BSAVA Companion - 2020, 7, July

A PDF of the full July Companion.

PetSavers releases £50,000 for vaccine research; Updated Medicines Guide; Scottish Congress postponed

  Editor of the recently published BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Shelter Medicine, Jenny Stavisky, considers the application of principles and practices of shelter medicine to general veterinary medicine in light of the current coronavirus pandemic.

For nearly five decades, staff at the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition have been investigating how the diet of dogs and cats can influence their health and wellbeing. John Bonner visited the site to find out what is on the menu for the researchers working there now, and learn how those efforts will affect the future duration and quality of life for the nation’s companion animals

  Liz Bode, together with collaborators David Singleton and Hannah Hodgkiss-Geere from the University of Liverpool and Melanie Hezzell from the University of Bristol, has been awarded joint PetSavers and Veterinary Cardiovascular Society funding to investigate the use of pimobendan in primary veterinary practice in the United Kingdom. Data will be collated from the Small Animal Surveillance Network (SAVSNET), of which David is a key member. Liz, Hannah and Melanie bring cardiovascular specialism to the team and Melanie has previous experience of collating N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) data from SAVSNET.

  The veterinary community is deeply saddened by the untimely passing of Emeritus Professor Michael J. Day BSc BVMS (Hons) PhD DSc Dr(hc) DiplECVP FASM FRCPath FRCVS, with tributes flooding in to the BSAVA Book of Condolence as a place for colleagues and friends to share their memories of this very special man. Sue Paterson, BSAVA Senior Vice President, reflects on Michael’s life work and the massive impact this one man has had on the veterinary profession and beyond.

 Mark Turner holds a Masters of Research (MRes) in patient safety culture from the Royal Veterinary College and in this article takes a closer look at burnout – what it is, how it happens and what we can do to protect our staff and ourselves.

  Speaking at the Autumn 2019 meeting for the Society for Companion Animal Studies, Debbie Rook, an expert in property law, said that new legislation will be needed if more tenants in private rental agreements are to enjoy the benefits of keeping a pet animal.

Lyndsey Uglow heads the Animal Assisted Intervention Group at Southampton Children’s Hospital, which won the Kennel Club’s Friends for Life competition at Cruft’s 2020. This annual award celebrates “the unique relationship people have with their dogs” and in this case recognized the tonic that Lyndsey and her team has provided to thousands of children with severe medical conditions.

Article abstracts from the latest issue of JSAP.

A calendar of forthcoming online events, a course provision update and Regional CPD information, including new dates for Scottish Congress