A Surrey vet school student who suffers with a heart condition has been able to return to her studies and the dream of becoming a vet thanks to the help of a specially trained assistance dog. Second-year student Jade Heaney (pictured above) was forced to take a sabbatical from her course to manage her postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS), a condition that causes rapid increases in heart rate after getting up or lying down. While it can be managed with lifestyle changes, episodes can often fluctuate throughout the day. Having had her first episode at 12 years old, Miss Heaney has learned about ..read more

A survey has revealed that gut stasis and respiratory problems are some of the biggest concerns among UK small pet owners. The first Burgess Pet Care’s Great British Small Animal Census polled more than 6,500 owners to provide what the company has described as a detailed snapshot into the UK’s small animal care trends. Health issues remain the primary reason for vet visits for rabbits and guinea pigs in the UK, with gut stasis the most common issue, followed by dental problems, digestive issues, respiratory issues and infections. A total of 35% of visits were reactive, but 65.9% of rabbits had ..read more

A Kent equine veterinary practice is the first in the UK to install a type of CT scanner that products high-resolution medical-grade images. Bell Equine Veterinary Clinic in Maidstone was the first equine hospital in the world to install an equine standing leg MRI scanner, and has now followed up by becoming the first in the country to install a Qalibra CT scanner. The software allows complex 3D reconstructions to be generated and will allow vets to provide accurate diagnosis of both soft tissue and bone abnormalities in horses. Moves around horse Mounted on a height-adjustable platform to all ..read more

Owners are routinely ignoring serious health problems in their older dogs because they wrongly attribute them to normal ageing. A team at the University of Liverpool highlighted disconnect between vets and owners on key areas of preventive health for senior pets – and a need for further education programmes. Vets and owners disagreed on how many times an older dog should visit a practice and whether senior dogs still needed vaccinations. Research But the research also found senior long-term health and patient well-being plans were still uncommon in practices, while “only around 1 in 10” ran sp ..read more

Aberystwyth University has announced plans to welcome its first veterinary nursing degree students this autumn. The launch of the foundation programme is part of the continuing expansion of the university’s vet school, which opened three years ago. Senior lecturer and veterinary nursing lead Emma Anscombe-Skirrow. More than £2 million has been spent on new facilities and a mock clinic is being developed to enable students to prepare for clinical placements in a simulated environment. Vision The school’s head, Darrell Abernethy, said: “With the undergraduate programme well underway, and in line ..read more

A clinical improvement project has been rolled out to 25 of a vet group’s small animal practices to improve diagnosis of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS). CVS has developed a clinical assessment tool, which can be used by vets or VNs to help them make a thorough diagnosis. The project aims to identify clinical signs through conducting a full health assessment and systematic physical examination of each brachycephalic patient. The assessment also includes an exercise test and examination of a dog’s nostrils before results of the assessment are relayed to the owners to agree on ..read more

Virbac has introduced an online platform to help vets educate their farmers on the importance of injectable trace minerals in the production cycle. The Multimin Focus Guide has been produced in association with Farmers Guardian and has information including the role of Multimin in: increasing farm margins by reducing mastitis improving fertility assisting growth increasing immunity The guide also includes case studies that demonstrate how livestock performance can be elevated with trace minerals, which is relevant to both the dairy and beef industries. Critical times Sabrina Jordan, project ..read more

The veterinary sector has been urged to “come out fighting” as it seeks to address concerns raised in a regulator’s review of companion animal services. At least two industry groups are developing new initiatives in response to the findings of the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA) review, published in March. But, amid broad expectation that the process will continue to a full market investigation, the VMG Congress heard calls late last month for swift measures to demonstrate the value of the sector’s work. Veterinary management consultant Tracey Morley Jewkes told delegates the sector ..read more

The UK’s chief vet has made a fresh plea for vigilance against the threat of bluetongue amid fears of a renewed outbreak in the coming months. A new APHA assessment has found a “very high” probability of a new introduction of the bluetongue virus (BTV)-3 virus strain through infected midges being blown over from northern Europe. Defra has today (7 May) outlined plans to offer free tests to keepers in high-risk areas as the transmission risk rises and is in vaccine talks with pharmaceutical firms. Robust systems However, UK CVO Christine Middlemiss has also urged farmers to monitor their herds ..read more

Six dogs have been euthanised following the discovery of a suspected illegal XL bully breeding operation in Sheffield. Sixteen other dogs are now in kennels after they were found to be living in “appalling conditions” and needing veterinary care at an allotment site on Thursday 2 May. The dogs, most of which are thought to be XL bully types, were seized following a joint operation involving South Yorkshire Police, Sheffield City Council officials and RSPCA officers. ‘Unhygienic conditions’ Police said the dogs were living in “small, inadequate, unhygienic conditions”, with several in need of u ..read more