Author Archives: Amber Tennant

New Veterinary Receptionist Qualification Now Open for Registration

Applications for the new VetSkill Level 2 Certificate for Veterinary Receptionists qualification are now open!

The qualification, designed to provide key receptionist skills tailored to a veterinary practice setting, will help those working in a veterinary receptionist role to manage the reception area, communicate confidently and effectively with clients about retail products and services, manage difficult situations, understand medical terminology, maintain client and business records – and much more.

Run on an online, distance learning, basis the programme allows learners to study alongside any existing commitments, from work or home. What’s more, monthly payment options make it easy to spread out the cost of learning!

Further information, and details on how to apply, can be found on our website or by calling the College on 01480 422060.

New Veterinary Receptionist Qualification Now Open for Registration

The College of Animal Welfare is delighted to announce that applications for the new VetSkill Level 2 Certificate for Veterinary Receptionists qualification are now open.

The qualification, designed to provide key receptionist skills tailored to a veterinary practice setting, will help those working in a receptionist role to manage the reception area, communicate confidently and effectively with clients about retails products and services, manage difficult situations, understand medical terminology, maintain client and business records and much more.

Mel Young, Academic Manager at The College of Animal Welfare, said: “We are delighted to be offering this new qualification as part of our growing portfolio of online learning programmes”. She continued: “The importance of effective front-of-house service in a veterinary environment cannot be emphasised enough. This course will help staff further develop their confidence as well as gaining formal recognition of their skills and knowledge”.

Further information, and details on how to apply, can be found at www.caw.ac.uk or by calling the College on 01480 422060.

– Ends –

For more information please contact:
Alison German RVN
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

Voting opens for the BVNA council election

Voting is now open for the BVNA council election, with eight candidates competing for six places.

Voting is open until 16 July, to full and student BVNA members only.

For further details on how to vote, and to view all the candidate profiles, visit the BVNA website.

Keeping your pets safe in the heat – top tips!

Our pets love making the most out of the warm summer weather just as much as we do! Take the following precautions to ensure your pet stays safe in the sun.

Be sensible! To avoid heatstroke, it is best to exercise your pets in the early morning or evenings when temperatures are cooler. Try to keep pets out of sunlight during peak daylight hours, and provide regular shade. Remember that roads and paths can get extremely hot during the summer. If you’re unable to keep your hand on the path comfortably, the same applies to your pet and the heat will burn your pet’s paws.
If you suspect your pet may be suffering from heatstroke contact your vet immediately. Signs of heat stroke include panting, excessive drooling, increased body temperature, reddened gums, production of only small amounts of urine or no urine and rapid heart rate.
Ensuring your pet has regular access to cool, fresh water is vital to preventing overheating and dehydration. Additionally, never leave your pet in a hot car. You’ve probably heard this one before, but it’s worth saying over and over again! Temperatures inside a car can rise to dangerous levels very quickly, which can cause organ failure and rapid death in animals.

East Sussex fire crews kitted out with specialist oxygen masks for pets

Pets rescued from fires in East Sussex will have access to specially designed oxygen masks in a bid to save the lives of more animals.

An initiative by the RSPCA and charity Smokey Paws, which joined forces to pay for the specialist kit, has ensured all fire engines in the county will now carry the equipment as part of standard practice. It is hoped the scheme will eventually be applied across the country.

Smokey Paws raises money for the life-saving masks via public donations, company sponsorships and fund-raisers.

Chief executive Brian Lockyer said: “With 46% of UK households having pets, and more than 40,000 house fires a year in the UK, pets can tragically often become the victims of smoke inhalation and poisoning. If oxygen is available at the scene, it should be provided to the pet.

“Specially designed pet oxygen masks are more effective on pets than the human masks often used to try to revive pets by first responders. Our mission is to equip every fire engine in the UK with these life-saving pet oxygen masks.”

For information about Smokey Paws can be found at www.smokeypaws.co.uk

Dogs Trust Be Dog Smart Week (19-25 June)

Dogs Trust launched its third annual “Be Dog Smart Week” this week (19-25 June). The initiative aims to teach children how to stay safe around dogs.

Dogs Trust officials said 8,000 children have been admitted to hospital as a result of dog bites in the past five years. It is hoped wider awareness could help reduce the number of dog bites in the home and in public spaces.

The practical tips and advice developed by the charity are available through easy-to-follow infographics, as well as through engaging school workshops; and will help children understand the simple ways they can “Be Dog Smart”

Further information, including details about how to arrange a FREE workshop in your local school, library or community centre, can be found at www.bedogsmart.org.uk

AHT study needs owners to volunteer their horses – Can you help?

The AHT is asking horse owners to volunteer their horses to help in a unique study.

The aim of the study is to provide some evidence-based guidelines to the equine industry as to what constitutes excessive rider size, under various circumstances. Riders who are too heavy for their horse or pony can cause chronic back pain and lameness.

During the study, each horse will be ridden by four competent riders of different weights. Subjective and objective assessment of gait and behaviour when ridden, measurement of forces under the saddle, heart rate during exercise and recovery, cortisol levels, and back dimensions before and after exercise will be assessed.

Horses for the study need to be:

between 450kg and 550kg bodyweight (about 15hh to16hh)
in regular work and capable of working two 30-minute sessions in a day
capable of working on the bit in walk, trot and canter
available between 3 and 8 September (horses will be stabled on site throughout the study)
able to travel to World Horse Welfare in Snetterton, Norfolk (costs will be reimbursed)
vaccinated against influenza and tetanus

If you think you can help, email equine.centre@aht.org.uk or telephone 01638 751908.

World Refugee Day (20 June)

To describe current global displacement levels as indicative of a ‘refugee crisis’ would be an incredible understatement. Nearly 34,000 people are forcibly displaced every day as a result of conflict or persecution; and we are currently witnessing the highest levels of displacement on record.

An unprecedented 65.3 million people around the world have been forced from home, including nearly 21.3 million refugees, over half of whom are under the age of 18. In addition, there are 10 million stateless people who have been denied a nationality and access to basic rights such as education, healthcare, employment and freedom of movement.

We can help address the refugee crisis partly by breaking down the myths and scare mongering that prevents people from effectively understanding the refugee crisis, and having meaningful discussion over how we respond to asylum seekers and their families in need.

There is a difference between an asylum seeker, a refugee and an economic migrant.

The terms asylum seeker, refugee and economic migrant are often used interchangeably in public discourse, however it is important to understand the legal distinction between each one.

An asylum seeker is someone who has fled their home country and has submitted a claim for asylum to the authorities; they have a legal right to stay in the country until a decision has been made.

A refugee, by comparison, has proven to the authorities that returning to their home country would put themselves in danger; their claim for asylum has been accepted and they can stay in the country either long-term or indefinitely. Refugees also have a legal right, under UK and International law, to bring their families over to the UK to join them.

Economic migrant is not a legal classification, merely an umbrella term used to cover any person who has moved to another country to work. Whether they are legally or illegally resident is dependent on how they entered the country, and they may or may not have a legal work permit.

The number of refugees living in the UK is low.

We’re all familiar with the scare stories about asylum seekers ‘flooding’ the UK, however when held up against statistical data the picture is different. There is an estimated 117,234 refugees living in the UK, meaning that refugees make up just 0.18% of the total UK population. The UK received 38, 878 asylum applications in 2015, with just 45 percent of these cases being granted asylum once their cases had been fully concluded. By comparison countries throughout Europe such as Germany (431,000) and Hungary (163,000) received many more; however, less still than many developing countries, that currently host over 80% of the refugee population combined.

Further Information

For further information on the refugee crisis and global displacement levels, visit:

http://www.redcross.org.uk/What-we-do/Refugee-support/Refugee-facts-and-figures
http://www.unhcr.org/uk/figures-at-a-glance.html

Learning Disability Week 2017 (19-25 June)

Learning Disability Week 2017 is a welcome opportunity to come together to celebrate the achievements of people with learning disabilities. NHS figures estimate that around 1.5m people in the UK have a learning disability.

This year’s theme is employment; around 8 in 10 working age people with a learning disability have a mild or moderate learning disability, but fewer than 2 in 10 are in employment.

Research has indicated there are a number of barriers which make it harder for people with a learning disability to find work and stay in work. This includes negative attitudes and low expectations towards people with a learning disability from employers, managers and colleagues; skills and qualifications gaps, lack of flexible, personalised employment programmes and unfair treatment and discrimination in the workplace.

The week aims to tackle the low levels of employment among people with learning disabilities by combating stigma and raising awareness of the benefits of employing people with a learning disability. Social stigma surrounding learning disability negatively influences, not only, employment, but many other areas of life. Below are some more facts about learning disability and society:

Just 1 in 3 people with a learning disability take part in some form of education and training.
Children with special educational needs (SEN) are twice as likely as other children to be bullied regularly.
40% of disabled children live in poverty.
75% of GPs have received no training to help them treat people with a learning disability.
7 out of 10 families have reached or come close to ‘breaking point’ because of a lack of short break services.

To find out more about Learning Disability Week 2017, and what you can do to help, you can visit the Mencap website, the leading voice on learning disability.

Health and Fitness Tip of the Week: New Psychoactive Substances

What are new psychoactive substances and how can they influence our health?

Often incorrectly referred to as ‘legal highs’, new psychoactive substances are chemical substances which produce similar symptoms to illegal drugs such as cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy. The UK had the highest rate of legal high purchases in 2015 of any country surveyed in the largest study of drug use worldwide.*

THE DRUGS

Stimulants, ‘downers’ or sedatives, psychedelics or hallucinogens and synthetic cannabinoids are the main four categories used to define the symptoms of most psychoactive drugs. You may be familiar with the names of a few of the most common ‘legal highs’, for example…

Mephedrone: Commonly known as meow meow, M-cat or white magic, mephedrone is a stimulant that produces a similar symptoms to ecstasy or cocaine in that it can make you feel energised, physically active and euphoric.

Salvia: Otherwise known as Mexican Magic Mint is an hallucinogenic drug similar to magic mushrooms or LSD, which can cause hallucinations and induce feelings of being detached from the world around you.

Synthetic Cannabinoids such as Spice or Black Mamba produce similar effects to cannabis, including intoxication, relaxation, altered consciousness and disinhibition.

THE RISKS

The main risk associated with new psychoactive substances is that you can’t be sure what the ‘legal high’ you have purchased contains or how it might influence your health.

There has been very little research done into the health risks associated with these drugs. They can have wildly different strengths and effects on different people. These risks increase if the drug is combined with alcohol or another psychoactive drug.

Quite often they contain different substances to what is on the packaging and they are known to be addictive. According to the Office for National Statistics, there were 76 deaths that involved ‘legal highs’ between 2004 and 2013.

THE LAW

Under the Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 it is now illegal to produce, supply or be in possession of a psychoactive substance. The maximum sentence that can be imposed is 7 years imprisonment.

http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/drugs/Pages/Drugsoverview.aspx

http://www.talktofrank.com/drug/new-psychoactive-substances

http://visual.ons.gov.uk/deaths-from-legal-highs/

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/psychoactive-substances-bill-2015