Vet Times Podcast

Today, we’re talking telehealth – specifically, the importance of telemedicine triage in today’s veterinary world. We’re also going to be talking a little bit about the changing face of the consumer. To help us do that, Vet Times editor James Westgate is joined by IVC Evidensia’s interim head of telemedicine, and head of telehealth at Vets Now, Dave Leicester.

VN Happy Hour returned on 25 November for a look at obesity and nutrition in companion animals. Hosts Rachael and James were joined by Nicola Lakeman, a well known and very highly respected veterinary nurse with expertise in the fields of nutrition and nursing clinics, as well as Royal Canin Weight Management Clinic Nurse Georgia Woods-Lee and NutritionRVN.com founder Jessica Joosse.

Systemic hypertension is a significant cause of morbidity in older cats, but early outward signs can be subtle or absent. Ellie Mardell, feline medicine specialist, discusses diagnostic and management considerations in this Vet Times Podcast. Ellie Mardell, VetMB, MA, CertSAM, DSAM(Feline), MRCVS, after three years in small animal practice, undertook a residency in feline medicine at the AHT and then worked at the University of Bristol for a year. She since gained an RCVS diploma and specialist status in feline medicine while working in a private referral hospital in the north-west of England. In 2018, Ellie established her own company, Feline Better, providing a visiting feline medicine consultancy and endoscopy service to local practices, and offering coaching for the membership of the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists exam through Platinum CPD. She wrote an article, “Feline hypertension”, that appeared in Vet Times (Volume 51, Issue 40, Pages 6-8) that goes into more detail on

Mast cell tumours are prevalent in dogs, particularly certain breeds, and are relatively easy to diagnose with the correct work up. In this Vet Times Extra podcast, Gerry Polton, from North Downs Specialist Referrals, discusses some of the challenges and treatments of mast cell tumours, including intratumoural injection STELFONTA®, from Virbac. ___________________ Gerry Polton, MA, VetMB, MSc(Clin Onc), DipECVIM-CA(Oncology), MRCVS, is a European veterinary specialist in oncology and an RCVS-recognised specialist in veterinary oncology (small animals). Graduating from the University of Cambridge Veterinary School in 1997, after which he initially worked in first opinion practice, Gerry entered specialist practice as a clinical oncologist in 2002. He was awarded a Master of Sciences degree in clinical oncology by the Institute of Cancer Research at the University of Birmingham in 2003, having presented a thesis on the subject of canine anal sac tumours, a subject on which he is a renowned world expert.

BVA Congress, which takes place at the London Vet Show (11 to 12 November 2021), will mark five years of the association’s efforts to create a better world for animals through its animal welfare strategy. Sean Wensley was BVA president when the first strategy was launched in 2016 – and ahead of his lecture at congress, he joined a special episode of the Vet Times Podcast to discuss its success and consider how it may develop further over the next five years. ___________________ Sean Wensley BVSc, MSc, FRCVS, is senior veterinary surgeon (communication and education) at PDSA. He chairs the Animal Welfare Working Group of the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe (FVE), was president of the BVA from 2015-16 and is a Fellow of the RCVS. He is also an honorary lecturer in animal welfare at the University of Nottingham, a member of the Companion Animal Welfare Council, and a committee member of the Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law Veterinary Association. Sean has assisted with animal welfare and conserva

Bovine TB is the most infamous notifiable livestock disease of livestock currently within our shores, but farm vets need to be aware of others. To discuss some of them, Phil Elkins joins us for this Vet Times Podcast. Phil Elkins graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2005 and spent 14 years in clinical practice, including gaining the CAVP (Cattle) in 2015. He is now an independent dairy and industry consultant. Phil's main interests are in optimising health, welfare and production efficiency through a holistic approach to farm systems. He has written an article “Notifiable diseases in cattle” for Vet Times (Volume 51, Issue 44, Pages 6-8), which is available online at www.vettimes.co.uk/article/notifiable-diseases-in-cattle/

Have you ever wondered what the role of the vet nurse will look like in the years ahead? Have you thought about how the current shortages of veterinary surgeons could be eased by the skills of vet nurses if you were allowed to do more? Or what future training requirements will be like for vet nurses? October’s VN Happy Hour looked at these and other topics affecting vet nurses as we focused on the future of veterinary nursing with BVNA president Alex Taylor, BVNA senior-vice president Jo Oakden and BVNA council member Lyndsay Hughes. This month’s VN Happy Hour was extra special, as it was the one year anniversary of the launch of our VN power hour. When we launched VN Happy Hour we wanted to create an event which provided not only networking opportunities and thought-provoking discussions but also fun and laughter.

Lungworm prevalence has increased, and vet professionals need to know how to diagnose and treat it – and communicate vital messages to owners. In this episode, Ian Wright joins the Vet Times Podcast to tell us all about lungworm. ----------------- Ian Wright BVMS, BSc, MSc, MRCVS, is a practising vet and co-owner of The Mount Veterinary Practice in Fleetwood, Lancashire. He has a master’s degree in veterinary parasitology, and is head of the European Scientific Counsel Companion Animal Parasites (ESCCAP) UK and Ireland, guidelines director for ESCCAP Europe, and editorial board member for Companion Animal and VetCPD Journal. Ian has written an article, “Lungworm control”, for Vet Times (volume 51, Issue 41, pages 8-10). It is available online now at https://www.vettimes.co.uk/article/lungworm-control/ -----------------

Managing canine osteoarthritis can be challenging for lots of reasons – and even more so at the moment, with most practices busier than ever. Join vet and founder/director of Canine Arthritis Management (CAM) Hannah Capon MA Vet MB MRCVS and small animal rehabilitation focused vet nurse Danielle Pountain RVN Dip AVN, Dip HE CVN, as they share their top tips for streamlining canine OA management in your practice. Daxocox® is a brand new canine OA management option from Animalcare; the first and only weekly oral NSAID, for consistent osteoarthritis pain and inflammation management. For more information on Daxocox®, head over to www.Daxocox.co.uk _________________________

VN Times Podcast, Ep 23: Happy Hour 9 – Brachycephalic Breed Health by Veterinary Times

The BVA’s 2021-22 president is Justine Shotton, who has pledged to make sustainability a key priority for the veterinary profession over the next 12 months. Dr Shotton has taken a sabbatical from her role as veterinary services manager at Marwell Zoo in Hampshire to focus on the presidency, and took time out of relocating to London to join the Vet Times Podcast to discuss her objectives for the year ahead. She also previews some of the sessions taking place at BVA Congress – being hosted by the London Vet Show in November – that will explore the role the profession can play in tackling climate change. ________________________ Justine Shotton BVSc, MSc, MRCVS, is a 2008 University of Bristol veterinary graduate with a first class intercalated degree in veterinary pathology from the RVC She has always had a passion for conservation – after graduating she volunteered at wildlife rehabilitation centres in Guatemala and a small animal clinic in Honduras before spending five years working as a mixed practi

This podcast features independent consultant Dr Dottie Laflamme, a world-class expert in nutrition. In this session, Dr Laflamme will explore a broad view of nutrition in heart health, thinking beyond the current dietary guidelines provided by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) for managing canine myxomatous mitral valve disease. While the ACVIM guidelines focus on sodium, omega-3 fatty acids, and protein and caloric content, Dr Laflamme will explain how recent research has highlighted the importance of additional nutrients in cardiac health and disease. Key nutrients to be discussed include taurine, carnitine, antioxidants and magnesium, as well as alternative energy sources that can be easily utilised by hearts with cardiac insufficiency. Dr Laflamme will translate these insights into practical recommendations for vets managing cardiac conditions. ______________ Dr Laflamme received her DVM, MS in ruminant nutrition, and PhD in nutrition and physiology, all from the University

This session explores exciting new scientific advances in cardiac nutrition. Dr Johnny Li, an expert in nutrigenomics and Senior Principal Scientist at Nestlé Purina PetCare, will explain how recent research has expanded the ways in which we can use nutrition to support cardiac health. In 2015, Dr Li and his team published a cutting-edge metabolomics study that identified key metabolic changes in canine myxomatous mitral valve disease. Subsequently, the team conducted clinical research to explore how dietary intervention can address those metabolic changes. In this podcast, Dr Li will share the insights from his research and explain how vets can use diet as an important tool to help support dogs with cardiac conditions. ___________________ Dr Li is a senior principal scientist at Nestlé Purina PetCare Company. His research utilises multi-omics approaches to identify nutrition solutions and biomarker signatures in pets with unmet health needs. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Xiamen Uni

Rabbits are still the UK’s third most popular pet, and the past few years have finally brought an increase in much-needed, dedicated research and product development. But there’s still work to do on the basics, as John Chitty discusses in this Vet Times Podcast. ____________________ John Chitty qualified from the RVC in 1990 and gained an RCVS Certificate in Zoological Medicine in 2000. He is director of a small animal and exotics practice, Anton Vets, in Hampshire, with a 100% exotics and zoo caseload. John is editor and author of four texts on avian/rabbit/tortoise medicine, author of various book chapters and papers, and is a past-president of the European Association of Avian Veterinarians. He has written the article “Preventive health care in rabbits”, which appeared in Vet Times (Volume 51, Issue 32, Pages 8-10), which reviews care of the species and how vets can help owners improve their pets’ welfare. The article is available online at vettimes.co.uk at https://www.vettimes.co.uk/article/preventi

August’s VN Happy Hour – sponsored by Bought By Many – was all about behaviour, and how VNs can support owners of pets with behavioural problems and the importance of “fear free” methods for handling pets in a clinical setting. Whether you weren’t able to join us on the 26 August or simply want to listen to our fantastic guest speakers again, we have you covered. This month we were joined by RVNs Linda Ryan, Elle Boden and Zoe Blake, who expertly answered delegates’ behaviour-related questions. Zoom threw some technical gremlins our way, so we apologise for the drop in audio during the panel session. Linda, Elle and Zoe are happy for you to contact them via their social media channels should you want to speak to them in more detail about their answers. There were so many great resources mentioned on the night, so here they all are for you to look through: LC Fitness www.instagram.com/lauracopley7 Inspiring Pet Teaching www.inspiringpets.com Inspiring Pet Teaching FB page www.facebook.com/InspiringPets

Sustainability has been the theme of Jo Oakden’s year as president of the BVNA – and this increasingly important topic dominates the agenda for BVNA Congress, which returns to Telford International Centre from 2 to 4 October following its hiatus last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.   In this special episode of the VN Times Podcast, Jo explains why she chose sustainability as her theme, how the four pillars – human, social, economic and environmental – are equally important in ensuring a sustainable veterinary profession, and what she hopes delegates take away from congress.   BIOGRAPHY Since graduating from the RVC in 2008, Jo has worked in a variety of small animal and mixed veterinary practice. She has also completed the Certificate in Feline Nursing, and the Certificate in Canine and Feline Veterinary Nutrition.   Jo has worked with the BVNA as a regional co-ordinator since 2014 and was elected on to BVNA council in 2017. She is the BVNA president for 2020-21.   Outside of the BVNA, Jo joined VetPart

A two-month campaign by the BVNA is aiming to create a better environment for – and a better understanding of – the challenges faced by veterinary nurses who suffer from a chronic illness or condition. The campaign is being led by BVNA junior vice-president Alex Taylor, who joined the VN Times Podcast to discuss its objectives – chief of which is the creation of a digital toolkit to support VNs, and help practices in developing protocols and supporting their staff. BIOGRAPHY Alex Taylor qualified as a nurse in 1997 and has worked in both first opinion and referral practice. She is especially interested in feline nursing and has completed the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM) feline nursing certificate and diploma, as well as the ISFM Advanced Certificate in Feline Behaviour. Alex works as a locum RVN and runs her own company, The Cat Nurse, where she offers CPD about feline nursing and behaviour. She also volunteers for her local Cats Protection branch. A BVNA council member since October 20

In this edition of the VBJ First Opinions podcast, editor James Westgate discusses technology and the way it has impacted on the UK veterinary sector – with a particular focus on how it helped transform the way veterinary professionals worked throughout the coronavirus pandemic, and how those changes may impact on the future of veterinary practice. On the line with him is Paul May, digital product manager at MWI Animal Health UK, provider of innovative animal health solutions to veterinary practices across the United Kingdom.

In this special Vet Times podcast, we celebrate 60 years at the forefront of veterinary medicine with the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA). Congress Times editor Tom Jackson speaks to BEVA chief executive David Mountford about key moments in the organisation’s history and what the future holds for one of the world’s most prominent equine veterinary associations.

If you haven’t attended one of our VN Happy Hour virtual events yet, you’re missing out. It’s a “power hour” packed with fun, laughter, top tips, prizes, and talks with fantastic and talented panellists. This month we were joined by RVNs Claire Harrison, Claire Bloor and Nicola Lakeman, each of whom expertly answered a number of dentistry-related questions submitted by delegates.