Vet Times Podcast Veterinary Business Development Ltd

In the first of this two-part series (https://soundcloud.com/vettimesuk/vet-times-extra-test-for-success-part-1?si=a44aeb8025e747ee83d1d74885978e9e&utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing) we discussed the “when” and the “why” of embedding diagnostic testing into wellness plans. This week, we welcome back Carole MacColl from IDEXX and VidiVet founder Ben Sweeney to discover “how” to make that happen.

In this part, Vet Times editor James Westgate has his guests explain how practices can get started with wellness testing, and how to maintain momentum once things are up and running.

He also asks how practices can convince clients that wellness testing is a worthwhile outlay, particularly in the current economic climate, and how to present a “completely normal” result to an owner in a way they do not feel the screening was a waste of money.

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𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗢𝗟𝗘 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗖𝗢𝗟𝗟 𝖡𝖵𝖬𝖲, 𝖯𝖦𝖢𝖾𝗋𝗍, 𝖵𝖾𝗍 𝖤𝖽, 𝖥𝖧𝖤𝖠, 𝖬𝖱𝖢𝖵𝖲
Carole graduated from the University of Glasgow in 2011, and gained experience in first opinion practice before undertaking a rotating internship with a focus on emergency and critical care.

She spent time as an ECC clinician in referral hospitals throughout Australia and the UK, before accepting a role as a senior vet in the RVC’s first opinion teaching hospital.

Carole joined IDEXX as a Professional Services Veterinarian covering the South of the UK in 2021.

𝗕𝗘𝗡 𝗦𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗬 𝖡𝖵𝖲𝖼, 𝖬𝖲𝖼, 𝖢𝖾𝗋𝗍𝖠𝖵𝖯, 𝖬𝖱𝖢𝖵𝖲
Ben graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2008 and is passionate about positive innovation and using insights from the veterinary profession and pet-owning population to fuel evolution in how we offer veterinary services.

Ben founded VidiVet, a tele-triage app that works with vet practices to support their customers 24/7 – www.vidivet.com

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𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗢𝗥𝗘𝗗 𝗕𝗬 𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗫𝗫
IDEXX offers a comprehensive veterinary wellness care diagnostic solution, which gives deeper medical insights into your patients’ health, helping them live happier lives.

Our Preventative Care solutions contain our Faecal Dx antigen test, to enquire about an 8-week no-cost trial for your clinic, visit https://pages.idexx.com/fecal-dx_free-trial_en-uk#contact-form

This Vet Times Extra Podcast, sponsored by IDEXX, sees editor James Westgate discuss the benefits of wellness plans and the important part played by diagnostic testing in wellness clinics.

To offer their expert insights, James is joined by Carole MacColl, professional services vet at IDEXX, and Ben Sweeney, vet and founder of telehealth platform VidiVet, which works increasingly with veterinary practices as part of health and wellness planning.

In the first of this two-part series, topics discussed include:

• What are the main benefits of wellness clinics?
• Which pets benefit most?
• How can wellness clinics benefit younger animals?
• What should vets be looking for in wellness clinics?
• What diagnostic tests should be included? 
• What do we do if we find something?

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𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗢𝗟𝗘 𝗠𝗮𝗰𝗖𝗢𝗟𝗟 𝖡𝖵𝖬𝖲, 𝖯𝖦𝖢𝖾𝗋𝗍, 𝖵𝖾𝗍 𝖤𝖽, 𝖥𝖧𝖤𝖠, 𝖬𝖱𝖢𝖵𝖲
Carole graduated from the University of Glasgow in 2011, and gained experience in first opinion practice before undertaking a rotating internship with a focus on emergency and critical care.

She spent time as an ECC clinician in referral hospitals throughout Australia and the UK, before accepting a role as a senior vet in the RVC’s first opinion teaching hospital.

Carole joined IDEXX as a Professional Services Veterinarian covering the South of the UK in 2021.

𝗕𝗘𝗡 𝗦𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗡𝗘𝗬 𝖡𝖵𝖲𝖼, 𝖬𝖲𝖼, 𝖢𝖾𝗋𝗍𝖠𝖵𝖯, 𝖬𝖱𝖢𝖵𝖲
Ben graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2008 and is passionate about positive innovation and using insights from the veterinary profession and pet-owning population to fuel evolution in how we offer veterinary services.

Ben founded VidiVet, a tele-triage app that works with vet practices to support their customers 24/7 – www.vidivet.com

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𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗢𝗥𝗘𝗗 𝗕𝗬 𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗫𝗫
IDEXX offers a comprehensive veterinary wellness care diagnostic solution, which gives deeper medical insights into your patients’ health, helping them live happier lives.

Our Preventative Care solutions contain our Faecal Dx antigen test, to enquire about an 8-week no-cost trial for your clinic, visit https://pages.idexx.com/fecal-dx_free-trial_en-uk#contact-form

A problem in dogs and cats, as well as horses, corneal ulcers can be a common and potentially serious condition to face in general practice.

Chris Dixon, clinical director at referral practice Veterinary Vision, runs through some of the considerations for the Vet Times Podcast.

He wrote the article “Corneal ulcers update in canine and feline pets” in Vet Times (Volume 54, Issue 09, Pages 8-12), which is online now at https://www.vettimes.co.uk/article/corneal-ulcers-update-in-canine-and-feline-pets/

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𝗖𝗛𝗥𝗜𝗦 𝗗𝗜𝗫𝗢𝗡 𝗕𝗩𝗦𝗰, 𝗖𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗩𝗢𝗽𝗵𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗹, 𝗠𝗥𝗖𝗩𝗦
Chris graduated from the University of Bristol and spent several years working in first opinion mixed practice in the North York Moors and Cumbria before deciding to focus on ophthalmology.

He is a clinical director of Veterinary Vision, a dedicated ophthalmology referral practice within the Linnaeus group. Chris has a particular interest in advanced ocular imaging, corneal cross-linking and retinal detachment surgery.

On 12 March 2024, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published its main concerns following an initial review into the veterinary sector, which prompted more than 56,000 responses from the UK public and veterinary industry.

The body announced it had provisionally decided that it should launch a formal Market Investigation focused on its analysis of the issues in the sector, and has begun to consult on this proposal.

On 19 March, Vet Times, in partnership with the BVA and CloserStill Media, gathered together a hand-picked panel of experts to dissect the CMA's investigation and discuss its implications for the professions.

Vet Times editor James Westgate was joined by RCVS president Susan Paterson, BVA senior vice president Malcolm Morley, BVNA president Lyndsay Hughes and independent practice owner Kate Higgins (Village Vets Formby) to answer questions submitted by an invited audience, gain clarity and guidance on the review's implications, explore what it all means for the UK veterinary professions and consider what the next steps are.

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Details of the consultation on whether to launch a market investigation into the veterinary services market for household pets can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/consultation-on-the-proposal-to-make-a-market-investigation-reference-into-veterinary-services-for-household-pets-in-the-uk

This consultation closes at 5pm on 11 April 2024 .

In this episode, VN Times editor Lacey Pitcher welcomes experienced RVN Sara Ho-Le to discuss training, leadership and peer mentoring.

Sara’s career has been varied and her passion for emergency and critical care has seen her travel to the other side of the world.

Sara discusses utilising her career passport to nurse down under and how mentor nurses have shaped her career.

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𝗦𝗔𝗥𝗔 𝗛𝗢-𝗟𝗘 𝗥𝗩𝗡
Sara completed her veterinary nursing diploma after passing the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) in 2011. After working in clinical practice for several years, Sara obtained RCVS clinical coach status and is passionate about the training and development of student veterinary nurses.

In 2018 Sara returned to study and completed the Certificate in Veterinary Nursing for Emergency and Critical Care (CertVNECC) through VetsNow Ltd. In 2022 Sara obtained the Veterinary Technician Specialist qualification in Emergency and Critical Care through the Academy of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Technicians and Nurses (AVECCTN).

Sara has worked in a variety of practices, including first opinion, specialist centres, university teaching hospitals, and not-for-profit organisations in the United Kingdom and Australia.

She currently works as the training and development coordinator at one of Melbourne's largest veterinary hospitals. Sara’s professional interests include emergency and critical care nursing, disease pathophysiology, anaesthesia and analgesia, wound care, and in-clinic teaching and training.

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𝗘𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗩𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

EVE website – https://eve-veted.com/
EVE Instagram – www.instagram.com/eve.vet.ed/
EVE Facebook – www.facebook.com/eve.vet.ed/

In the past two decades, veterinary professionals have become excellent at recognising and assessing pain in animals.

Karen Walsh joins the Vet Times Podcast once more to discuss current and future analgesia developments.

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𝗞𝗔𝗥𝗘𝗡 𝗪𝗔𝗟𝗦𝗛 𝗕𝗩𝗲𝘁𝗠𝗲𝗱, 𝗗𝗩𝗔, 𝗗𝗶𝗽𝗘𝗖𝗩𝗔𝗔, 𝗠𝗥𝗖𝗩𝗦
One of the three directors and owners of Eye Veterinary Clinic, Karen is both an RCVS and a European specialist in anaesthesia and analgesia. She divides her time between ensuring the smooth running of Eye Veterinary Clinic and overseeing anaesthetics and pain management for its patients.

Her special interest is advanced training in veterinary anaesthesia for nurses and veterinary surgeons, and she is always happy to give advice to colleagues to help them keep their patients safe.

Her article in Vet Times (Volume 54, Issue 08, Pages 7-9), “Companion animal analgesia – overview of latest thinking”, is available now within the CPD+ section of Vet Times, at www.vettimes.co.uk/article/companion-animal-analgesia-overview-of-latest-thinking-cpdanaesthesia/