The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) is offering free VN Student membership to student veterinary nurses who are studying towards a recognised VN qualification and are registered as student members of the British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA).
Full terms and conditions can be found on the BSAVA website.
Jude Lechmere (Godmanchester Foodbank) receiving cheque from Dog Grooming Practical Skills Trainers from The College of Animal Welfare, Peri Burchmore and Michelle Hall.
The College of Animal Welfare’s dog grooming school is delighted to have raised £260 for Godmanchester Foodbank by pampering lots of local pets!
As part of its silver jubilee year celebrations, the College, based in Chord Business Park, Godmanchester recently ran a celebratory offer for local people giving them the opportunity to have their dogs professionally groomed for just £10 with all the money split between the Foodbank and the College’s Student Hardship Fund.
A total of £260 was raised and the College agreed to donate an additional £260 to the fundraising total so each worthy cause received the full amount.
Debbie Allgood, Commercial Manager at The College of Animal Welfare, said “We are delighted to have raised this money for two very worthy causes. We have had the pleasure of meeting many lovely dogs during the fundraising period, and would like to thank everyone who has helped to make this such a success”.
On Monday 21 July, Jude Lechmere, from Godmanchester Foodbank, was presented with a cheque for £260. She said “We would like to thank The College of Animal Welfare for their kind donation. The past two years have become increasingly busy for the Foodbank with over 12,000kg of food given out last year. Many people show real courage in coming to ask for help at a time when they feel isolated and low. The donation will help us to continue to give emergency aid to people in need when our shelves are empty”.
Find out more about The College of Animal Welfare or Godmanchester Foodbank.
Jude Lechmere (Godmanchester Foodbank) receiving cheque from Dog Grooming Practical Skills Trainers from The College of Animal Welfare, Peri Burchmore and Michelle Hall.
The College of Animal Welfare’s dog grooming school is delighted to have raised £260 for Godmanchester Foodbank by pampering lots of local pets!
As part of its silver jubilee year celebrations, the College, based in Chord Business Park, Godmanchester recently ran a celebratory offer to local people, giving them the opportunity to have their dogs professionally groomed for just £10 with all the money split between the Foodbank and the College’s Student Hardship Fund.
A total of £260 was raised and the College agreed to donate an additional £260 to the fundraising total so each worthy cause received the full amount.
Debbie Allgood, Commercial Manager at The College of Animal Welfare, said “We are delighted to have raised such a great amount of money for two very worthy causes. We have had the pleasure of meeting many lovely dogs during the fundraising period, and would like to thank everyone who has helped to make this such a success”.
On Monday 21 July, Jude Lechmere, from Godmanchester Foodbank, was presented with a cheque for £260. She said “We would like to thank The College of Animal Welfare for their kind donation. The past two years have become increasingly busy for the Foodbank with over 12,000kg of food given out last year. Many people show real courage in coming to the Foodbank to ask for help at a time when they feel isolated and low. The donation will help us to continue to give emergency aid to people in need when our shelves are empty”.
Find out more about The College of Animal Welfare or Godmanchester Foodbank.
– Ends –
For more information please contact:
Alison German VN
Marketing Executive
The College of Animal Welfare
Tel: 01480 422060
Email: agerman@caw.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
The College of Animal Welfare is one of the UK’s leading providers of veterinary nurse and animal care training and education; operating from four training centres around the UK.
The College has a well-earned reputation for excellence and has created a number of unique achievements that have created new opportunities for learning.
For more information about The College of Animal Welfare please visit www.caw.ac.uk
A reminder to all employers that it is vitally important that apprentices are paid at least the apprenticeship minimum wage; to not do so is not only wrong, but illegal. Any employer breaking the law in this way is liable to tough consequences, including naming and shaming and penalties of up to £20,000.
The apprentice minimum wage is currently £2.68 per hour for those aged 16 to 18 years of age and for those aged 19 years or over in the first year of their apprentice; thereafter the national minimum wage for their age group applies to those over 19 years of age.
Any worker who suspects they are not being paid the wage they are legally entitled to should call the Pay and Work Rights helpline on 0800 917 2368.
The College of Animal Welfare is committed to continuous improvement through the gathering of views and experiences from clients.
In order for us to gather feedback on the service that we offer, we are running a short survey aimed at employers who either have a current student studying at The College of Animal Welfare (CAW) or those who have had a CAW student within the past 12 months.
The outcomes of this survey will help in the future development and delivery of our education and training.
The survey, which will only take a few minutes to complete can be accessed here and will be available until 25 July 2014.
If you have any questions about this survey or would like further information, please contact Ruth Franklin on 01480 422060 / rfranklin@caw.ac.uk
Many thanks for your cooperation in advance
The College of Animal Welfare
We are delighted that our Huntingdon centre has been chosen as an exam centre for the September veterinary nursing RCVS OSCE practical exams.
If you are a student of The College of Animal Welfare (CAW) and are looking to take these exams please remember to download and complete an application form from the RCVS website and send to our Huntingdon centre by 6 August 2014.
If you have any questions about your exams please speak to your course tutor or call our administration team on 01480 422060.
The summer sun is normally a very much welcomed visitor but The British Veterinary Association (BVA) Vets warn we need to remember the dangers that the heat can bring to our furry family members! Despite publicity campaigns in recent years, dogs still die in hot cars every summer or succumb to heatstroke as a result of over-exertion on walks and daytrips.
The BVA has highlighted seven simple steps to ensure your pets are kept happy, healthy and safe as temperatures rise:
Vet Robin Hargreaves, President of the BVA said “Most people know that dogs should never be left in cars by themselves, even when the day is warm as opposed to hot, but it can be tempting to ignore advice if you think you won’t be gone for long….Leaving the car windows open and a bowl of water is not enough. As a dog can only cool down through its tongue and paw pads, it cannot react quickly enough to cope with the rapidly rising heat inside a car. Dogs are also vulnerable to heatstroke while out with their owners. I see animals in my practice every summer that have overheated while out walking or exercising. A dog won’t stop enjoying itself because it is hot, so it’s up to the owner to stop the animal before it suffers. Older dogs and those with respiratory problems are particularly susceptible but it’s sensible to keep a close eye on any dog on warmer days. The quicker you get help the better the animal’s chances of survival.”
Detecting overheating early and treating it promptly is essential to dogs recovering successfully. Signs that animals are overheating can include faster and heavier panting, barking or whining. They might produce more saliva than normal and have dark coloured gums. Eventually their eyes may become glassy and they may appear unconscious.
If heatstroke is suspected dogs should be taken to a cool, well-ventilated place and given water to drink. Dogs can also be cooled down with a fan or by covering them with a wet towel. Pet owners should get advice from a vet immediately if the dog does not respond promptly.
For more information on pet care from BVA website
Huge congratulations to all 16 of our AAT Level 2 accountancy students who have all completed their five exams first time and have now completed their Level 2 Certificate in Accounting qualification.
We look forward to many continuing on to Level 3 in September. Well done everyone!
The study, which focused on the stress levels of kennelled dogs has been published in the journal ‘Physiology & Behavior’. The team, which included academics from the University of Birmingham, University of Lincoln, Queen’s University Belfast and The Royal Veterinary College, measured a range of stress parameters in 29 privately-owned dogs – both at home and in one of three private boarding kennel establishments in Northern Ireland.
This new research suggests that dogs who spend a short time in boarding kennels may not find it unduly stressful and could in fact find the change of scenery exciting. , also suggests that dogs may even view kennelling as an exciting change of scene, at least in the short-term.
This hypothesis directly contradicts previous research which suggests that dogs experience acute stress following admission to kennels, and chronic stress in response to prolonged kennelling.
This study aimed to test the validity of a range of physiological, physical and behavioural welfare indicators and to establish baseline values reflecting good dog welfare.
Physical measurements included skin dryness, nose temperature, core body temperature and amount of food eaten. Behavioural measurements included spontaneous behaviours such as lip licking, paw lifting, yawning, shaking and restlessness. Physiological measures included stress hormones (corticosteroids) and epinephrine (adrenaline). The study revealed that dogs have higher levels of arousal, colder noses and were generally more active in kennels than when they were at home.
The welfare of kennelled dogs is of concern, given that many experience minimal social contact, exercise and control over their environment as well as unpredictable and high levels of noise, novelty and disrupted routines. Based on existing research it was assumed that dogs would show higher levels of stress in the kennel compared to the home environment.
The most widely used physiological indicator of canine welfare is urinary cortisol (hormone secreted following activation of one of the major stress response systems) and creatinine (chemical waste product created by the liver) ratios (C/Cr), which is considered a valid measure of acute and chronic stress in dogs. However, the reliability of this has been questioned.
The study revealed that C/Cr was significantly higher in the kennel compared to the home environment but cortisol levels have also been found to increase after exercise and excitement, and appear to provide an indication of arousal without specifying the emotional reason of that arousal.
The team recommends further investigation to determine the validity of measurements tested as indicators of acute and chronic stress in domestic dogs.
The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) is advising veterinary practice premises and practitioners that tramadol has now become a controlled drug and has been added to Schedule 3 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001.
The change to the regulations was made by the Home Office and was effective as of 10 June 2014. As a Schedule 3 controlled drug tramadol is now subject to special requirements when writing prescriptions. Practitioners should also note that:
Although tramadol is exempt from Safe Custody Regulations, the RCVS advises that all Schedule 3 controlled drugs are locked away.
Furthermore, the Home Office has also reclassified ketamine as a Class B controlled drug.
However, it remains under Schedule 4 (Part 1) of the 2001 Regulations, meaning that the legal requirements for supply, storage and record keeping remain the same. The RCVS therefore continues to advise that practice premises should:
Further details about the specific requirements for controlled drugs can be found in the Veterinary Medicines Directorate’s Guidance Note No 20 – Controlled Drugs
Practice premises can also contact the RCVS Professional Conduct Department for further guidance on 020 7202 0789 or profcon@rcvs.org.uk