VetNI

Veterinary Northern Ireland

AVSPNI’S NEW YEAR NEWSLETTER

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New Year’s Greetings
If you missed Omagh Day and the AVSPNI AGM, you missed a good day out! Well over 100 vets crammed into the PM labs at Omagh for 4 excellent talks:
– Puppy Murmurs with Neil Walmsley
– Equine Emergencies with Orla McGlynn
– Pasture Management with Cormac White
– Unexplained Livestock Deaths with Pauline Sheridan 

We also heard from sponsors MSD and VSSCo and were extremely grateful for their generous support. 

Prof. Tim Parkin, the RCVS President, praised the quality of all four talks. He found it hard to choose a winner but ultimately awarded the Frank Mullan Trophy to Cormac.  Thank you and congratulations to all our speakers.  

During the AGM, 2025 President Melanie Spahn handed over the chain of office and the presidency to Keith Sheridan.  

Robert McCabe was ratified as the new Junior Vice President and Iain Smith as Honorary Secretary.  

Greg Dunlop joined the Council and 2025 Council members, Pat Hart, Mark Allison and Rachel Davies retired with thanks after some years of service. 

Melanie’s last duty as President was one that she particularly enjoyed.  She announced that Lynsey Hamilton and Brian McAuley had been nominated for Honorary Life Membership of AVSPNI in recognition of their notable and substantial contribution to the veterinary profession here.  This nomination was ratified by Council members and endorsed by a show of hands from the members’ present. 

As well a Treasurer’s Report and a round up of the numerous stakeholder meetings at which AVSPNI had been represented over the year, the AGM included discussion on the following topics:
– Animal Medicines – supply and the need for recording
– BVD unknowns – encourage farmers to blood test them
– BTV Vaccination – don’t forget permissions and data feedback
– Consultation n EID for cattle
– The fast-approaching deadline for registration of equine premises
– Renewal of authorisations for export work – CHECK your permissions and keep an eye out for e-mails from DAERA!
– SRG and Dog Breeding Review survey (see below)
– Anticipated changes to the TB Control Programme 
– A full update on TB Contract discussions with DAERA

Full minutes will be sent to full members in due course and TB testing practices will be kept updated on new contract issues via the TB WhatsApp group.  If you are a testing practice decision-maker but are not yet on the WA group, drop VetNI an e-mail to request to join it.  

A fine dinner (thank you to the Silver Birch team!) followed the AGM.

Before the dinner, Keith spoke about the tragic loss of vet colleague Vanessa Whyte and her children James and Sara, in Maguiresbridge in July last year. AVSPNI had instigated a one off collection on behalf of Women’s Aid Fermanagh to support their good work and in the hope of preventing similar atrocities in the future.  
Keith spoke warmly of Vanessa as a smart, funny, capable colleague, warmly remembered by many AVSPNI members.  
A significant cash sum was collected on the night to honour the memory of Vanessa, James and Sara.  

AVSPNI Spring Conference 2025

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We are incredibly proud of the AVSPNI Spring Conference programme and grateful to the wonderful speakers who have made it possible. AVSPNI shows unwavering commitment to tip-top local CPD for NI vets and nurses. Come along and join us to see what all the fuss is about.

To book your ticket to Spring Conference in Crowne Plaza Hotel, Belfast use the link below:

https://ti.to/avspni/avspni-spring-conference-2025

AVSPNI Spring Conference – LOCAL and LIVE!

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We’re pretty proud of the lecture programme for Spring Conference at La Mon Hotel, 1st & 2nd of April but mostly we are just looking forward to some great face-to-face CPD again! A chance to chat, catch up, swap news and stories, see colleagues from trade and other practices . . . a chance to dress up 70s style and PARTY!!! We can’t wait . . .

RCVS review of ‘under care’ and 24/7 emergency cover

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What are the implications of new technologies for both animal health and welfare and veterinary regulation?

What are your views on the provision of 24/7 emergency cover?

How should we interpret an animal being under the care of a veterinary surgeon?

Where does remote consulting (vet-to-client telemedicine) fit into current practice and what are its limitations?

The RCVS launched an online qualitative survey to gain the views and feedback of UK-based veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses on 19 May 2021 so its YOUR turn to have your say!

An email containing a personalised link to the survey has been sent to rgeistered vets and vet nurses. If you can’t see yours, you can apply to complete the survey by sending an e-mail to RCVSsurvey@accent-mr.com.

The survey closes at 5pm on Wednesday, 16 June 2021. It should take 15-20 minutes to complete, but can be returned to and completed in stages if preferred.

African Swine Fever (ASF)

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DAERA is currently running a UK-wide campaign to raise awareness of the risks of African Swine Fever (ASF) to pigs. Its important that they reach all pig keepers with their messages. Commercial pig keepers are aware of the risks of ASF but the level of awareness amongst small holders/pet pig keepers may not be so high.

DAERA is gather more information which will better inform them on how to support these sectors. They have created a survey which specifically targets small scale pig keepers.  Please share this with your full veterinary team and ask them to share the survey with small scale pig holders/pet pig owners.

The survey can be found here and more information is available on the Defra website at the following link Small scale pig keepers ASF survey

DAERA is grateful for your ongoing support with proactive messaging regarding vigilance, early reporting of suspected disease and importance of maintaining biosecurity. Anything we can do to improve our communications will help in keeping this devastating disease out of NI.

AVSPNI Autumn 2020 CPD Programme

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It may not surprise you but it is nevertheless with sadness that the AVSPNI Council have taken the difficult decision to cancel the Autumn Conference. This was scheduled to take place at the beginning of October at the Roe Park Resort, Limavady. Plans for a humdinger of a conference in both Spring and Autumn 2021 are already well underway and AVSPNI is also pulling together a programme of 12+ excellent webinars to see members through to the end of the year. These will all be free of charge for AVSPNI members.

We still hope that the Joint Autumn meeting held with NIVA can be delivered as a face to face event but of course, we have a Plan B up our sleeve for that too.

Amongst all the other adjustments that you have had to make this year, CPD may have slipped down your priority list! If you want to top up your CPD record before Christmas, keep an eye on the VetNI Events page for details of forthcoming webinars which will be added in the next couple of weeks.

Red Tractor pioneers streamed audits to safeguard UK farming chain

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Red Tractor is preparing to roll-out live streamed farm audits to enable new applicants to be assessed and current members to retain their status throughout the coronavirus pandemic. For full info from Red Tractor please open the link below:

Click her for information on Red Tractor Remote Assessments

For more information on Red Tractor’s advice for members during the Covid-19 pandemic, please go to https://assurance.redtractor.org.uk/covid-19-hub

Red Tractor pioneers streamed audits to safeguard UK farming chain

By

Red Tractor is preparing to roll-out live streamed farm audits to enable new applicants to be assessed and current members to retain their status throughout the coronavirus pandemic. For full info from Red Tractor please open the link below:

Click her for information on Red Tractor Remote Assessments

For more information on Red Tractor’s advice for members during the Covid-19 pandemic, please go to https://assurance.redtractor.org.uk/covid-19-hub

Contagious Equine Metritis

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A case of contagious equine metritis (CEM) in a non-thoroughbred stallion has been confirmed on a premises in Fife, Scotland, Friday 3 April 2020. The affected horse was imported in November 2019 from Europe and has had no clinical signs of infection.

The diagnosis was made during routine pre-breeding testing, as per the International HBLB Codes of Practice, with positive PCR results. The affected stallion has been isolated and is undergoing treatment. Freedom from disease will be confirmed in line with the International HBLB Codes of Practice requirements and breeding will not commence on this premises until freedom from infection is confirmed.

International trade does not require country freedom, only individual or premises freedom. There are no other stallions on the premises. There is one mare at a separate premises with epidemiological links to the positive case, and this mare has been isolated and is also undergoing treatment.

The outbreak will be subject to further investigations, including tracings to determine if there are any epidemiological links to Northern Ireland. Further information on CEM is available at https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/articles/contagious-equine-metritis