea also houses aCO2 laser, a BAERmachine for hearingtests and a video otoscopy set-up,which gives excellent visualisation ofthe depths of the ear canal and makesdiagnosis and thorough cleaning fareasier.

Large meeting roomAlso on the ground floor is a two-bedroom flat and a 60-seat meetingroom. This is used for internal CPD,for regular meetings for referringpractices and for breeder groups, andis made available without charge to anylocal group which wishes to make useof it.

The floor plan allows the dogwaiting area to be used as additionalmeeting space, for example to run

parallel vet andnurse sessions, oras a catering areafor meetings heldin the main room.The separate catwaiting areaensures that thepractice can stilloperate aroundsuch use.

The kennels

and operating suites are upstairs,accessed by a lift. The wards aredeliberately kept small, reducing noise,aiding infection control and helping tokeep patients relaxed.

There are four dog wards, one

Furniture storetransformed intopioneer hospital’sreferral centre

CHRISTINE SHIELDtakes a close look at anorth-west practice’slatest development

RUTLAND HOUSEVETERINARY HOSPITAL– HISTORY

■ Established in 1961 by JohnTandy and Ian Hughes

■ Became one of Britain’s earliestveterinary hospitals in the late1960s

■ John Tandy was instrumental inthe establishment of the BritishVeterinary Hospitals Associationin 1972 and was elected as thefounder president

■ New partners Christine Morton(now McGrath) and Ian Barclaybought into the practice in 1988:two years later John and Ianretired

■ Christine Morton left the practiceto pursue other interests in 1999

■ Duncan Midgley joined thepartnership in 1998

■ Sue Paterson joined thepartnership in 2003

The new premises and (below) head of surgery PrueNeath with orthopaedic surgeon Duncan Midgley.

The spacious prep room and (right) the reception area – behind the desk are(from left) feline consultant Ellie Mardell and receptionists Janet Hamlett andLinda Whitehead.

The design of the cat ward allows forremarkably relaxed in-patients.

furnished with walk-in kennels forlarge or long-stay patients, and one forcats. Ellie Mardell, head of the felinemedicine service, specified the catkennels very carefully, including aresting shelf in each, and althoughnone of the in-patients was using theshelf when I visited, they did all seemextraordinarily relaxed, lying on theirsides and backs rather than warilyupright.

Strict hygienePrue Neath, newly appointed head ofsurgery, has instituted strict hygienecontrols. People are only allowed intothe surgical suite in scrubs and clogs,or with outdoor clothes covered with aTyvek suit together with hat and shoe-covers.

The prep room is particularlyspacious, with five tub tables along onewall and the five operating theatresalong the other wall, interspersed withscrub sinks. There is also a busy minorprocedures room with ultrasoundfacilities, although the well-equippedendoscopy suite, which is primarilyused by the internal medicine specialistRebecca Littler for gastro-enterologycases, is downstairs to avoid anyaerosol contamination of theatres.

The third floor is occupied byspacious offices for the veterinary

consultants so they have a quiet areafor report writing and phoning clientsand referring veterinary surgeons.

New servicesCurrently the practice offers referralsin canine and feline medicine,

dermatology, ophthalmology, softtissue surgery and orthopaedicsurgery.

Plans for the future include theaddition of a cardiology service bythe end of theyear, and afterthat anoncologyservice tocomplementthe existingdisciplines.

A CTscanner isscheduled forinstallation inJune as anaddition to the

mobile MRI scanner which visitstwice monthly.

It is good to see that such a well-known and long-established practice isnot resting on its laurels butcontinuing to set the trends within theprofession.

1. MacAllister CG, et al. Equine Veterinary Journal 1999; Supplement 29:77-80. 2. Andrews FM, et al. Equine

Veterinary Journal 1999; Supplement 29: 81-86. 3. McClure SR, et al. JAVMA 2005; Vol 226:1681-1685.

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One or more of these clinical signs can point to

gastric ulcers in performance and leisure horses –

racehorses aren’t the only sufferers.

Following confirmation by endoscopy, GastroGard™

provides an effective, well-tolerated treatment for

this serious condition1,2 – something that no change

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Don’t let any horse suffer in silence – when you

see the signs of gastric ulcers, think gastric ulcer.

RUTLAND HOUSEVETERINARY HOSPITALIN 2008

■ First opinion veterinary hospitalin St Helens – eight full-timeequivalent veterinary surgeons

■ Six other branches around thearea, occupying three full-timeequivalent veterinary surgeons

RUTLAND HOUSEREFERRALS

■ New multi-disciplinary referralcentre four miles away from theoriginal hospital

■ Three partners, seven full-timeequivalent veterinary surgeons

■ Twenty VNs ■ Six support staff, plus additional

administrative support from thehospital

■ Six disciplines currently with twomore planned, each headed by adiplomate

■ Programme of internships andresidencies

Right:dermatologistSue Patersonand VN LydiaPayne use videootoscopy toflush a dog’s ear,Below: orthopodIan Barclay is thelongest-standingof the threepartners in theRutland Housepractice.

A play facility inthe waiting roomhelps keepyounger visitorsout of trouble.

PROFILE 25MAY 2008 VETERINARY PRACTICE

EQUINE26 VETERINARY PRACTICE MAY 2008

THE objective of Gastric UlcerAwareness Month (GUAM), firstheld in May last year, is to increaseawareness and understanding ofwhat is possibly one of the mostunder-diagnosed problems in theequine field.

The month is sponsored by Merialand supported by theBEVA.

The symptoms ofgastric ulcers can bevague and vary fromone horse to anotherand whilst it’sgenerally known thataround 90% ofracehorses in traininghave ulcers, it’sperhaps less wellknown that about 60%of performance horses and 40% ofleisure horses are also affected.

Following GUAM 2007, a numberof horses were identified, diagnosedand successfully treated for gastriculcers as a direct result of the publicitycampaign, thus improving the welfareand quality of life for the animals (andowners) concerned. Due to the vaguenature of the symptoms, many horseswere previously suspected of otherailments, general poor performance orbehavioural problems.

It would be easy to get complacentbecause, despite the building publicitysurrounding the condition, there is stilla very long way to go in creatingawareness and understanding among allthose involved in the equine industry.Gastric ulceration is still one of theUK’s most under-rated equineconditions.

During GUAM 2008, a high-profilecampaign will target horse owners,riders and trainers of all classes ofequines. This includes a series ofevents, feature articles, advertising andsupporting literature.

Events include a “Horse HealthMasterclass” for horse owners, takingplace in Oxfordshire, a seminar forracehorse trainers at NewmarketTattersalls, and two CPD forums forvets.

The first is a one-day CPD seminar“From the obvious to the obscure:medical conditions that put diagnosticskills to the test”.

The speakers are: Richard Hepburnof Willesley Equine Clinic speaking ongastric ulcers (very common); JohnWalmsley of The Liphook EquineHospital speaking on back problems(quite common); Andy Durhamspeaking on liver disease (quitecommon); and Dr Richard Newton ofthe Animal Health Trust on WestNile/African Horse Sickness (rare).

This full-day event is being held at

The National Water Sports Centre,Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham, on 7thMay. For details contact Bev Archer atMerial on 01279 775862 or e-mailbeverley.archer@merial.com.

There is also a BEVA CPD trainingevent sponsored by Merial and EVVeterinary Products to be held at

Willesley Equine on15th and 16th May.

The course issuitable for all levelsof veterinarians ingeneral and specialistequine practice. Eachdelegate will attendfor one of thepractical days and allwill attend the lectureevening on 15th May.

The main aim ofthis course is to teach effectivegastroscopy via direct hands-on smallgroup instruction. It is suitable forRCVS Module C-E 1 Gastrointestinaldisease and intensive care.

The speakers are Richard Hepburnand Dr Tim Brazil of Equine MedicineOn The Move; the tutors will beEmma Mitchell, temporary lecturer inequine medicine at the RVC, andRachel Conwell of Minster EquineVeterinary Clinic.

For details of this event contactBEVA on 01638 723 555 or visitwww.beva.org.uk.

DifferencesOn the preview day, following a tour ofthe hospital, Andy Durham, an RCVSspecialist in equine internal medicine,gave a presentation on gastriculceration.

Mr Durham explained that there arefundamental differences in human andequine ulcers. The equine condition is,in most cases, brought on by exposureto acid in the squamous mucosa in theupper half of the stomach; whereas thehuman stomach is completely linedwith a stratified glandular mucosa, it isonly the bottom part of the horse’sstomach that is so protected.

The normal pH at the margoplicatus is 4.1, rising to 5.5 in thesquamous fundus. A high proportionof gastric ulcers can be found in thearea of the margo plicatus.

In addition to this, humans onlysecrete acid into the stomach whenthey eat, whereas horses are designed tobe constant trickle feeders, releasingacid into the stomach constantlyregardless of whether or not they areeating.

In natural conditions, the horse willhave a constant flow of food filling thelower, protected part of the stomach.However, with modern stabling andexercise, the vulnerable top part of thehorse’s stomach can become exposedto acid.

A regular and constant intake offorage will help absorb the acid,whereas a high cereal intake within alow forage diet will make the stomachcontent very fluid. During exercise,pressure from the abdomencompresses the stomach, which in turnpushes the fluid level to the squamousmucosa.

Finally, Mr Durham discussed thesigns of gastric ulcers. They willgenerally cause low-grade pain, whichmeans that signs areoften vague. Inaddition, tolerance ofulcers will also varyfrom one horse toanother. The signs are:poor performance,picky appetite, mildweight loss, starey coat,colic, discomfort ongirth tightening and, in foals, salivationand teeth grinding.

Dr Emma Batson of Merial wenton to talk about risk factors, diagnosis,treatment and management forprevention.

Dr Batson demonstrated throughclinical trials that during 24 hours feeddeprivation, the acidity in the horse’sstomach falls to pH 2.0 or less for 76%of the time. She also noted that it’s

worth remembering that the acidsecreted into the stomach is 200 timesstronger than vinegar.

Trials have shown that in a horsethat has been starved for a few hours,exercise will have a more detrimentaleffect on ulcers than a horse that hasbeen on ad lib forage.

The less full the stomach (or more“fluid” if fed cereals), the exercise willmean that more acid will come intocontact with the vulnerable top part ofthe stomach.

In contrast, in a horse that has hadconstant access to forage, the stomach

contents will form amat-like barrier,protecting the upperpart of the stomach.Other risk factors for gastric ulcersinclude stableconfinement,transportation andanaesthesia.

GastroGard(omeprazole) is the

only licensed treatment for gastriculcers in the UK, Dr Batson said.Following treatment, however, it isimportant that, where possible,management changes are put in place,otherwise the ulcers may well return.These include access to ad lib hay orforage, turnout and, where possible,only small quantities of cereals.Exercise or training on an emptystomach should be avoided.

For those horses where the riskfactors remain high – due to thetraining regime for example – DrBatson explained that trials have shownthat an on-going preventive dose ofomeprazole at 1mg/kg will helpprevent ulcers from returning.

Concluding with a series of casestudies demonstrating where ulcershave been identified, diagnosed andtreated, Dr Batson said that, in somecases, the horses have made quitedramatic responses.

The vague signs associated withgastric ulcers, however, mean that insome horses the causes can bemultifactoral and so further

Raising awareness of gastric ulcers

reports on a previewevent at The Liphook

Equine Hospital inHampshire

for ‘gastric ulcerawareness month’

The live gastroscopy demonstration in progress.

Andy Durham.

EQUINE 27MAY 2008 VETERINARY PRACTICE

HORSE owners and their veterinaryadvisers have been given a powerfultool for controlling the incidence ofdisease in the UK equine population.

At the National Equine Forum inLondon on 27th March, GrahamSuggett, director of equine developmentat the British Equestrian Federation,announced the completion of thesecond phase of the National EquineDatabase.

This provides a single source ofinformation on the whole of thecountry’s horse population and is “atruly world-beating resource”, he said.

Set up with DEFRA funding tomonitor the equine passport system,for two years the database has beengathering data supplied by breedsocieties and other passport issuing

organisations (PIOs) on more than1.15 million horses.

After overcoming problems insoftware development, the BEF is nowable to offer free on-line access topedigree information on all horsesentered in the database with moredetailed data available later on acharged-for basis. Mr Suggett said thedatabase will provide objective evidenceto link breeding and performance andwill allow comparisons between horsescompeting in different sportingdisciplines.

It is hoped this will stimulate boththe domestic and export markets forUK horses and it will also providevaluable information for use in diseasesurveillance and control.

Disease threatsUpdates on two of the most seriousdisease threats to the UK’s equinepopulation were given by veterinariansattending the meeting.

Dr Pat Harris of the WalthamCentre for Pet Nutrition delivered apaper on behalf of the RVC’s ProfessorJosh Slater on the current state ofstrangles research.

In view of the serious economicand animal welfare implications of thishighly contagious endemic disease, itremained a high priority for fundingagencies, she explained.

This research has been furtherstimulated by the completion in 2006 ofthe full map of the Streptococcus equigenome. By comparing this with theDNA of the closely related but lessdangerous organism, Strep. zooepidemicus,researchers have been able to identifygeneticmarkers ofvirulence, a keystep towardsthe design ofan efficientvaccine.

The newknowledge hasalso helpedtowards thedevelopment of two new diagnostictests which have been made availableby the Animal Health Trust. Thesetechnologies are useful in identifyinganimals with mild or absent clinicalsigns which play such an important

role in disease transmission, she said.The second infectious condition has

not been recorded so far in the UK. Butchanges in the distribution of the insectvector of African horse sickness make itpossible that the disease could arrive tocause devastation within the UK horseindustry, warned Paul Jepson, chiefexecutive of the Horse Trust.

Brigadier Jepson’s organisation ispart of a DEFRAworking partyinvestigating measuresfor controlling thisdisease. The group haslearned valuable lessonsfrom the efforts to dealwith bluetongue,another exotic viralcondition spread by thesame Culicoides midges –notably that massslaughter is of limitedvalue in controlling thespread of the virusladen insects.

The best defence against the threatof similar problems with AHS isvigilance – “the worst scenario would bean outbreak of AHS in a ‘backstreet’pony that would probably gounrecognised, allowing the disease togain a foothold. Everyone dealing withhorses must be aware of the possibility

and anysuspiciousdeath orillnessreported andinvestigated.”

InfectiousconditionsNew data onnon-

infectious conditions arising fromroutine husbandry practices were alsodescribed at the meeting. SorayaMorscher of the department of lifescience at the University of Limerickpresented the results of a study which

won her a competition for the beststudent thesis in the equine sciencefield: the Eqvalan Duo Equine Thesisof the Year.

She analysed the data on 1,297foalings over 13 years at a large publicstud in County Kildare in an effort toidentify factors linked to problems inthe perinatal period. She found thatabout 17% of mares experienced

difficulties in delivery, aconsiderably higherfigure than in previousreports.

Meanwhile, theincidence of “red bagpresentations” (inwhich the placenta isexpelled prematurelywith potentially fatalconsequences for thefoal) was more than6.3%, again far higherthan the 1% stated inearlier reports.

This condition wasmore often associated with older maresand an increase in the number ofprevious deliveries.

Ms Morscher said new informationresulting from such work was valuablein monitoring any variation in theincidence of foaling complications thatmay result from changes inmanagement practices. This wasparticularly important because of therapid nature of the birth process in thisspecies – an average of 17 minutes –and the high economic value ofthoroughbreds.

“It is imperative to establish earlyon whether delivery of the foal andevents surrounding birth are withinnormal ranges: any aberration can posesignificant risk to the mare and thefoal,” she said.■ John McEwen, chairman of the

veterinary committee of the FEI,presented a paper on the health andwelfare challenges for horses at the2008 Olympics.

National databaseto help controlincidence ofdisease in horses

Nick Wallbridge, of the British Equestrian Federation, who developed thesoftware for the new database demonstrates its features to the Princess Royal;on the left is Graham Suggett.

Paul Jepson. Soraya Morscher.

investigation may be necessary todiagnose these.

GastroscopyThe day concluded with a livegastroscopy demonstrationperformed on a thoroughbredcompetition horse, approximately16hh, whose signs were significantresistance on girth tightening.Gastroscopy using a 3m videoendoscope is currently the onlydefinitive way to diagnose (oreliminate) ulcers.

The horse is sedated and theprocedure takes about 15 minutes,after which full recovery isdetermined by the level of sedation,but usually just a couple of hours. Inthis case no ulcers were found, thuseliminating them from the cause.

Earlier in the day Mr Durhamhad also performed a follow-upgastroscopy on a racehorse. Twoweeks earlier the horse, then intraining, had been diagnosed withgrade four ulcers (the highest level)and had since been on a treatmentdose of omeprazole.

The gastroscopy showed anormal healthy stomach and MrDurham’s recommendation was tocomplete the 28-day course oftreatment. The horse was in factthen being turned away for a periodand his management would bereviewed on his return to work.

MANAGEMENT28 VETERINARY PRACTICE MAY 2008

WITH the economy looking shaky,every business should be lookingto control its costs. But whilemany businesses are looking atsupplies, energy or staff, few arelooking at their bank account tosave expenses.

They should be. Alliance &Leicester believes businesses aremissing out on half a billion pounds ayear by failing to look for the bestbusiness deposit account. And theFederation of SmallBusinesses (FSB)believes that its125,000 members arepaying £65 millionmore than they needto in banking fees ontheir currentaccounts.

As Steve Jennings,business bankingdirector at A&L,points out,“Businesses mustreview their financesregularly” – and thatincludes asking ifthey’re getting what they need out oftheir bank, and what they’re payingfor it.

It’s certainly possible to get abetter deal. Over recent years, thenumber of banks providing servicesto business has increased. The BigFour still dominate the high street,but choice has been increased by theentry of Alliance & Leicester, the Co-Operative Bank and Abbey to thebusiness banking sector.

Less progressThe overwhelming majority ofbusinesses, however, still bank withthe major high street banks. Andthere’s been less progress here:despite the Office of Fair Tradingtelling banks to offer either freebusiness banking or interest onbusiness current accounts, the bankshave been dragging their feet. So ifyou’re with one of the big banks, itmay be time to investigate youroptions.

Some banks are now offering freeperiods to businesses which switch tothe bank, from six to 18 months.Abbey offers “free forever”. Read thesmall print though – because cashpayments, which can be significant forsome businesses, are often only freeup to a monthly limit.

There may also be a limitednumber of cheques you can pay in

per month before charges startcutting in.

There is no short cut to sittingdown with a spreadsheet and workingout the numbers. The right bankaccount for one business isn’tnecessarily the best for the businessnext door. Different amounts of cashand cheque payments can make a bigdifference. For instance, the RoyalBank of Scotland’s Free AutomatedTransactions Tariff, with no charges

for direct debits orstanding orders,would be useful formany businesseswith a regular streamof subscription ormaintenance income.But its high cashhandling chargeswould make itunsuitable for aretailer.

Many of themajor banks havemore than onebusiness tariff. It’s

worth checking thatyou are on the right one – again, thismeans sitting down with aspreadsheet, not just looking at thebrochure. Like all things in business,saving money on the business bankaccount requires a little hard work.

Any business which generallymaintains its account in credit shouldalso consider the effect of interest onits current account. While manyaccounts still don’t offer any intereston credit balances, others do – andthere’s a wide variance in the ratesoffered. Under £500 will only get aquarter of a per cent interest at manybanks, whereas HSBC and Lloyds willpay over 3%.

It’s possible that a cash-richbusiness with relatively few, largevalue transactions would get a betterdeal from an interest bearing currentaccount with bank charges than froma free account which doesn’t payinterest.

There are some good dealsavailable to FSB members (detailed inTable 1). The FSB has anarrangement with the Co-OperativeBank, offering a free account withsignificant savings over most of theother banks. Other good options areAbbey and Alliance & Leicester,which have set out to attract newbusiness customers and offerexcellent terms.

Save hassleBy the way, don’t forget that if youget a good offer from another bank, itmay well be worth going to your

existing bank and asking whether itcan match or beat it. If it can, you’llsave yourself the hassle of switchingwhile saving on bank charges too.

If you’re considering switching toa bank which doesn’t offer a charge-free period, ask if it can sweeten thedeal: many bank managers have alimited amount of discretion to usesuch offers in order to win newbusiness for their branch.

Many of the business banksadvertise the quality of their adviceand relationships with customers. Thequestion has to be whether you wantthe bank manager as your adviser –and whether you will get real valueout of that relationship.

‘Greatest supporter’ Some businesses claim the bankmanager is one of their greatestsupporters, and can help find themthe right finance to grow thebusiness. If that’s the case, you’rewith the right bank. If not, it’s worthconsidering a switch.

The Big Four banks, of course,offer branch-based business bankaccounts. Many business customers

prefer to have a branch bankingrelationship. But if you are happy towork over the internet, there aresome good deals available.

Cash handling needn’t be aproblem, since many banks use thePost Office network for paying inand offer access to LINK ATMs fortaking cash out.

Most banks handle basictransactions correctly and efficiently(if your bank makes mistakes onbasic transactions it’s time to switch,however good the deal you’recurrently getting!). However,switching an account may involvechanging a number of direct debitsand other automated arrangements.

It’s easy for these to go wrong, soduring the period immediately arounda change of bank, be extra vigilant inlooking at your statements andensuring suppliers, customers andemployees know they should tell youimmediately if there are anyproblems.

While choosing the right currentaccount is of first importance,choosing the right deposit accountsor debt finance can also be crucial in

Andrea Kirkby is a freelance businessjournalist with many years experienceof the City.

Banking: getting the best business deal

ANDREA KIRKBYreviews what’s on

offer and the need tokeep tabs on what

you are paying

Source: Moneyfacts/BBA business account finder, sole trader accounts.

Freeperiod

Free cash Freecheques

Cashcredit fee

Chequecredit fee

Intereston credit

AbbeyFree Dayto DayBankingForever

Permanent £3,000a monthby ATM

100 paidin a month,and up to100 cashand chequedebits amonth, free

50p/£100 50p 0.75-2.72%

NatwestStandard

None None None 57p/£100 3.25%

FSB/Coop Bank

Permanent Up to£4,000 amonth

Free 40p/£100above£4,000

None Yes – upto 4.49%

A&L FreeBusinessCurrentaccount

Permanent £4,000free permonth

Free andunlimited

35p/£100for NFRNmembers

BarclaysBusinessTariff

None None None 55p 28p 3.25%

TABLE 1

veterinary PR and marketing and whoseclients include SPVS, can now providewhat it calls “easy-to-use e-mailmarketing and online survey products”and “a full service e-marketing service”.

Practices can choose either tomanage their accounts themselves anddesign, write and distribute theirnewsletters in-house, or else opt for aservice which will include accountmanagement, design, copywriting anddistribution.

Principal consultant Marie Cartersaid that e-mail marketing would be thebest solution for practices looking topromote their services bycommunicating directly with existingand lapsed clients.

For details e-mail enquiries@mccommunications.org.uk or call Marieon 0191 373 7830.

Data transfersystem launchedA DATA-transfer system, created by aSPVS-led consortium, was unveiledduring the BSAVA congress.

The consortium leader, NickLloyd, who is IT officer of SPVS,introduced Vet-XML which, he said,allows information to be transmittedbetween practices and labs using a

common format.The consortium comprises

manufacturers and suppliers of practicemanagement systems, laboratory firmsand wholesalers. It allows differentsystems to communicate electronicallywith each other using the samelanguage. The consortium believes itwill also help improve the managementof clinical records.

For details see www.vetxml.org.

reducing the cost of finance to yourbusiness.

Many businesses don’t havedeposit accounts, but if there’s morecash in the current account than isneeded for business operations, it’sworthwhile getting a deposit account– the rate of interest will be higherthan on any current account.

Steve Jennings says many smallbusinesses still believe you need tohave a current account before a bankwill let you open a deposit account.In fact, stand-alone deposit accountsare widely available – and can oftenoffer better rates of interest.

Top accountsMany come from providers whichdon’t offer current accounts –Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander’sPremier Base Rate 90 has the highestrate of interest at 5.5%, according toMoneyfacts, with Bath BuildingSociety and Northern Rock alsoshowing up in the top accounts. Forloans, too, businesses can approachbanks other than their currentaccount provider.

The credit crunch may make itmore difficult to do so, so go armedwith evidence that your business hasstable revenues and profitability.

The credit crunch also means thatbanks may take a view that certaintypes of business should pay higherinterest rates on their finance – so itwill be doubly worth while checking

the market to see if you can get abetter rate.

Businesses which have usuallyrelied on an overdraft should beaware that rates are often better onfixed debt. Besides, if the economydoes worsen, a bank can insist that anoverdraft is repayable on demand –potentially putting a firm out ofbusiness.

Fix the debt with a term loan, andthis risk is removed – though the loanwill have to be either paid off, orrenewed, at the end of the loanperiod. Leasing deals can also workout well for businesses that have alarge asset base.

Finally, once you’ve selected yourbank (or banks), don’t forget to keeptabs on what you’re paying. Checkyour statements: banks can, and do,make mistakes when calculatingcharges. If there appears to be adiscrepancy between what you thinkyou ought to have paid, and theamount on the statement, query it –immediately.

Even though you can claim backwrongly applied bank charges for sixyears, it’s much easier to do soimmediately.

Banks are not the villains they areoften painted. They’re businessestrying to make a profit. But thatprofit could be your margin – soensure that you are getting a fair dealfrom your bank. And if you’re not,switch!

Charity trek in ChinaDOGS for the Disabled’s thirdcharity trek, The Great Wall ofChina Challenge, takes place from25th April to 4th May next year.

To take part in the challenge,you need to pay a registration feeof £250 and pledge to raiseminimum funds of £2,900 for thecharity. For further informationand an application formtelephone the event organiser,Action for Charity, on 0845 4082698 or e-mailevents@actionforcharity.co.uk;details are also on the website,www.actionforcharity.co.uk.

MANAGEMENT 29MAY 2008 VETERINARY PRACTICE

GenitrixAnimal Health and Nutrition

FURTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE FROM GENITRIX

BILLINGSHURST, RH14 9JS. TELEPHONE; 01403 786345

Topical Ivermectin Products forsmall mammals, reptiles and birds.

Now availablein spray andspot-on

formulations

Simplifying the rota processAT Veterinary Systems has launched anew product designed to simplify theprocess of creating and managing staffrotas. Rota Manager is described as thefirst product of its kind to take on thecomplex but essential task of veterinarystaff management.

Its objectives are to improve staffefficiency; slash the time it takes toproduce rotas; make life easier for thosecharged with producing rotas; reducethe mountains of paper generated bymanual rotas; and ensure a rota isimmediately available on everycomputer screen in a practice.

The most recent ManagementAnalysis Indices (MAI) figuresproduced by AT show wide variationsin the total fees earned per vet even inpractices charging similar amounts.

The firm says that closerinvestigation reveals a multitude ofcauses for this but a significant factor ishow staff rotas are managed, indicatingthat those practices with lower turnoverfigures may benefit from implementingimproved time and rota managementsystems.

A survey carried out by the MAIteam in March also shows that the

typical management time taken forcreating staff rotas for vets, nurses andreceptionists can vary immensely. Inlarger practices (with 30 plus staff) it isnot unusual for over 600 managementhours per year to be spent on creatingand managing staff rotas. This figuredoes not take into account time spenton making follow-up changes to it.

The survey also indicates that as apractice gets larger, the number ofman-hours it takes to create the staffrotas increases almost exponentially,owing to the multiple complexitiesinvolved with accommodatingadditional staff preferences and so on.

The stats are further supported byfeedback from the survey; many vets,practice managers and head nursesdescribed staff rota writing as a“chore”, “headache”, “a nightmare of ajob”, and “a thankless task”.

E-mail marketingserviceMC Communications of Durham hasjoined forces with Constant Contact, aprovider of e-mail marketing and onlinesurveys, to help veterinary practicespromote their services.

The PR and copywritingconsultancy, which specialises in

ON THE ROAD30 VETERINARY PRACTICE MAY 2008

MARILYN Monroe will, forever, bean icon of the establishment.Vivacious, vulnerable and so veryvenal, her appeal transcended theobvious and appealed to generationsacross all creeds, classes andconventions.

Yet, when youlook at her, it’sintriguing that, whilenone of her featureswas in itself thatbeautiful, when seentogether, as a person,she was radiantlyattractive.

Visual appeal isnot just intriguing, it’ssomething that, as amere male, I imagine Iwill never properlyunderstand. Thankfully,we’re all different from one anotherwhich should give me a fighting chancebut it does perplex me that when I askwomen whom they find attractive, thelist ranges from Liam Neeson, JackNicholson, Leonardo Di Caprio toRobert de Niro. I mean, how can thefemale of the species find these guys allso attractive when they’re all sodifferent.

Each one, individually, yes, ofcourse I can see the attraction butthere’s no discernible pattern here, nocommon thread. I do accept that thiswill, forever, be one of the gendermysteries that I may never fathom but itdid set me wondering where else theleast straightforward answer proves tobe the right one.

Recently I’ve been driving a NissanQashqai and, here too, the sum of theparts far exceeds the individualcomponents.

Thoroughly likeableOverall, this is a thoroughly likeable car– a fact well recognised by the publicwho seem to have bought rather a lot ofthem. Like Ms Monroe, the Qashqai hasno individual, exquisite features but the

final result is extremelycapable and userfriendly.

The Qashqai isNissan’s version of atrue cross-overvehicle in a rapidlygrowing marketsector and is equallyat home in an urbanenvironment as wellas a rural one. Thepress marketing thataccompanied the carwas keen to point itout as being “100%

urbanproof ”. What this means is amystery to me. All I know is that thetwo-wheel-drive version I tested wouldstruggle to herd sheep in the Himalayas,but would excel at driving up slightlymuddy driveways whilst dropping thekids to school.

So in today’s terms it could beconsidered an adequate off-roader,which would frankly be more than mostpeople require. Powered by a choice oftwo petrol and two diesel engines, someof the engines can sound a little coarse,particularly the 1.5dCi as tested (thesmaller of the diesels), but all produceacceptable performance and the 2.0dCimight be a better option if you intendto work the car hard whilst expectingreasonable fuel economy.

Over the week I saw a regular returnof over 45mpg, which is outstanding fora car of its size and capability. However,any lack of exhilarating performance

doesn’t really matter. It goes wellenough to suit its personality which isboth accommodating and, somehow,rather charming.

No one complained!It’s spacious and so easy to live with thatI really didn’t want to give it back at theend of the test period. It swallowedtrips to B&Q without murmur,digesting great sheets of hardboard andaluminium ladders with ease.

It carried five of us on a day trip incomfort and, rather unusually, no onecomplained about anything at all.

Legroom front and rear is excellent,the seats are comfortable andsupportive, they fold easily, and accessto the rear is simple and straightforward.The six-speed gearbox is light andprecise and a joy to use.

All in all, the Qashqai was anexcellent companion and workhorse allrolled into one. True, the test car, inAcenta trim, came in a dreadful, metalliccopper colour with orange and blackcheck upholstery to match but, in amore sober suit of clothes and withleather trim, the Qashqai would be asmuch at home on the forecourt of the

Dorchester as it would be in the muddylanes of Borchester.

Safe, comfortable and capable, thisis an excellent family car either in 2wdor 4wd form. Above all, the huge,panoramic glass roof not only looksterrific from outside but allows theinterior to be light, airy and somehowrather cheerful.

To be honest, I would have onetomorrow but I’m not sure I’d ever getover the feeling that, one evening, Imight find it crooning “Happy BirthdayMr President” from under flutteringeyelashes, and that one day I wouldwake up to find the CIA taking anunhealthy interest.

Some like it hot!

ROBBIE TIFFIN tried out the NissanQashqai Acenta and

wanted to keep it

Calling veterinary show-jumpersTHE French Association of Veterinary Riders (AFVC) isinviting all veterinary riders to compete in the FirstWorld Veterinary Equestrian Show Jumping Cup, to beheld in Lure (France) from 3rd to 6th July this year. Theevent is open to all qualified veterinarians andveterinary students, who may participate with orwithout their own horse.

The event will include four show-jumpingcompetitions (one per day), while the social programmeconsists of a gala evening (Friday), a dinner-dance(Saturday, sponsored by Merial) and a Sunday lunch.The major sponsor of the event is Equistro/Vétoquinol.

The veterinary show-jumping event will coincidewith France’s 6th Grand National show-jumping competition, also held in Lure.

New award for equine vetsPETPLAN Equine is to sponsor a new award at this year’s Animal Health TrustAwards: the Petplan Equine Vet of the Year. This, says the company, is inrecognition of the huge contribution made by local vets to the equine community.Owners and riders will be able to nominate their local equine vet for the award ifthey feel he or she is deserving of the recognition that this accolade would bring. Ashort list will be drawn up from the nominations received and an independentpanel will judge the winner, who will receive the award at the AHT’s EquestrianAwards in London on 6th November.

AT A GLANCENissan Qashqai 1.5dCi Acenta

Price: £17,889 (as tested); £16,399list price OTR

Power: 106PS

0-62 mph: 12.2 seconds

Top speed: 108mph

Fuel economy: combined 52.3mpg

Insurance group: 14

OVERALL: ++++/5

MONEY 31MAY 2008 VETERINARY PRACTICE

THE ISA concept was introducedby the then Chancellor, GordonBrown, in his first budget and wasfirst made available to the public in1999. ISAs are an effective wrapperfor investments thatprotect fundsdeposited in themfrom both incomeand capital gainstaxes, althoughunlike pensions theydo not benefit fromtax relief oncontributions.

ISAs also have theadded benefit ofbeing easily accessibleand funds can beremoved as and whenthe investor wishes,although there are limitson contributions within each tax year.

Currently ISAs (or individualsavings accounts) are held by morethan 16 million individual investors,with policies worth more than £180billion.

In the current 2008-09 tax year,people will be allowed to save up to£3,600 into a cash ISA and up to£7,200 in a stocks and shares ISA,within an overall annual savings limit of£7,200. This is an increase on lastyear’s contribution limits which werelimited to £3,000 into a cash ISA andup to £7,000 in a stocks and sharesISA, within an overall annual savingslimit of £7,000.

In addition, ISA savers will be ableto invest in twoseparate ISAs each taxyear: a cash ISA and astocks and sharesISA. For example,investors can chose tosave £1,000 in a cashISA with one providerand £6,200 in a stocksand shares ISA with adifferent provider.

Also, thedistinction betweenmini and maxi ISAs will no longerexist. Mini cash ISAs, TOISAs and thecash component of a maxi ISA willautomatically become cash ISAs. Ministocks and shares ISAs and the stocksand shares component of a maxi ISAwill automatically become stocks andshares ISAs.

It should also be noted that from6th April this year, all Personal EquityPlans (PEPs) will automatically becomestocks and shares ISAs. Investors willbe able to invest in this re-labelled PEPas long as they haven’t subscribed toanother stocks and shares ISA duringthe current tax year.

Last December the Government

also announced that any cash saved sofar in ISAs could eventually be rolledforward into a new stocks and sharesISA, without infringing that year’scontribution limit. This means ISA

savers will be able totransfer money savedin their cash ISA totheir stocks and sharesISA.

So now we havedealt with the basicdetails, here are ourtop tips for ISAinvestment in theforthcoming tax year.

BlackRock MerrillLynch Gold &General During periods of

economic uncertainty,like the one we are currently facing,investments into gold can be a highlyattractive option. This is because gold isa stateless investment that has auniversal appeal. The climate for gold isas good as it’s been in recent history.

The jewellery industry is the majormarket for this commodity and theenhanced wealth in the middle classes ofIndia and China has dramaticallyescalated the demand for gold. This hasmeant that since 1999 the gold price hasmore than tripled, reaching an all-timepeak of $913 an ounce on 15th January.

Even at current prices it looksexcellent value and we think growingdemand could continue to bolster theprice. Although it must be remembered

that this is not certain,and that prices maywell go down as wellas up.

We at AllchurchBailey believe the(BlackRock) MerrillLynch Gold &General Fund is anexcellent way to investin this sector and agreat way for investorsto benefit over the

long term from the increased demandfor gold.■ Performance: 1 year, 41.57%; 3 years,

160.83%; 5 years, 253.66%.

Jupiter European SpecialSituations As investors remain concerned aboutthe credit markets and the impact of aslowdown in the US, the manager ofJupiter’s European Special Situationsportfolio has balanced his fund with agreater bias towards larger companies.

He believes many have been soldindiscriminately so he is using thisopportunity to buy his favourites atbargain levels. We believe this strategy

will prove beneficial for the investorover the longer term.■ Performance: 1 year, 1.01%; 3 years,

64.91%; 5 years, 191.98%.

Invesco Perpetual MonthlyIncome Plus If you are looking for a high incomewith the potential for capital growth,and are able to invest for the longterm, we believe you should definitelylook at this fund.

First, it currently offers a yield of7.5% gross (variable and notguaranteed). Within an ISA theincome is completely tax-free, andyou can either withdraw it monthly orroll it up with the fund enhancinggrowth.

Secondly, all the signals indicatethat this could be one of the besttimes to invest in fixed interest foralmost 10 years. The last time bondswere this attractive was the turn ofthe millennium.

Today yields are at a similar levelto February 2000, but valuations areeven lower. This means investors whoact now have the opportunity tobenefit from these income levels. Inaddition if valuations rise there is also

the potential for capital growth.Please remember though that allfunds can fall in value as well as rise.

Finally, the fund has the capacityto invest throughout the market, andit is managed by one of the best fixedinterest teams in the UK.

In summary, we believe this is anopportunity that we might not seeagain for many years. This is why werecommend the Invesco PerpetualMonthly Income Plus fund as an idealhome part of your 2008-09 ISAallowance.■ Performance: 1 year, -5.81%; 3 years,

13.83%; 5 years, 65.24%.

Finally, if you want to secure yourISA allowances but don’t want tomake an investment decision today,you can hold cash within an ISA at6.15% tax free until you decide uponthe next best course of action.

Nico Kontou Goymer can be contacted atAllchurch Bailey Investment Consultants Ltd,Almswood House, 93 High Street, Evesham,WR11 4DU; telephone 01386 442597, e-mailinvest@allchurchbailey.co.uk, website

Investment ideas for your 2008-09 ISA

NICO GOYMERdiscusses some of theoptions now available

and provides some tips for this tax year

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