Hamilton Specialist Referrals is holding a day of CPD focusing on emergency patients on 23rd May 2024 at the Holiday Inn in High Wycombe.  The session will provide a practical guide to dealing with various emergencies that may present to vets and nurses across multiple disciplines. The full schedule includes:  The ECC Approach to the Haemoabdomen, presented by Lead HDU Vet and RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Small Animal Emergency and Critical care Dr Bec Hyland   Damage Control: Bite Wounds, Severely Infected Wounds and Stick Injuries, presented by Head of Soft Tissue Surge ..read more

The Veterinary Osteoarthritis Congress, which will take place at Holywell Park Conference Centre, Loughborough, on 22nd and 23rd May, is open for registrations. Congress offers two days of lectures and workshops and up to 14 hours CPD delivered by experts on the most cutting-edge OA management, treatment, techniques and technology. There is also a large trade exhibition showcasing many of the latest products and services, not to mention a happy hour and gala dinner. The organisers say veterinary surgeons and nurses, physiotherapists, hydrotherapists, and anyone working to prevent, treat and ma ..read more

Scotish independent veterinary group, Thrums Vets, is launching a two-day course for teenagers to give them an insight into what it takes to be a veterinary nurse and what the job involves. The first course will run in May and is already fully subscribed, with the next one planned for either June or July. Participants will shadow Thrums’ nurses at the group’s Kirriemuir practice and learn about carrying out clinical examinations, suturing and bandaging, fluid therapy, patient care, radiography positioning and laboratory work. Attendees will also find out how to qualify as a registered vet ..read more

Antech, a subsidiary of Mars Science and Diagnostics, has launched a new, rapid canine cancer test for use in practice, in the UK and Europe. The Nu.Q Canine Cancer Test is a new technology that measures circulating nucleosomes in order to enable earlier cancer detection in some of the most common types of canine cancers. According to the company, Nu.Q testing requires only 50µL of EDTA plasma from a patient and provides accurate results in 5 to 10 minutes. One study demonstrated >75% detection rates for common cancers in dogs like lymphoma and hemangiosarcoma when using Nu.Q ..read more

Vetlife is inviting veterinary nurses to come and take part in a sponsored cold water dip at Walpole Bay Tidal Pool, Margate, at 12:30pm on Friday, May 17th. The Walpole Bay Tidal Pool is the biggest in the UK, covering four acres. Everyone taking part is being challenged to raise at least £100 for Vetlife, to go towards its helpline, health support and financial support for the veterinary community. Sea temperature at this time of year is a decidedly brisk 10 degrees Celsius, but Vetlife says the dress code is reasonably relaxed: anything from a swimming costume to a full diving dry suit ..read more

The RCVS Veterinary Nurse Disciplinary Committee has decided to take no further action against Kai Murray, a veterinary nurse who had been convicted and imprisoned for affray before becoming an RVN. Mr Murray was charged that he had been convicted of affray at Birmingham Crown Court in 2021 - to which he had pleaded guilty - and given nine months in prison. Mr Murray applied for anonymity at the start of the disciplinary hearing, which was refused when the Committee decided there were no special circumstances which would justify anonymity. The Committee considered whether or not the ..read more

Stacey Godbold, a Registered Veterinary Receptionist from Paddons Vets in Wisbech, has been named Vetpol’s CPD Champion of 2023. While nearly 50% of all Vetpol SQPs exceeded their CPD targets last year, none did so by as large a margin as Stacey, who did over 40 hours: more than 13 times her target. Caroline Johnson, Director at Vetpol, said: “Her commitment to learning and CPD is truly inspiring. "To have exceeded her quota by such a fantastic margin is something to be truly proud of, and perfectly exemplifies the high standards that we strive for within the SQP community and it is ..read more

Millpledge Veterinary has launched Oculeze, an ocular lubricant. The new product, which is for the management of any condition where eye health is supported by providing additional moisture or lubrication, is suitable for dogs, cats, horses, rabbits and other animals. Oculeze contains glycerine (0.8%), Aloe vera, chamomile and propolis extract, the latter of which contains polyphenols which Millpledge says have been shown to support corneal health by multiple mechanisms of action including modulation of the tear film and a reduction in inflammation, apoptosis and oxidative ..read more

A study published in the Journal of Small Animal Practice has concluded that the majority of suspected adverse drug reactions (SADR) in veterinary medicine go unreported. The authors say that whilst it has long been suspected that adverse drug reactions are under-reported, this study is the first to show the scale of the problem, using real data from veterinary clinical records. For the study, researchers looked for electronic heath records within the Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network (SAVSNET) which contained “adverse drug reactions” and “side effects ..read more

Creature Comforts, the start up which promises to revolutionise veterinary care using tech, has opened its first clinic in Notting Hill Gate, London.  The new, four storey, architecturally-designed clinic is full of natural light and includes calming and spacious staff breakout areas.  By combining a beautiful work environment with seamless technology, the company believes it can transform working conditions and job satisfaction for vet teams. On the tech side, the Creature Comforts has created a proprietary app which allows triage to be handled online and for staff to ..read more