The Webinar Gazette March 2022 by thewebinarvet

MARCH 2 0 2 2

The

Webinar Gazette

WHAT’S INSIDE: CPD’ers of the month

Speaker of the month

CEO Update

Simply Vets

David’s reviews

TVE

Introduction from

Anthony Chadwick I am writing this whilst skiing in France. I am one of the world’s worst skiers and having not skied for six years I have got worse. I think it doesn’t help that I am getting older with a slightly dodgy hip making the turns more difficult! Tant pis! I hope you have managed some restful time since Christmas. I am trying to model to the team the importance of rest and recuperation and time together as a team which has been difficult during Covid. I would thoroughly recommend the MSD Animal Health One Health symposium this month h t t p s : / / w w w. t h e w e b i n a r v e t . c o m / campaigns/2022/one-health Also the webinars about the effect of the pandemic on our pets from a behavioural perspective which is being sponsored by Bought By Many and presented by the very

eminent behaviourist, Sarah Heath. https://www.thewebinarvet.com/pages/ bought-by-many-register-free-pandemicpet-series/ I’m beginning to travel a bit more with some visits down to London in the next few weeks to see the students at the RVC and attend the Veterinary Marketing Association’s annual lunch last held in 2019. If you are at either event, please come and say hello! Finally, I’m proud to announce our first ever physical discussion summit which will be held at Brockholes Nature Reserve in Preston. It’s all about how can we further the regeneration agenda in the veterinary profession and will take place on 22-23rd June. This will be an event which colleagues will need to apply to attend and show appropriate green credentials. In other words, colleagues who want to make a

difference for the environment and the flora and fauna occupying it. Let me know if you are interested! Best wishes, Anthony. CPDers of the month combined total of 151 hours 1st

Slawomir Pasko

2nd

Beata Skiba

3rd

Signe Bagge Jensen

4th

Morag Evans

5th

James Baxter

CEO update

Amelia, Paige and Neil The Webinar Vet team are delighted that our team grew last month, as we welcomed Amelia, Paige and Neil. Amelia Sherwood has joined as our Key Account Manager and will be working very closely with our membership team. Paige Lindhal joined us as our FrontEnd Developer and Neil Benson our Head of Tech. We’ve been working on our new financial year strategy and budgets over recent weeks, and we have such exciting plans for our platforms; not just The Webinar Vet site but Simply Vets and WikiVet too. These new team additions with really enable us to drive these plans forward, and I’m so delighted to have them on board! You can find out more about our team and connect with them on LinkedIn below: https://www.thewebinarvet.com/pages/about-us/ We have a busy month ahead with 21 webinars to bring you! Our practice management webinar with VMG looks brilliant, with Chris White discussing how to engage your team in establishing a set of values, a vision, and a strategy appropriate to your practice. Whether you are starting with a blank sheet of paper or revising your existing ones, are independent or working within a corporate framework, the right approach will help you recruit, retain, and engage a practice team that will make your practice stand out from the competition. https://www.thewebinarvet.com/schedule We’re also delighted to be delivering another event in March, this time with MSD Animal Health. One Health is a collaborative, multi-disciplinary approach to solving important health issues that recognizes the connection between people, animals, and their shared environment. A key health issue that would benefit from a One Health approach is vector-borne diseases. The global landscape for vector-borne diseases is changing, and the impact

is seen in increasing risks for people and animals. The One Health approach is critical for understanding and managing these risks for people and companion animals. Hear from experts in infectious disease, public health, parasitology and veterinary medicine as they discuss applying a One Health lens to this developing global issue. We’d love you to join us on 3rd March to find out more: https://www.thewebinarvet.com/campaigns/2022/one-health The final live webinars I’d like to give a special shout out to are the BBM webinars. We met the BBM team at LVS in November and have been working closely with them and Sarah Heath to ensure this Series is wonderful! There will be three webinars all delivered by Sarah, focusing on pandemic pets: Pandemic puppies – unravelling the impact of C-19 related changes The C-19 pandemic – how has it affected dogs and their caregivers What impact did the C-19 pandemic have on feline patients? https://www.thewebinarvet.com/pages/bought-by-many-registerfree-pandemic-pet-series/ Thank you for the feedback on our podcasts to date and what you’d like us to cover this coming year, so much wonderful feedback for us to consider and podcasts for us to arrange! We hit a milestone of 25k podcast listens last month. After deciding we wanted to make podcasts a focus last quarter, the results have been incredible! A huge thank you to Fio and Charlie from our team for making the magic happen, and to you all for your continued support and listening to Anthony and I each week! https://www.thewebinarvet.com/pages/vetchat-podcasts/

Meet the team

Ben Furfie Tell us a little bit about yourself?

Favourite thing about the company?

Resident Aussie Ben has been building websites and apps since 1999. After working as a technology and business journalist for over a decade – with stints in the Middle East – he switched to focusing on development full-time in 2012. He is passionate about helping people to learn, and improve themselves, as well as improving the gender imbalance in the web development industry.

The focus on learning. Like vets, software developers constantly have to learn to keep on top of the latest techniques and best practices. The company lives and breathes continuous learning for vets, and that approach extends to its own staff. It’s unfortunately quite a rare trait.

What is your role at TWV?

We have ambitious plans to really improve your experience of using the site, so I’m focused on delivering that!

I’m the Development Manager at Alpha Vet – The Webinar Vet’s parent company – meaning I’m responsible for the team that builds and fixes The Webinar Vet, as well as The Vet Exhibition, WikiVet, and Simply Vets. How long have you worked at TWV?

Any goals for 2022?

If you weren’t in this role what else would you be doing? (not TWV) Probably doing the same thing for another company, to be honest. I’m lucky that I really enjoy the job, and that my work has such a big impact on other people’s quality of life.

I joined the company back in April 2021, after three years at Ciscoowned IMImobile, as global head of marketing web development.

Member Spotlight

Elijah Brown

Thank you so much WebinarVet for highlighting me this month! I feel so special. I must say that your webinars are like a library and reference tool for me since we lack specialists where I practice in Trinidad & Tobago in the Caribbean. You have helped me become an awesome GP! Thank You! 1.

Which webinar did you enjoy the most this month? Battling Burnout with Vetoquinol - Webinar 2

Did you attend any large events this month? If so, which? Virtual Congress 2022.

What was the biggest take-home message you learned this month from our webinars? Mental health is extremely important. You never know how exhausted you are until you sit back and do some self-care.

Are you looking forward to any future webinars or events from The Webinar Vet? Definitely! I love the virtual congress and the Health and Wellbeing webinars.

Finally, if you wish to include an invitation to follow you on a social media platform, please provide the platform and your username here: I love clinical pathology. Check my posts on the facebook group Veterinary Cytology Coffeehouse: Cases and Conversation. You can also find my personal interests on instagram @masterfow

Round-Up: February 2022 Thursday Night Clinical Sessions:

Ferrets are being kept solely as pets much more frequently and owners understandably look to their vet to provide the same level of care expected for their dogs and cats.

This seminar will review pancreatitis in dogs and cats focusing on distinguishing clinical and laboratory findings, gold standard diagnostic tests and updated treatment recommendations including early nutritional support.

WATCH WEBINAR

The first part of the webinar focused merely on the eyeball. This second part covers the adnexa of the eye and other anatomical structures in close relationship with it.

This presentation concerns the applied anatomy of the eye. This first part is an overview on the eyeball itself. Each of the three tunics will be described in detail, as well as the lens and fluids within the tunics. Whenever possible, clinical references will ...[read more]

WATCH WEBINAR

Thursday night sessions take place LIVE each week at 8:30pm GMT, take a look at our schedule to see what is coming up this month.

SCHEDULE

Managing Pain to Live and Work Well Our new 6-week live online webinar course began last month, which is designed to help people struggling with enduring pain to better manage their symptoms and to live happier, more meaningful lives. Sessions 1 and 2 are available to watch on-demand now for our Unlimited Vet members:

Also released in February How do I set effective fees for veterinary services?

CLICK HERE by Dr Karen Felsted

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT Available to Practice Management and Unlimited Vet members

Analysis of Fertility Performance Data

CLICK HERE by Ginny Sherwin

FARM

Available to Farm and Unlimited Vet members

Haematology and biochemistry results in equines: interpretation and significance.

CLICK HERE by Dr. Stacey A. Newton

EQUINE

Available to everyone, with thanks to NationWide Labs

Urine for a treat! Urinalysis for RVN’s

CLICK HERE

If you are not an Unlimited Vet member and wish to benefit from this course, you can find more information here:

CLICK HERE

by Sophie McMurrough

NURSE

Available to Nurse and Unlimited Vet members

Practical considerations for reducing antimicrobial resistance in equine practice

CLICK HERE by Zoe Gratwick

EQUINE

Available to Equine and Unlimited Vet members

thevetexhibition.com

Welcome to THE Vet Exhibition! MSD Animal Health have a fantastic showroom right at the entrance of THE Vet Exhibition where you can learn all about Vector Borne Diseases! There are eight pioneering videos to listen to, be sure to check them out this month!

You can also visit the Royal Canin virtual pop-up store from the outside of THE Vet Exhibition! Here you will find lots of information, images and videos; I’d highly recommend watching the KITTENHOOD video located on the TV screen towards the back of the pop-up store. Also, don’t forget that you can gain access to the Royal Canin Event Centre by making your way to the back of the pop-up store! Here you can view on-demand content, network with your colleagues and speak to the Royal Canin team.

Once you have visited our key exhibitors from the outside of THE Vet Exhibition, make your way inside to view our fabulous podcast lounge! Pop on a pair of virtual headphones and listen to our Sustainability series and Empowering Women series!

From the main atrium, you will also be able to view the Purina virtual stand and the new and improved Webinar Vet stand!

From The Webinar Vet Stand you learn more about our memberships and our conferencing facilities through our partner Conference Virtually! We have also redesigned our Simply Vets & WikiVet Zone where you can learn more about each unit and speak with our teams for more information.

The NationWide Laboratories exhibition booth sits right outside the auditoriums so once you have watched your webinars, be sure to click on their stand to find out more! Have a question? Click on the ‘ask a question’ hotspot located above the scientist and a member of the NationWide Laboratories team will be on hand to help! This month, NationWide will have some fantastic content on Diseases of the Urinary System.

Our exhibition hall is also open for you to take a sneak peak of the partners we have worked with since launching almost a year ago! To book a demo or to enquire about advertising or exhibiting within THE Vet Exhibition, email me today! I look forward to ‘seeing’ you in THE Vet Exhibition soon! Stephanie, THE Vet Exhibition Show Manager

About Simply Vets

With the new layout of the Alpha Vet International Newsletter, we wanted to remind you about who we are here at Simply Vets. We purchased Simply Locums as it was then called in July 2019. Anthony got more involved with Simply Locums in January 2021 and changed the name to Simply Vets as he wanted to move it in a different direction. As Anthony had helped fix the CPD/CE problem with The Webinar Vet, he wanted to be a part of the solution around veterinary recruitment. Veterinary jobs are some of the best in the world. Many of us have come into the profession full of enthusiasm and with a genuine love of animals and it breaks our hearts when we see younger colleagues having that enthusiasm squeezed out of them. Over the past 10 years, Anthony has seen a resource problem develop in veterinary practice. Independent practices have sold out to corporates with a concomitant loss of talent as older members of the profession leave prematurely. More practices are opening leading to smaller practices with longer hours for the vets and nurses. This means vets and nurses are becoming disheartened working in practice and leaving the profession entirely. Compounded with vets and nurses leaving the practice scene to start a family and then returning on a part-time basis or not at all, there is a shortage of veterinary professionals in the UK. We saw vets and nurses struggling to fill positions in their practices and having to work even harder to compensate for those who had left the profession. This has worsened during the pandemic and may worsen again as we come out of the pandemic with a burnout profession. Brexit and IR35 tax changes have further complicated the situation. How can Simply Vets be part of the solution? Part of the problem is that recruitment is another old traditional industry much like the veterinary CPD industry was 11 years ago. Anthony pioneered the use of technology 11 years ago along with exceptional client service and high-quality content and he’s started doing the same thing at Simply Vets. The vision was to make it easy for high-quality practices to meet up with high-quality locums. We help Webinar Vet practice members and a couple of the corporates to meet locums who we try to nurture and develop by giving them access to our top-quality clinical training and personal development tool. Some of this is around mindset, mindfulness, and gratitude. Our engagement hub makes it easy for vets, nurses, and practices to meet up and organise work together. Anthony believes that there are enough vets and nurses around but we must improve the way we all communicate through digital transformation along with an exceptional concierge service from the team. We already have close to 100 vets and nurses who we are helping to navigate the IR35 changes as well as helping them to find high-quality work. Something that makes us unique. If you would like to find out more about Simply Vets, and see what we can do for you, please call on 0151 541 1587 or send us an email at info@simplyvets.com Thanks for everything that you do for the profession and the animals! Love, Anthony Chadwick and The Simply Vets Team

Meet the team

Chloe Ding Tell us a little about yourself: I live in Liverpool with my German Shepherd Nova. When I’m not working, you can find me out and about with her – in the park, at the beach, hiking, group walks with other dogs, and training. As you can tell, I am a little bit obsessed with her! What is your role at Simply Vets? As a Client Executive, I’m responsible for looking after our candidates by helping them find their perfect role and provide payroll & admin support. How long have you worked for Simply Vets? Just over 8 months! Favourite thing about the company? The people! The best part of my day is talking to vets & nurses and finding them their ideal role. Any goals for 2022? We are close to having 100 vets & nurses using our recruitment and payroll service. One of the goals this year is to continue to grow our community! If you weren’t doing this role what else would you be doing? I’m currently doing a diploma on canine behaviour and would love to become a dog trainer. Harry Marshall Tell us a little about yourself: When I’m not working, I like spending some time on the golf course and having a drink with my friends. I also enjoy travelling, so I’m excited that everything has started to open up again now! What is your role at Simply Vets? I’m a Marketing Executive, so I send out all the emails, put up all the jobs and manage the social media pages. How long have you worked for Simply Vets? 9 months Favourite thing about the company? The focus on the customer – everything is about providing the best service to our vets, nurses and practices. The people are great too. Any goals for 2022? To continue helping locums, permanent employees, and practices with everything recruitment based. We are also looking at some pretty snazzy website additions in the near future, so keep an eye out for those at simplyvets.com If you weren’t doing this role what else would you be doing? Working with horses in some capacity.

What does Simply Vets do?

Here at Simply Vets, we like to think we are a bit more than just a recruitment company. Being a small, vet run company offering a boutique service we provide a personal, tailored service to locums, permanent employees, practices, and new grads.

Locum Recruitment and Payroll We provide a concierge service for locums, listening to your preferences and requirements, before finding the contract for you. When you find your perfect contract, you have the option of using our payroll. Simply Vets is different from other umbrella companies as you get a recruitment and a payroll service rolled up into one. Not only are we experts with payroll, but we are experts specifically for the Veterinary field! Here are a few points on why we think we offer the best payroll service out there: Increase your take-home pay Unlike many umbrella and payroll companies, you are not charged to submit a timesheet or levy a monthly fee with Simply Vets. We also don’t charge you for Employer’s National Insurance, the result is a much higher take-home pay for you! Free CPD Membership You get a free membership with our sister company, The Webinar Vet, to complete all of your CPD requirements if you work 10 shifts per month via the Simply Vets payroll service - a saving of £500 per year for you! Introductions to practices The recruitment team at Simply Vets are experienced in finding exactly the right role for you. With contacts all over the UK, let us know your preferences and we will go out and find a contract that matches them. You also have the freedom to find a contract yourself if you prefer and you can even switch to us midway through an ongoing contract. Invitations to Locum Events/Webinars We want our locums to be the most confident locums in the world, so you benefit from Simply Vets running our member only webinars. They are run live in the evening with our experts, so you have a chance to ask any questions alongside watching their presentation.

Permanent Recruitment Looking for work can feel like a job in itself, so take away that hassle by contacting us to talk about your next role. When it comes to recruitment, a one-size-fits-all approach is never an option, which is why we like to get to know you and your preferences before sending you any job descriptions. If you are worried about making the jump to another practice, there is no need. Being a hybrid of payroll and recruitment, Simply Vets can arrange for you to have a day or two in practice as a locum before committing. You’ll see the practice in action, get a taste for the clients and the staff.

This way you can make sure it is the right fit, first. You won’t have to worry about any of the background admin, it is all taken care of for you so you can focus on making the right decision for you. If you are a bit rusty in the recruitment department... fear not! Check out our career zone at simplyvets.com/career-zone for a treasure trove of tips and tricks. There you can find an example CV, a CV writing guide, and tips for your next interview.

Practices Simply Vets has joined forces with The Webinar Vet to come up with a joint offering of recruitment and CPD with plans from £999. This covers all your recruitment needs as well as unlimited access to premium webinar access, CPD bundles & courses for 2 vets and 2 nurses for a year. It also comes with priority job listings, a waived locum placement fee, lower payroll daily rates and a reduction in permanent recruitment fees for all placements via Simply Vets. Our mission is to make things easy for you, so take out the hassle and get in touch with Simply Vets on 0151 541 1586 or info@simplyvets.com

Speaker of the month

Zoe Gratwick

RCVS and European Specialist in Equine Internal Medicine

RCVS and European Specialist in Equine Internal Medicine Zoë is a consultant in equine internal medicine for Axiom Veterinary Laboratories and offers visiting medical referrals, case support and training for vets through her business ‘Specialist Equine Medical Services’. Zoë is particularly interested in the investigation of chronic disease, infectious diseases and antimicrobial therapy. Zoë graduated from the University of Liverpool with both a veterinary degree and a master’s degree in veterinary parasitology. She initially worked in a rural mixed practice, before undertaking an internship at the University of Nottingham and subsequently a residency at the University of Pretoria in South Africa. In 2017 she returned home to the UK, working in private practice as an internal medicine clinician before joining the Axiom team and starting her business.

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WEBSITE

"Becoming Carbon Neutral – a guide to Why, How and When." presented by Chantelle Brandwood, which will take place on Wednesday 16th March 2022 at 8:00pm GMT

Join Vet Sustain for an in-depth look at Carbon Neutrality and carbon offsetting. We will discuss what becoming carbon neutral really means and how it’s only part of a strong sustainability strategy. We’ll look at offsetting, it’s pros and cons, and how we can source ethical projects, which benefit communities and wildlife alongside carbon reduction. Supporting your teams with any changes you’re making can be a challenge, we’ll explore how you can implement your sustainability initiatives and engage your team at the same time.

SAVE YOUR SEAT By registering to attend this live webinar you will also gain access to the on-demand recording which will be available 24 hours later, to watch at your leisure.

Becoming Carbon Neutral – a guide to Why, How and When. Taking place live on Wednesday 16th March 2022 at 8:00pm GMT Presented by Chantelle Brandwood, founder of Eco Offset This webinar is free to attend with thanks to Vet Sustain and Animalcare

“All You Wanted to Know About Easter Rabbits (…and Guinea pigs…and rats…and Degus…and….)” presented by John Chitty, which will take place on Tuesday 19th April 2022 at 8:00pm BST.

A question and answer session on small mammals- please send in your questions and these will be built into the presentation…and hopefully answered! After you register to attend this webinar, look out for your confirmation email as this will include an email address where you can send any questions you have for John before the event takes place.

SAVE YOUR SEAT By registering to attend this live webinar you will also gain access to the on-demand recording which will be available 24 hours later, to watch at your leisure.

All You Wanted to Know About Easter Rabbits (…and Guinea pigs…and rats…and Degus…and….) Taking place live on Tuesday 19th April 2022, 8:00pm BST Presented by John Chitty BVetMed CertZooMed MRCVS This webinar is free to attend with thanks to Burgess Excel.

Thu Mar 3rd, 2022 - Wed Mar 9th, 2022 Endometriosis Awareness Week ENDOMETRIOSIS AWARENESS WEEK

VETchat

In this episode, Kathryn and Alexandra discuss the topic of Endometriosis and Adenomyosis. Endometriosis is a longterm condition where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other places, such as the ovaries and fallopian tubes. Adenomyosis occurs when the tissue that normally lines the uterus grows into the muscular wall of the uterus. ThAe displaced tissue continues to act normally — thickening, breaking down and bleeding — during each menstrual cycle. Alexandra was diagnosed around 35 years old and explains her experience with both conditions. They discuss how common it is to be affected, the impacts it may have on mental health such as learning to live with fertility problems, and how Alexandra now hopes to help others who are also struggling with either condition. If you would like further information, you can read our blog post on this topic here.

Large animal content Spring is here... improve your farm and horse knowledge in time for the season ahead! Spring is the season for breeding and foaling horses, so we bring you this fabulous bundle called Equine Reproduction Bundle , where you will find 4 hours of content for just £32 (+VAT), on how to improve your ovulation predictions skills, information on high-risk gestation mares, twin pregnancies and much more invaluable information you can take with you to work over the spring season.

If your interests lie elsewhere, don’t worry - we’ve got you covered! We have more equine bundles available; one on emergency, acute and chronic disease, and another one about all things equine. Don’t miss the opportunity to improve your knowledge in all these topics of interest for the season - or rather to say, for the whole year! Equine Emergency, Acute and Chronic Disease Bundle includes the best approach to an equine emergency patient, care and complications of an equine with postoperative colic, respiratory tract emergencies, and much more. And with 8 hours of content, the Equine Bundle is a fantastic place to find all things equine, from pruritic horse cases to the equine cardiac examination.

If equine dentistry is your thing, then look no further than our jam-packed Equine Dentistry Bundle which includes 5 of our top must-see webinars for dental experts.

Or, if you want to see a flash bundle on geriatric dentistry and dental fracture management the 2 For £20 Equine Dental Bundle is the perfect bundle for you, at only £20 (+VAT) this is a great opportunity for your to top up your CPD without breaking the bank!

The second: 3 For £30 Cow Bundle includes routine monitoring, heat stress management in dairy cows and calf management in dairy cows.

If you are a Farm Vet, we have four irresistible bundles for you. We have two bundles of 3 for £30, the first one: Cattle Bundle with Nationwide Labs includes calf rearing, milk quality and mastitis control.

If you’re looking for a bigger collection, The Farm Bundle includes 10 hours filled with endless topics ranging from antibiotic use, surgery and reproductive management. And the final bundle is the Livestock: cattle, sheep and poultry bundle. It includes 13 hours of content, with large animal surgery, Hatching and breeding poultry, Herd Udder Health Management Plans on Dairy Farms, and much more.

Launching The Webinar Vet NEW Exotic membership! I am so excited to launch our brand new Exotic membership here at The Webinar Vet! I loved my time as a Veterinary Nurse in an exotic specialist practice and the treatment and care of all the wonderful species we see these days is so very different to our general companion animal care – there is an awful lot to learn!\ It has come as no surprise to me then that when talking to our community (that’s you) there is a lot of appetite out there for exotic focussed webinars. We already have an extensive library of content to meet these needs but now we have packaged it as a stand alone membership so you can literally go wild on your exotic education. Whether you are mad over macaws, blown away by beardies or simply puzzled by pygmy hedgehogs this membership is the one for you. Plus look at all the fantastic new content we have scheduled for this year: https://www.thewebinarvet.com/schedule

David’s reviews

FROM THE LITERATURE MARCH 2022 It isn’t often that scientific veterinary articles published in peer-reviewed journals find their way into national media outlets. In case you missed the most recent example of this, it was in the latest edition of the Open Veterinary Journal. In my ignorance I was not aware of the existence of this journal. It is, as suggested in the title open access, and there is quite a lot to interest just about anyone in the veterinary profession. The article that stimulated a great deal of interest in the media deals with heat-related illness (HRI), in companion animals.

global temperatures rise, and can affect all companion animals. There is also a misconception that HRI is primarily a result of dogs being trapped in hot cars. This highlights a lack of HRI awareness of risks, apart from cars, within the UK companion animal population.

warm day. The dog would work itself into a frenzy when being taken for a ride in the car, anticipating his walk. The case always puzzled me but makes sense now as an example of extreme exercise-the dog used to go completely mad in the car. These were the days before behavioural experts!

What the project aimed to review was all species of small animal presentations of HRI in those practices participating in SAVSNET, during the study period. Where possible inciting triggers were noted, also seasonality and clinical grade in dogs

Another unsurprising finding was that brachycephalic breeds were overrepresented-21.2% of dogs and all the rabbits. The seasonality was between April and October with 42.5% in July, which is the UK’s hottest month. The ferret rabbits and guinea pigs presented during the UK summer months June to August.

Surveillance of heat-related illness in small animals presenting to veterinary practices in the U.K between 2013-2018

This resulted in the following numbers of HRI recorded cases: –

Emily J Hall, Alan D Radford and Anne J Carter

• 8 guinea pigs

Open Veterinary Journal (2022) Vol 12(1) pp 5-16 This paper is the result of a collaboration between Nottingham Trent University and the University of Liverpool Veterinary School, demonstrating the huge value of ‘big data’ acquired by, in this case, SAVSNET (Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network.) SAVSNET data was used for the surveillance of heat-related illnesses presented to veterinary practices between 2013-2018. The authors postulate that heat-related illness (HRI) could affect more animals as

• 146 dogs • 16 cats

• 3 rabbits and • 1 ferret 118 dogs had identifying trigger factors and exercise was the primary trigger (73.5%) with only 7 dogs (6.9%) the result of being trapped in a car. The remaining dogs (19.6%), all the cats, guinea pigs rabbits and ferret were the results of a hot ambient temperature. I was not surprised by the exercise factor, having seen many cases in dogs that had been exercised in the middle of the day in high temperatures. However there was an Old English sheepdog that I treated in October, one year, on a not particularly

In summary the main conclusions are that all pet animals are at risk of HRI during the summer months June to August. Exercise is the main trigger in dogs and a hot ambient temperature accounted for all HRI events in cats, rabbits, guinea pigs and the ferret. Both brachycephalic dogs and rabbits were overrepresented, and owners of these animals should be advised to be particularly vigilant in hot weather. I found the Open Veterinary Journal to be a real treasure trove of interesting articles, for various reasons. The following article in the same volume as the preceding one intrigued me. First phalanx exostosis in traditional equestrian horses in Western Libya Abushhiwa MH and others

Open Veterinary Journal (2022) Vol 12 (1) 69-74 According to the authors orthopaedic diseases involving the fetlock joint of the forelimb have not been widely reported in the literature, with the exception of horses involved in professional racing. First phalanx exostosis of the forelimb (P1) has not been previously reported in Libya and this article reports on 21 cases. The horses had a hard non-painful swelling on the dorsal aspect of the fetlock with joint stiffness on flexion. Lameness was not noticeable. The horses had been galloped on hard ground. The exostosis of the first phalanx was clearly visible radiographically and there are some excellent pictures both of the clinical and radiographical features. It was noted that the horses tended to be overweight, as were their riders in many cases, and the horses had not been properly trained for extreme exercise such as galloping on hard ground. The cases have warranted further investigation into histopathological features, potential aetiology and proper treatment. Unfortunately, due to political and military conflicts the whole of Libya is off limits for travel from the UK and Foreign Office advice is quite adamant-don’t go. The authors are academics at the Veterinary School in Tripoli and in spite of the turmoil in their country they are able to continue tending to animals and report their findings in an international journal, which is surely remarkable deserving our admiration

Nearer to home and in the same journal is a case report of a fracture of the third metatarsal bone in a 7-year-old Shetland pony repaired with a single bone plate. This is from colleagues in the Trás-os-Montes Veterinary School in Vila Real, Portugal Laterally applied single bone plate for fixation of complete diaphyseal fracture of a third metatarsal bone in a circus work pony

There are good pre and post-operative radiographs and information on the considerable nursing required to ensure a good recovery. The pictures of the pony back home fully recovered are very pleasing, even though it’s a circus. The pony looks to be full of the joys of spring. I am looking forward to reading more articles from the Open Veterinary Journal having finally discovered it

Isabel Dias, and others Open Veterinary Journal (2022) Vol 11 (4) pp 645-650 The article documents the initial injury and radiographic images. Following surgical fixation a full limb cast was placed and maintained for 4 weeks, while the pony was kept under movement limitation at the hospital facilities until his full recovery 3 months post surgery. In summary a complete recovery was attained and the pony returned to its previous level of exercise with no postoperative complications or lameness. To the best of the authors’ knowledge this is the first report of a case where stabilisation of a complete Mt 3 diaphyseal fracture was attained using a single compression plate contoured to the lateral face of the bone instead of previously reported cases in the literature of doubleplating.

WEBINAR

A practical Guide to Equine Abdominal Ultrasonography

WEBINAR

Zoe has impressive qualifications that speak for themselves, and an abundance of experience in equine ultrasonography. She is currently the business owner of Specialist Equine Medicine services and a specialist in equine medicine at Axiom Veterinary Laboratories. The aims of her presentation are as follows: 1 O verview of how to obtain a useful set of images of the equine abdomen 2 Gain familiarity with normal 3 D emonstrate some examples of abnormalities

The left and right side of the horse are divided into sectors from which to perform the ultrasound. A scan site is outlined by a coloured image on a diagrammatic image of a horse showing you where to position the probe and what you might be expected to see from there. First, normal images are shown and to ensure you able to see the organ under investigation the important part of the ultrasound image is shown and then overlaid in colour. We then see some abnormal images that might be seen at this site, and again with the important features/ organs demonstrated by overlaying them. This works really well.

• Inappetance

A systematic approach is emphasised throughout, with advice that a full ultrasonographic examination can last up to an hour. Both sides of the horse are examined. There are dozens of ultrasound images and the presentation is almost entirely pictorial. This makes it very hard to summarise for that reason, except to say this is an absolutely superb webinar that is surely a must for equine practitioners interested in extending their ultrasound skills.

• Pyrexia of unknown origin

In her summary slide Zoe states:

If your experience of equine ultrasonography is currently limited this excellent veterinary webinar will widen your horizons. In her introduction Zoe lists a wide variety of circumstances where ultrasonography of the equine abdomen is useful: • Colic-acute, chronic or recurrent • Weight loss • Diarrhoea

• Behavioural abnormalities

• Abdominal ultrasonography can provide valuable information in a variety of cases

• Further organ specific investigation

• Patient preparation is important

• Lethargy/poor performance

Advice on patient preparation and machine preparation occupy the first set of slides before we get down to business. What follows is a quite extraordinary accomplishment, with an amazing set of images.

• A systematic approach will enable you to gain helpful information and not overlook pathology- and finally • It’s interesting and enjoyable!

It was very interesting and enjoyable to watch too and is thoroughly recommended.

Zoe Gratwick BVSc MSc MMedVet Dip ECEIM MRCVS

It was very interesting and enjoyable to watch too and is thoroughly recommended.

WEBINAR

RABBIT WELFARE AND ETHICS UPDATE This excellent webinar summarises the contributions of animal welfare experts at an all day symposium on rabbit welfare held in June 2021. Speakers were Dr. Richard Saunders, Dr. Nadene Stapelton, Dr. Jane Tyson, Nina Downing, Dr. Nicola Rooney, Dr. Dan O’Neill, Dr Naomi Harvey, and Dr. Emma Milne. Emma chaired the June symposium and leads this webinar. It attracted a very large audience on the live recording from many parts of the world – testament to the importance of the topic. The webinar was sponsored by the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund (RWAF) and began with a summary slide from Richard Saunders. Richard, apart from holding RCVS and European specialist qualifications in Zoo Medicine, is also the veterinary adviser for RWAF. With just one slide all the important points about brachycephaly in rabbits are made. It is a relatively recent phenomenon with breeds such as Lionheads appearing in the late 90s, Mini Lop in 1972 and the dwarf lop in 1977. Breeds such as these are really popular but their narrow gene pool makes other disease more likely. In particular breeding for ‘cute’ shortened face causes physical abnormalities, convoluted naso-lacrimal duct, malocclusion, and leads to fly strike, soft tissue trauma in the mouth and rabbits that simply can’t eat without emergency veterinary intervention. A couple of radiographs of rabbit heads show just how abnormal brachycephalism is. Richard concluded that we need to move back as close as possible to ‘wild-type’ conformation or at least move away from extremes. This is followed by a slide attributed to Nadeen Stapleton summarising the ideal rabbit diet. This emphasises that Muesli type diets should never be fed, advice that somehow or other is still not being adhered to by a substantial percentage of rabbit owners. Good advice on feeding is also available on the RWAF website. There is no doubt that incorrect feeding is a substantial cause of a myriad of rabbit welfare problems Emma takes up the baton and is quite happy to tackle controversial areas by her summary of ‘Is showing animals ethical?’ It’s very hard to disagree with her bullet points

• Very few basic welfare needs are met • Many clear negative impacts on physical and mental wellbeing including trancing. • Some shows are 2 to 3 days long-a significant time away from home environment and more when factoring in travel • Often multiple species • Welfare problems with show jumping • Perpetuates breeds and therefore extremes • Zero benefit to the animals involved. Two things caught my eye- trancing and show jumping. The latter I confess to not being aware of it. Neither is recommended by RWAF and having looked up show jumping I can well understand Emma’s concerns. The potential for stress and injury would seem to be very high.

• Common health problems identified that are linked to inappropriate housing, exercise and feeding include overgrown nails, dental problems, dirty bums, obesity, flystrike, and matted fur. As owners we can do better • Keeping a solitary rabbit in a hutch is cruel • There is still time to stop the development and popularization of breeds of rabbits with extreme shapes, lop eared rabbits and flatfaced rabbits, for example. We must learn from what happened to dog breeds 150 years ago • Prioritise the needs of rabbits over the whims of owners • Rabbits are often a poor choice of pet for a child

• 18% are fed muesli type food

So what is to be done? Emma is again not shy of suggesting solutions, even if they upset the breeders. She believes passionately that we should stop breeding for extremes, banning the procedure if necessary. Breed standards need to change and no new breeds unless moderate and bred for health. The evidence is overwhelming and we have a moral responsibility to stop breeding what are essentially man-made breeds. What, she says, is wrong with just beautiful natural rabbits? Good point!

• 11% receive no preventative health care

In summary: -

Following this is an excellent summary on housing guidance from the RSPCA and another charity contribution, from the PDSA, highlighting its most recent Animal Wellbeing Report, with some sombre statistics: • 48% of rabbits live alone • 26% live in inadequate housing

This leads on to suggestions on a rabbit consultation framework, remote consultations and simple but easy to implement practices for ensuring a practice is ‘rabbit friendly’.

• Rabbits third most popular pet in the UK

We are updated on the excellent RWAF Codes of Practice, which has been agreed with the RSPCA and AGPAW (the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare). The next stage will be to have the codes adopted by DEFRA so that they become statutory, hopefully by June 2022.

• Many can’t exercise at all

Dan O’Neil Senior Lecturer in Companion animal Epidemiology at the RVC co-leads the VetCompass Programme. A summary of the key messages from a recent article by this group on morbidity and mortality of domestic rabbits under veterinary care in England asks ‘Why are we failing them and what can be done?’

• Rabbits are not suitable pets for children and some would argue that we can never fully meet their needs in captivity

Key messages from this study are equally sombre

• Owners need educating in the basic needs of rabbits • Not kept in isolation

• Extreme breeds, particularly brachycephalics and lops are a major cause of morbidity and mortality • Showing prey animals is a problematical welfare issue

Some headway has been made by encouraging media outlets not to show images of exaggerated breeds and some progress has been made with stopping the sale of Muesli diets by some, but not all, retail outlets.

WEBINAR

What about the future? It’s time for rabbits to stop being the poor and relative, Emma suggests• Legislation of breeding • Retailers selling correct diet and advising on adequate housing • No media images of extreme breeds and need for good welfare messages • Show ban? • Need for more vet practices to be rabbit friendly • Education and once again emphasised- rabbits are NOT easy pets and NOT for kids. Following the live session there were many questions and it is worth listening to these, with some interesting points covering the main conclusions. You can hear the frustration in Emma’s voice when she mentions the many years she has devoted to this subject, constantly endeavoring to bring the problems to the attention of all relevant authorities, and yet the same problems seemingly continuing to exist. But ,don’t despair Emma as there maybe some light at the end of the tunnel In the latest edition of the Vet Rec, as I write this, there is a report of the successful legal test case brought against breeders of English bulldogs and Cavalier King Charles spaniels in Norway, which I am sure everyone knows about. It’s the first of its kind worldwide. What I have found interesting is that the case was based on existing Norwegian legislation on animal welfare. Furthermore in England there is a similar clause in the UK Animal Welfare Act. It stipulates: -

Following the live session there were many questions and it is worth listening to these

‘No dog should be used for breeding if it can reasonably be expected that breeding from it could have a detrimental effect on its health or welfare or welfare of its offspring’ This clause in the UK legislation has never been tested in court, but not for long we hope. If such a test case results in substantial change to breed standards and/ or a complete ban of extreme conformation we will know who to thank

Dr EMMA MILNE BVSc FRCVS Founder of Vets Against Brachycephalism

WEBINAR

ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE ON FARMS WHAT DO WE KNOW SO FAR? Andrea Turner works as a farm animal clinician at Langford Vets, a practice associated with the University of Bristol. She is also part of the Bristol Veterinary School Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Force Research Group. She credits much of her knowledge and interest in AMR on farms to the support and inspiration of her colleagues in this group. Her current research project is the reduction of high priority critically important antibiotics on dairy farms. The learning objectives of her veterinary webinar are outlined as questions: • Why are we interested in the drivers of resistance on farms? • What do we know about the dissemination of AMR from livestock and farms to humans? • How might AMR develop on farms? • What evidence is available about risk factors for AMR on farms? Andrea emphasises from the beginning of the webinar that she does not intend to give solutions to the problem. Rather her intention is to identify all the possible factors in play and crucially discuss the evidence for the relevance of these factors. To achieve these aims she has comprehensively researched the literature and selected recent important studies with their conclusions. But before that a sombre pie chart emphasises the importance of AMR. Huge numbers of deaths possible from AMR are projected by 2050, more than cancer by then, and which would be the leading cause of mortality worldwide. She begins a discussion of veterinary aspects with a diagram showing potential links between hospitals, companion animals, farm and wild animals and the use of antibiotics. A slide showing human, environmental, and food and animal reservoirs, from a study in the Netherlands concludes: ‘If you work/live closely with animals you share their bacteria’ The first of many articles cited in this webinar was published in Clinical Infectious Diseases and sets the scene by asking: ‘Do human extra-intestinal Escherichia coli infections resistant to expanded-spectrum

cephalosporins originate from food producing animals? A systematic review.’ This is a lengthy (13 pages) article with a clear conclusion: There is evidence that a proportion of human extraintestinal ESCREC infections originate from food producing animals. Clearly, therefore, there must be a role for vets in solving this problem. The most recent UK five year National Action Plan includes a target to reduce antimicrobial use (AMU) in the treatment of food producing animals by 25%. There is a link to this 2018 statement. Industry led policies were enforced in the UK that aimed to almost eliminate the use of highest-priority critically important antimicrobials (HP-CIAS) on dairy farms, in particular: • Third and fourth generation cephalosporins (3GVs and 4GCs) • Fluoroquinolones A graph indicates a promising reduction in general AMU. In 2018 the total quantity of antibiotic active ingredient sold in the UK was 226 tons. Compared with 2017 this represented a 9% decrease and an even more impressive 49% reduction compared to 2014. With respect to the sales of veterinary antibiotics for use in food producing animals in 2018 the figures are comparable, with a 9% decrease since 2017 and 53% since 2014. This has resulted in a decrease in AMR, but that is not the whole story because there are many factors at individual farm level where vets can make a difference. These are discussed in the rest of this webinar. For each of the many possible factors Andrea looks at the available evidence. Before moving on to these we are given some useful academic background information on academic studies in risk factors for AMR. Many studies measure ESBL E. coli and Amp C beta lactamases. These are well explained and helpful in understanding the studies outlined later.

WEBINAR This is a very well presented thoroughly recommended webinar. A diagram lists possible risk factors for AMR on farms. These are: • Antibiotic use • Antibiotic classes • Prophylactic/metaphylactic use of antibiotics • Topical/parenteral • Dry cow management • Farm husbandry • Hygiene • Calf rearing • Buying in • Farm staff/equipment • Slurry • Wildlife • Waterways passing through a farm • Footpaths The webinar looks at the evidence to date by referring to recent publications. Each study is briefly described with its conclusions, resulting in a very valuable source of knowledge that can be passed on to individual farmers to emphasise the importance of preventative measures. Some general conclusions of risk factors are made, which will aid in advice on prevention.

OHSTAR study (One Health section and Transmission of Antimicrobial Resistance) a project of the Bristol school. In a study involving 53 dairy farms, E. coli with beta lactamase genes were identified by PCR. A risk factor analysis looked at those mentioned previously but also identified average monthly temperature has a significant effect on resistance positivity. This is a very carefully thought out webinar. Andrea, having listed all the potential risk factors at the beginning, summarises good quality evidence obtained to date for those risks. Adding the conclusions from each study builds an information base enabling an individual vet on a farm to give sound advice on implementation. There is an extraordinary amount of detail here that will benefit any colleague in farm practice at a practical level and provide a platform for those in training for further qualifications in bovine health management.

• HPCIA use – recent use of 3rd./4th. generation cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones at herd level • Biosecurity –buying in animals without quarantine, sharing equipment between farms and possible proximity to pig farms • Cleanliness- general farm hygiene, calf feeding equipment •C alf areas – pre-weaned calves, group calving • Calf feeding –waste milk feeding, an important risk factor • Mastitis treatments –parenteral treatment and antibiotics used in all cases • Dry Cow management – HPCIA use in dry cow therapy, sealants not used in all cows • Temperature – this was one, perhaps unexpected, finding from the

ANDREA TURNER BA VetMB Dip ECBHM MRCVS

WEBINAR

PANCREATITIS: CATS ARE NOT SMALL DOGS. AN UPDATE ON DIAGNOSING AND TREATING THIS COMMON DISEASE

Bill Saxon has dual diplomate status with the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and the American College of Veterinary Emergency Medicine and Critical Care. He has published widely and is a co-author of the Manual of Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care. Since 1997 he has ben with IDEXX as an internal medicine consultant and field medical specialist. He has spoken regionally, nationally and at international veterinary congresses. He begins by advising checking the latest guidelines on pancreatitis in cats – ACVIM consensus statement on pancreatitis in cats Cats are not small dogs is a common theme in veterinary webinars but perhaps exceptionally so in pancreatitis cases as demonstrated by the first slide in Bill’s presentation. Not only are cats not small dogs, they are polar opposites when discussing pancreatitis. The situation in cats is illustrated with various findings (in brackets the corresponding situation in dogs) • Chronic in 3/4of cases (acute 2/3) • Signalment not helpful (signalment helpful) • Clinical signs non-specific (typical clinical signs) • Idiopathic in 95% (identifiable cause) • Intermittent/recurrent (single episodes, mild to life threatening) • Concurrent cholangitis/IB • Diagnosis challenging (diagnosis straightforward) • Dietary fat not important (dietary fat important) A discussion of risk factors for dogs and cats is similarly tabulated. From time to time during the presentation we are presented with ‘pearls’ rather like mini take-home messages. We are advised, for example, to suspect pancreatitis in any cat with non-specific illness. It should be suspected if there has been recent anaesthesia (6.4%), trauma (3.8%), poor hemodynamics, such as in CHF, urethral obstruction, or GI FB, (2.5%), and organophosphate toxicity (1%). The figures in brackets represent the percentage of cases from 157 hospitalised cats in a referral institution, published in 2018 in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine. That leaves an astonishing 87% of pancreatitis cases in which no cause was found and

WEBINAR accordingly labelled idiopathic. A couple of slides summarise the pathophysiology of pancreatitis, advising to consider it a disorder of pancreatic microcirculation. Cats with pancreatitis have concurrent disease in 2/3 of the cases and the unique anatomy –a single duct joining the pancreatic and bile duct explains why this is so. Dogs have separate bile and pancreatic ducts. The concurrent illness in cats with pancreatitis are listed: • Cholangiohepatitis • Chronic enteropathy • Biaditis or triaditis • Hepatic lipidosis • Diabetes mellitus Another pearl is: The combination of history, physical examination, pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity and ultrasound provides the most reliable diagnosis Considerable details of laboratory findings that will help suggest the diagnosis are listed, including CBC, biochemistry and urinalysis. There is an explanation of the toxic changes in neutrophils seen in systemic inflammation before discussing the traditional role of amylase and lipase, (in cats there is no role for these). For lipase the type of assay matters. Immunoassays measure pancreas-specific lipase. Pancreatic lipase immunoassays are the most sensitive laboratory tests for pancreatitis in cats and dogs. Four assays are listed with their relevant sensitivity and specificity. A diagram gives a suggested diagnostic approach using SNAP fPL/cPL tests as a screen for pancreatitis. A negative SNAP rules out pancreatitis whereas a positive could be and requires confirmatory testing. These are illustrated in the diagram with normal levels, a gray zone and a cut-off that is consistent with pancreatitis. Nevertheless, for further confirmation an ultrasound examination is advised, radiography being neither sensitive nor specific. Ultrasonography is an important part of the diagnostic investigation, although the quoted sensitivity and specificity vary according to operator skill and the equipment. There are many suggestive findings including pancreatomegaly, dilation of the common pancreatic and biliary duct, changes in echogenicity and peri-pancreatic fluid, for example. Histopathology is briefly described, with fine needle aspiration being

useful if inflammation is present, although uneven distribution may be a problem. Treatment has four key components: • Fluid therapy • Analgesia • Control of nausea and vomiting • Enteral nutrition The primary goal of fluid therapy is to improve pancreatic perfusion and usually this is started with lactated Ringer’s. A summary slide details goal directed therapy depending on the status of the patient, whether hypoglycaemia is present and including the possibility of adding dextrose or potassium if needed. This slide would be a useful printed addition to practice protocols for the treatment of pancreatitis cases. Suitable analgesic drugs are discussed (buprenorphine, methadone or fentanyl for severe pain, and maropitant,) and for some outpatient cases gabapentin, tramadol or a combination. Similarly the control of vomiting and /or nausea is described with those drugs that are useful for this, principally maropitant and mirtazine, with the possibility of prokinetics to reduce gastric distension and ileus if present. An interesting tip is to place a naso-gastric tube as a very effective means of emptying the stomach allowing physiologic hydration and enteral nutrition.

The key takeaways are: • Pancreatitis in cats is most often chronic, recurrent and associated with gastrointestinal and hepatic diseases • Refer to the ACVIM Consensus statements • Consider pancreatitis in any sick cat • Pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity plus ultrasound to diagnose • Fluid therapy and early enteral nutrition to optimize outcomes • Provide analgesia to all This webinar is right up to date with an abundance of useful information of direct relevance to the first opinion clinician, and also specialists in training. It is thoroughly recommended.

This webinar is right up to date with an abundance of useful information of direct relevance to the first opinion clinician

Enteral nutrition should begin within 48 hours of inappetance. It does not make pancreatitis worse, and has considerable advantages compared to parenteral nutrition-six of which are listed. Enteral nutrition has been shown to result in a faster recovery. The specifics of this and the surprisingly large number of commercial options are tabulated. Other treatments are listed: • Antibiotics -routine use not recommended • Corticosteroids – consider in selected cases • Plasma and GI protectants -not routinely used • Cobalamin-important in cats with general advice on when to supplement and in what form The webinar finishes with a list of suggested monitoring of response to therapy.

DR BILL SAXON DVM DACVIM, DACVECC

M A R C H 2022