Wales' first and only school of veterinary science is to start its veterinary nursing degree course in September.  The Veterinary Nursing foundation degree at Aberystwyth University combines theoretical and practical learning, with a year-long work placement in a veterinary practice as an integral part of the programme. Facilities at the university include a clinical skills lab, research and anatomy laboratories, equine teaching centre and university farms. A mock veterinary clinic is being developed and will allow students to prepare for clinical placements in a simulated environmen ..read more

Surrey-based Fitzpatrick Referrals has launched a new scheme whereby referring practices can send one client for free treatment for every 15 paid cases they refer. The scheme will allow regular referrers to gift free treatment worth up to £5000 to clients in need of financial assistance Hospital Director Nicola Bromley said: “We recognise the challenge it is for families who may need specialist care for their animal friend but are unable to find the necessary funds. "We highly value the relationship we have with our referring vets in providing options to their clients, and we hope th ..read more

CVS has launched a new clinical improvement project in 25 of its first opinion small animal practices to improve the diagnosis of brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) in dogs. For the project, the company has developed a Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS) clinical assessment tool which can be used by a vet or nurse in practice to make a diagnosis. The assessment is a holistic one which includes taking a history of the animal, a full physical examination, an exercise test and an examination of the dog’s nostrils. The results of the assessment are then discussed ..read more

VetPlus has launched a powdered version of Kaminox, its potassium supplement for cats and dogs.  Kaminox contains potassium gluconate and B-vitamins to help dogs affected by hypokalaemia.   Originally released as an oral liquid supplement, Vetplus says this new powdered formulation offers a more concentrated level of potassium for larger pets or those that require a higher dose.   Kaminox sachets are sold in packs of 30, with a scoop provided for easy administration. Meanwhile, the liquid supplement is available in 60ml and 120ml bottles. www.vetplu ..read more

Vita Animal Health has published the results of an online survey it conducted1, which found that whilst 89% of owners agreed poor ear health can compromise a rabbit's quality of life, only 1% were aware that rabbits often show no or few symptoms of ear disease. Tara Evans RVN from Vita said: "We wanted to raise awareness and start a discussion with rabbit owners about preventative ear care in rabbits, including how and when owners are cleaning their rabbits’ ears.” 91% of owners also agreed that cleaning is important for rabbits with ear health problems, but 49% have never cleaned th ..read more

Kirsty Young and Susan Howarth have been elected to VN Council, after a voter turnout of 7.4%, the lowest in the history of the RCVS VN Council elections. Kirsty and Susan scored 995 and 923 votes respectively. The unsuccessful candidate, Stuart Miller, scored 669 votes.  In total, 1,710 RVNs cast their vote, narrowly beating the previous record low turnout of 7.5% in 2012. By comparison, the largest turnout was 17.1% in 2020. Kirsty and Susan will take up their post at the RCVS Annual General Meeting, which is open to all vet nurses to attend on Friday 5th July at the Royal Institut ..read more

The BVA has announced that this year's BVA Live (NEC, 6th-7th June) will focus on contextualised care, in other words recognising that appropriate and proportionate care must be tailored to the needs of both the animal and the client, and consider the owner's finances, lifestyle, preferences, and their ability to provide suitable care. The BVNA Nursing stream is returning to BVA Live in 2024. The Nursing Programme for BVA Live this year is: Veterinary Human Support CPR - Basic Life Support saves lives, but what about adrenaline? Accepting we are human - using checklists and cogniti ..read more

Matthew John Makepeace has been struck off by the RCVS Disciplinary Committee after a conviction for assaulting his ex-partner. Mr Makepeace faced five charges. The first charge was that in 2022 Mr Makepeace was convicted at Scarborough Magistrates Court of assaulting by beating his ex-partner. He was sentenced to a community order and a curfew order and was ordered to pay a £95 surcharge and £85 in costs. It was alleged that the conviction rendered him unfit to practise as a veterinary surgeon. The second was that in August 2022, Mr Makepeace submitted a character reference which pu ..read more

Animalcare has launched ProGlan, a tasty soft chew designed to support faecal consistency and help anal glands in dogs empty naturally.  Apparently, anal gland impaction is the fifth most common reason for owners to take their dog to the vets1, and of course manual expression of impacted anal glands is unpleasant for everyone. It also doesn’t address the underlying causes, such as poor stool consistency. ProGlan contains pumpkin seeds and apple pectin, both sources of fibre to bulk out stools and increase faecal mass.  The product also contains Bacillus velez ..read more

Identi has launched a Practice Pet Protection Pack to help vet professionals answer questions about microchipping before cat microchipping becomes compulsory in England from 10th June. The pack contains species-specific microchipping law guides, a practice registration guide, a cat chipping cheat sheet, flyers about registration and flyers about Identi’s silent microchipping scanner. The company has also produced three short videos with more information for vet professionals about Identi, what it does, registering microchips and compulsory cat microchipping ..read more