This takes total investment to £21 million, following a £6 million Seed round in August 2023.
Hello Vet was founded in 2022 by healthcare entrepreneurs, James Lighton and Alessandro Guazzi, and veterinary surgeon Oli Viner.
They opened their first site in London Fields in July 2024.
VetSurgeon.org spoke to Oli, who explained some of the things Hello Vet is doing to offer greater transparency and tangible value whilst remaining affordable:
Oli said: "We're using technology to reduce the amount of time we spend on admin and mundane stuff, so we can concentrate more on those things which deliver better value for our clients.
"For example, our clinicians make clinical notes as normal, but they are translated by AI into treatments plans which, after a once-over by our nursing team, we give to clients both as an aide-memoire and as a tangible presentation of the advice they've bought from us.
"When we used to do this manually, it would take 10 minutes. With AI, that's down to 90 seconds.
"We also use WhatsApp to foster a better connection between clinicians and clients, and to triage cases.
"We don't charge for interactions on WhatsApp, so it saves clients time and money whilst allowing us to focus our efforts where they are most needed and offer greater value.
Hello Vet reckons its WhatApp triage service has saved clients more than £75K in fees alone in the last year.
Another novel side to the practice is that it allows clients into its procedure rooms to hold their pets’ paws as anaesthesia is administered and to be present when their pets wake up.
Oli said: "This reduces stress for both pets and people and there are studies1 which have shown it improves outcomes and speeds recovery.
"As importantly, it shows tangible value to the client when they can see all the equipment we've invested in.
"Allowing clients to be there at the start of a procedure strengthens relationships with the team and builds trust."
Hello Vet now plans to launch clinics across the UK and hire a team of 200 vets and vet nurses over the next two years.
James Lighton, co-founder and CEO, said: “We know that most veterinary professionals come into this industry because they love working with animals.
"But too many good people are leaving this vocation.
"We want to become Britain’s best place to work, to ensure working in a vet clinic feels like the dream job it should be.
https://www.hellovet.co.uk
Reference
The news comes only weeks after the RCVS announced conditional accreditation of the school's veterinary degree for a further year whilst further improvements could be made, having previously identified ‘wide-ranging concerns’.
The RCVS responded to the news with the following statement:
"We were very sorry to learn that Cambridge University’s Council of the School of Biological Sciences has decided to recommend to the University’s General Board that veterinary education at Cambridge should cease and, as ever, our first thoughts are with the students and staff team at the veterinary department, who will be affected directly by this news.
“As we reported on 25 November 2025, in light of the significant progress made by the vet department at Cambridge over the past 12 months towards meeting our accreditation standards, our Education Committee decided to grant conditional accreditation of the Cambridge veterinary degree programme for a further year to allow time for remaining improvements to be made.
“As stated, we appreciate the considerable efforts and hard work that the staff team at the vet department had put into rectifying many of the issues identified in the 2024 accreditation event, for taking on board the constructive advice that was given and working together to make many of the necessary improvements.'
“We had collaborated with the team within the vet department on putting together an action plan and timeline for meeting the 20 remaining recommendations, and we hoped that the department would continue on its current trajectory towards meeting our accreditation standards.
“The visitation panel noted the considerable efforts the department staff had made to make improvements in a relatively short timeframe, and the staff’s commitment to improving the remaining issues was clear. We also understood from discussions during the visitation that the department had the full and ongoing support of the School of Biological Sciences and wider University.
“In light of the School Council’s recent recommendation, however, we know that this will be a very upsetting and uncertain time for the vet department staff team and students, so we stand ready to offer as much support as we are able over the coming months.”
The BVA has also responded, it's President Dr. Rob Williams MRCVS saying: “When we met with senior leadership at Cambridge University back in June, we secured reassurances that they remained committed to the long-term future of the vet school.
"It’s therefore deeply concerning to hear that once again the future of Cambridge Vet School is in doubt.
"Working with students, alumni and staff, we’re seeking clarity on the situation and will make the case for its veterinary medicine degree course to continue."
A final decision will be made by the university's general board in January.
The EMS database began development in 2022.
It was launched for placement providers a year ago and for students in March this year.
The College says it was implemented following a lengthy consultation amongst veterinary students, EMS placement providers and the veterinary schools, which resulted in broad commitment to the project.
Feedback from graduates had indicated that EMS was a hugely valuable part of their undergraduate studies, but that access to placements could be difficult.
The aims of the database were to streamline the EMS placement booking process for providers, to support vet schools in their implementation of EMS and to help students find placements relevant to their learning needs and personal circumstances.
According to the RCVS, initial reaction to the database from providers and students was positive.
Hundreds of providers joined the system, reporting that they appreciated having a central system which allowed students from all schools to be able to book placements.
Students accessing the system said the database was easy to use and contained features that improved EMS accessibility.
However, the College says that despite all this, the majority of schools were, in part due to a range of IT and legal complexities, no longer able to commit to the project now or within the time needed to make it viable.
Tim Hutchinson, Vice-Chair of the Education Committee, said: “This decision has not been taken lightly, as the Education Committee recognised both the substantial work from EMS providers in creating and maintaining their placement profiles, and the support shown from students using the database.
“RCVS staff and stakeholders have put a tremendous amount of effort into getting this system off the ground, however it could only have worked with all parties continuing to engage and, despite best efforts, this unfortunately has proved not to be.
“On behalf of the Education Committee, I would like to thank those stakeholders who signed up to the database for their engagement, and I share their frustration that this project did not succeed.”
The RCVS says it will provide support for those veterinary schools that were signed up and using the database whilst the system is wound down.
Any bookings already in the system will be relayed to veterinary school internal systems.
It is expected that the software will be retired by February 2026.
The company says it has now had over two million client interactions, more than three quarters of which result in the pet visiting their vet practice, generating an average revenue of £206 per case, with a net promoter score of 88.
VidiVet was founded by veterinary surgeon Ben Sweeney in 2020, the main idea being to keep vet clinics at the centre of the customer journey whilst driving footfall and revenue, keeping pet owners happy and saving clinic teams time and stress.
VidiVet now has more than 60 vets providing a remote digital support team for vet clinics, 24/7.
Every vet working for VidiVet is still in clinical practice and has spent at least five years working in practice, with an average of 14 years experience.
Ben said: “We enable practices to complete the circle of care and augment the services they offer.
"Rather than us competing with clinics, under our strapline of ‘Just Trust VidiVet’, we continually delight clients, drive efficiencies and deliver revenues.
“We work with clients to determine whether their pet requires emergency treatment and, in most cases, direct them back to the practice at an appropriate time, based on their symptoms.
"Crucially, Vidivet vets never diagnose or prescribe, meaning they remain totally impartial and all revenues generated from a case go to the clinic.
VidiVet’s head of veterinary operations, Sarah Holmes, who is also a qualified vet, added: “VidiVet’s success is built on our ability to provide immediate advice from highly experienced UK based vets who all still work in clinics, and we only select those with exceptional communication and clinical skills.
"When this is combined with people’s appetite for instant information in a digital age, it gives us a very compelling offering, which is hugely popular with both veterinary practices and pet owners.”
Pippa Adams, director at PowisVets in Stourbridge, said: “We have been using VidiVet for four years now and it has been a game changer for our business.
"The clients love it, the system is simple for our staff and it has really helped our business as we have been growing.
"We would recommend it to any vet practice.”
www.vidivet.com.
Led by clinicians from Davies Veterinary Specialists, the Royal Veterinary College, and Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service, the study assessed the proportion of metronidazole use that was prescribed for non-antimicrobial purposes, and the rationale for it.
A survey was completed by 138 veterinarians, primarily in the UK and working in primary care small animal practice, who treated 332 cases (285 dogs and 47 cats) with metronidazole.
In 42% of cases, metronidazole was selected exclusively for non-antimicrobial targeted therapy, and was most commonly prescribed to treat acute diarrhoea, chronic diarrhoea, or giardiasis.
This, say researchers, is despite recommendations that antimicrobials are very rarely warranted for the management of acute and chronic diarrhoea.
The most common rationale cited by vets to justify metronidazole use was its supposed anti-inflammatory or immunomodulatory properties.
Other reasons included: treatment of suspected or confirmed anaerobic or susceptible bacterial infection, the patient being systemically unwell or having severe disease, treatment of protozoal infections, experiencing a previous positive outcome in a similar case or the same patient, anti-diarrhoeal action and owner or practice expectations.
Dr Justin Ng, lead author of the study, said: “These insights are alarming given that such practices frequently deviate from current antimicrobial use guidelines, potentially contributing to ongoing challenges with antimicrobial resistance and adverse effects on gastrointestinal health.”
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jsap.13910
The webinar explores the practical application of thoracic ultrasound to support earlier, more accurate identification of BRD in the field.
The webinar demonstrates how integrating thoracic ultrasound into routine assessment can help clinicians identify cases earlier, target treatment more precisely and avoid the use of blanket metaphylaxis – supporting both herd health and antimicrobial stewardship.
George said: “Recent research suggests that nearly one third of UK dairy calves experience BRD and subclinical pneumonia, and a significant proportion may remain undiagnosed when assessed by clinical signs alone.
"One of the clearest indicators of pneumonia is lung consolidation.
"Thoracic ultrasound enables us to detect this early, grade its severity and provide a meaningful prognosis.
"It’s easy to do in the field with minimal patient preparation and gives a level of clarity that helps manage BRD much more effectively.”
Alongside the main webinar is a series of four bite-sized sessions which address common clinical scenarios, including when initiating antimicrobials is justified in BRD cases and how thoracic ultrasound can be used to monitor treatment progress.
Krka has also developed a new Vet2Vet Insight guide on creating an on-farm BRD protocol, together with a downloadable, editable template that practices can tailor to their own herd health plans.
https://www.krka.co.uk/veterinary-knowledge-hub
The charity says it is facing serious financial pressures, with the cost of caring for rescued animals having increased by £17M over the last 5 years.
Meanwhile, claims for emergency treatments payments have dropped by 87% in the last two years because of a greater awareness by vets of their responsibilities under the RCVS Code in providing treatment to injured wildlife and stray animals.
Rebecca Ashman, the RSPCA’s Head Vet for Operations, Partnerships and Prevention, said: "Thanks to this, and better understanding of the role and remit of the RSPCA, we have been able to focus our charity resources on managing cases of cruelty and neglect."
She added: “The RSPCA has always worked closely with the veterinary professions and we are very grateful for the ongoing support of practices with our work.
"Colleagues will be aware that we have increasingly needed to focus on our core work of rescuing and rehabilitating neglected and cruelly treated animals, in the face of growing demand.
“We have seen the number of animals in our care grow; we are now caring for double the number of cats and dogs since the pandemic, many of whom need longer, more complex rehabilitation due to the nature of why they came into our care.
“Despite work to put the RSPCA on a more sustainable footing, between 2020 and 2024, the annual cost of rescuing and caring for animals has gone up by £17m, due to rising energy prices, veterinary costs, the increased need to pay for private boarding and the increase in the number of animals in our care.
"Alongside this, unforeseen costs such as the hike in national insurance, high inflation, rising fuel and increase in the cost of living, means it is a challenging climate for all charities, putting us under pressure at a time when donations are slowing across the sector.”
The RSPCA says it will continue to allocate log numbers for IET until the end of 2025 and vets have until the end of January 2026 to make any requests for payment in the usual way.
Vidas Equine Insulin provides insulin levels in approximately 20 minutes, which the company says will help with the diagnosis and management of Equine Metabolic Syndrome (EMS), commonly associated with insulin dysregulation in horses.
Vidas Equine ACTH provides dysregulation level testing of the adrenocorticotropic (ACTH) hormone related to the development of Equine Cushing’s Disease (aka Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction - PPID) in about 45 minutes.
Pierre Rouppert, Global Veterinary Product Manager at bioMérieux, said: “Our new endocrinology tests, because of their rapidity and ease of use, will bring clinical value for veterinary practices, directly at the Point of Care.
"Equine Metabolic Syndrome and Cushing’s Disease are chronic conditions that often evade detection in their initial stages, making early testing crucial in achieving proper management and animal care.”
David Smart, Global Veterinary Business Developer at bioMérieux, said: “This dedicated equine immunoassay test for insulin and ACTH represents a transformative step forward in animal care.
"Veterinary practitioners will be able to achieve fast, reliable and cost-effective laboratory grade results that can aid early detection and subsequent diagnosis for two prolific and debilitating medical conditions in horses.
"The fast and accurate results from these two new tests will allow quicker clinical decisions that will ultimately help more horses receive an improved standard of care and reassure horse owners.”
https://www.biomerieux.com/corp/en/our-offer/clinical-products/vidas-equine-insulin.html
The College says the findings address evidence gaps from previous research and highlight the importance of routine veterinary otoscopic ear checks.
Although previous research has suggested that lop-eared rabbits may be more susceptible, the researchers say it relied on small samples and retrospective clinical records or owner reports.
For this study, RVC Rabbit Welfare Research Assistants, Maria Jackson RVN and Michaela Betts MRCVS, examined 435 pedigree rabbits volunteered by British Rabbit Council (BRC) breeders.
Between October 2023 and February 2024, the team travelled to BRC shows and breeding studs to record each rabbit’s ear type, head shape, estimated adult bodyweight, age and other features before performing a structured otoscopic examination in which the outer ear, the diverticulum and the full length of the external ear canal were checked for signs of inflammation, narrowing, discharge or crusting.
By combining these observations with multivariable statistics, the team was able to compare ear health across 49 breeds and identify which conformations were most strongly associated with specific ear abnormalities.
The results showed that ear shape plays a central role in predisposing rabbits to hidden ear disease.
Lop-eared rabbits were more likely to show 9 of the 11 abnormalities assessed, including ear canal narrowing, abnormal colour, flaky and wet discharge, behavioural reactivity to ear examination, dermatological changes to the pinna and crusts in the diverticulum.
The shape of a rabbit’s head was also associated with the types of ear problems they were likely to develop, but not in a consistent manner.
Brachycephalic rabbits had narrower ear canals, while dolichocephalic rabbits were more likely to have crusts in the diverticulum.
Body size mattered too, with heavier rabbits more likely to show problems such as redness, narrowing, flaky discharge and traumatic pinna changes, as well as stronger behavioural reactions during examination.
Other physical and signalment factors showed mixed results, highlighting the complexity of ear health across breeds.
Maria said: “Our findings have once again shown that rabbits with lop ears are more likely to develop ear problems – specifically, signs of otitis externa – than rabbits with upright ears."
Dr Charlotte Burn, Associate Professor in Animal Welfare and Behaviour Science at the RVC, and senior author on the paper, said: “This is the first study to have directly and systematically examined rabbit ears outside a clinical context, and it confirms that the seemingly endearing shape of lop rabbits’ ears really do risk deeper ear disorders.
"Alongside the physical changes we observed, we documented rabbit behaviour, such as avoidance, shaking their heads and scratching at their ears, and found that the lop-eared rabbits reacted significantly more to having their ears examined than rabbits with ‘up’ ears.
"To me, this indicates that their ears were not only physically affected, but they also hurt more, highlighting the animal welfare burden of this hidden problem.”
References
The new law allows the Government to:
require that the owner travels with the pets, or within 5 days of the pets arriving.
Danny said: “As a vet, I've treated many dogs with cruelly cropped ears or docked tails, leaving them physically scarred and emotionally traumatised.
"Knowing this Bill will help us put a stop to this abuse and have a bigger impact on animal welfare than I could possibly have achieved in a lifetime treating individual animals, demonstrates how important this legislation will prove to be.
"Thanks to the support of organisations like the BVA and other animal welfare nonprofits, we got the Animal Welfare Bill through the Commons, through the Lords, and today passed into law."
The webinar will be presented by Jenny Helm Cert SAM Dip ECVIM-CA FHEA MRCVS EBVS and RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Medicine.
Jenny will explain the latest knowledge about lungworm in dogs, including an update on prevalence, clinical case management and treatment and prevention options.
Louise Longstaff, National Veterinary Manager at Zoetis said: “Jenny will not only cover some of the challenges with diagnosing lungworm but will also discuss the latest prevention strategies including the use of Simparica Trio."
https://cloud.mc.zoetis.com/LungWormWebinar2025
The first one-day courses will take place in Yorkshire in 2026, offering practical teaching in subjects that can currently only be found by traveling abroad:
As these are small group practical courses, places will be limited.
https://awecpd.co.uk
In November 2024, the RCVS Education Committee agreed to grant the veterinary degree conditional accreditation after an accreditation visitation earlier that year found deficiencies with the degree meant it only met 27 of the 77 RCVS accreditation standards.
55 recommendations for improvement were made by the visitation panel.
A subsequent visit in September 2025 found that while there were still a significant number of standards to be met, many of the recommendations for improvement had either been achieved, or significant progress had been made towards them being met.
The Education Committee therefore decided to grant the programme conditional accreditation for one year, with an action plan and timetable being put into place to guide how and when the 20 outstanding recommendations would be met.
The next accreditation visit to Cambridge will take place in October 2026.
It was agreed that this timeframe and accreditation status would ensure that progress towards meeting accreditation standards continued at pace, allowing the Department to demonstrate its commitment to student wellbeing and support for learning across the entirety of the veterinary programme.
An RCVS spokesperson said: “We appreciate the considerable efforts and hard work that the staff team within the veterinary department at Cambridge University have put into rectifying many of the issues identified in the 2024 accreditation event, for taking on board the constructive advice that was given and working together to make many of the necessary improvements.
“However, as the report shows, there are still several outstanding areas of concern, and so the Education Committee agreed that it was not yet in a position to grant Cambridge’s veterinary degree full accreditation.
“We have collaborated with Cambridge on putting together an action plan and timeline for meeting the 20 remaining recommendations and we hope that it will continue on its current trajectory towards meeting the RCVS accreditation standards.”
https://www.rcvs.org.uk/document-library/university-of-cambridge-2025-report/
Photo: © Copyright John Sutton and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
The service, which is called 'The Inside Series', analyses recorded communications to show teams which behaviours they use consistently and what adjustments can be made to build trust, transparency and clarity.
The series comprises of three different analyses practices can choose from:
Rebecca said: “Veterinary teams work incredibly hard to communicate well, but so much of what truly shapes a client’s understanding happens in the small details that usually go unnoticed.
“The Inside Series makes those details visible.
"When teams can finally see how and why their conversations land in real life, the learning is immediate, practical and transformative.”
http://www.inside-minds.com
This year, there were over 41,000 nominations for the five awards which were set up 26 years ago to recognise the nation’s most outstanding veterinary professionals.
The other four winners were:
Vet Nurse of the Year: Rachel Hewson, Belle Vue Veterinary Practice, Cumbria
Practice of the Year: Coastal Veterinary Group, King’s Lynn
Practice Support Staff of the Year: Hannah Reid, Westport Veterinary Clinic, South Queensferry
Practice Manager of the Year: Fiona Leathers, Westport Veterinary Clinic, South Queensferry
Joanna Maclennan, Director of Trading at Petplan said: “A highlight in our calendar, last night was an evening of celebration of the incredible work that goes on in veterinary practices on a daily basis."
The new study will examine the genetic changes that occur in osteosarcoma tumours.
By understanding which genes drive the disease, researchers hope to identify biomarkers – genetic clues that could help diagnose the cancer earlier, predict prognosis for individual patients, and ultimately lead to new treatment options.
The study is looking for dogs with a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of osteosarcoma, whose treatment plan includes surgical removal of the tumour at the QVSH.
With the owner’s permission, tissue samples will be collected from the amputated limb after surgery, as well as from nearby healthy tissue for comparison.
The researchers say participation involves no additional procedures, discomfort, or hospital visits for dogs, and there is no cost to owners for the research elements of the study.
Dr Louise Van Der Weyden, study co-lead at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said: “Our new study aims to apply genomic sequencing techniques, which have benefited humans, to canine osteosarcoma to uncover what drives these bone tumours and gain a deeper understanding of why they happen.
"We hope that by doing so, we can pave the way for the development of potential biomarkers to help early diagnosis and possibly provide future treatment options for dogs who currently have no cure.”
https://www.hospital.vet.cam.ac.uk/news/new-research-improve-diagnosis-and-treatment-canine-osteosarcoma
oncology@vet.cam.ac.uk
Camilla, who was shortlisted as a finalist for Innovator of the Year at the 2025 Digital Women Awards, says her mission has always been to give first-opinion vets the tools and confidence to get the most from ultrasound in everyday practice – and the new tool is a big step forward in that vision.
The tool:
Camilla says the final report is fully editable, but much of the “heavy lifting” is done — saving time, reducing second-guessing, and producing reports that are more useful for colleagues, clients, and patient care.
https://www.fovu.co.uk/
https://www.fovu.co.uk/fovu-report-video
The research surveyed 647 UK-based employees of CVS’ companion animal practices between December 2022 and March 2023.
Participants included veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses, patient care assistants, receptionists and administrative staff.
The survey explored injury prevalence, the context in which injuries occurred, and the behaviours of injured persons.
Over 77% of respondents reported experiencing a work-related injury at any point during their career.
Injury rates were highest among veterinary surgeons (58.3% injured in the last year) and veterinary nurses (60.2%).
Most injuries occurred in clinical areas such as consulting rooms, prep areas, and wards.
Unsurprisingly, animal-related injuries were the most common, particularly involving cats and dogs during restraint or clinical procedures.
However, a significant number of injuries to receptionists and administrators also involved restraining animals, highlighting the multi-faceted nature of these roles.
Clinical examinations were the most common activity occurring at the point of injury for vets.
Another common situation for vet and nurse injuries were when animals were recovering from anaesthesia.
Nearly 10% of all injuries in the study were needlestick-related, often linked to handling practices.
The study also uncovered a strong culture of presenteeism, where staff continue to work despite injury, often due to fear of letting colleagues down or their dedication to their patients.
Between 16 and 23% of staff attended hospital for their most recent injury and more than 25% needed more than seven days to recover from their injury.
Despite this fewer than 14% of respondents took more than seven days off work.
When outlining reasons for the injury occurring, particularly during animal restraint, participants attributed their injury on a colleague’s actions or a miscommunication.
Around half of respondents said they would not change their behaviour if faced with the same situation again, even after being injured.
Thematic analysis revealed a weak safety culture, particularly among veterinary surgeons, who were the least likely to report injuries.
Many viewed injuries as inevitable or not worth reporting.
Dr. Tulloch said: “This research highlights the everyday risks faced by veterinary professionals, particularly those in companion animal practice.
"While many injuries are accepted as part of the job, our findings show that many are preventable with the right training, equipment, and safety culture.
“Our study calls for a shift toward a positive safety culture, built on open reporting, shared responsibility, and reflective learning.
"It highlights the need for targeted interventions in high-risk areas such as animal restraint, anaesthetic recovery, and sharps handling.
“Achieving this safety culture shift requires strong organisational leadership across the profession and a commitment to fostering a work environment where all staff feel they speak openly and take accountability for workplace safety.”
Imogen Schofield, Director of Clinical Research at CVS, said: "As a result of the research, CVS has set up a working group looking at how we can reduce the top causes of accidents and improve the under-reporting figure.
"We are also looking at how we can use information held within our practice management system to understand more fully rates of accident per consult numbers or numbers of needlestick injuries per injections given.”
CVS says the full findings of the research will be shared with the wider veterinary community in due course, to support industry-wide improvements in occupational health and safety.
The research took the form of a voluntary survey asking those voluntarily leaving their registers to explain why.
643 veterinary surgeons in the survey were leaving the UK-practising category, mostly to be close to family or friends, whilst 306 were leaving the Register altogether.
The next most common reason for veterinary surgeons leaving the UK-practising category was retirement (23%), most of whom were retiring before the state pension age.
Of those retiring before state pension age, one-third cited health and wellbeing reasons.
Vets were asked to explain in greater detail their decision to leave either the UK-practising category or the Register altogether in free text boxes at the end of the survey.
Those leaving the UK-practising category were most likely to mention health and wellbeing issues, closely followed by issues in the profession such as the demands of working in clinical practice.
A third of the comments left by those leaving the Register altogether mentioned issues to do with RCVS regulation, such as cost and continuing professional development (CPD).
Vicki Bolton, RCVS Research Manager, said: “This data is invaluable to us in understanding the reasons why people choose to leave the RCVS Registers.
“The reasons given don’t always make for easy reading, especially when they are to do with dissatisfaction over the direction the professions are taking, physical and mental health and wellbeing, financial pressures and concerns about regulation and its costs.
“However, it is important to remember that, overall, relatively few veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses leave the professions each year.
"There is no mass exodus from the professions and the numbers joining the UK Register annually well exceed those leaving, as demonstrated by consistent year-on-year increases in the number of veterinary surgeon and veterinary nurse registrants.
“That being said, these results will form an invaluable part of our ongoing work on veterinary workforce and gives the RCVS food for thought about how and where we can better support veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses to stay in the professions rather than leave prematurely.”
https://www.rcvs.org.uk/news-and-views/our-consultations/exit-survey-2022-2024/
Photo: AI generated.
Animalcare says that failing to attend to dental care at home results in 9 out of 10 dogs needing advanced dental treatment or procedures at the vets.
Plaqtiv dental sticks are designed to complement dental care by helping reduce plaque and tartar build-up and freshen breath in a tasty, once-daily treat.
Animalcare says the five-point star shape helps target hard-to-reach areas and the length and width of each stick means that teeth can be reached front to back and top to bottom during chewing.
In addition, the active algae ingredient contained within each stick is scientifically proven to help prevent plaque and the inclusion of zinc helps freshen breath.
Rachel Smithson, Country Manager at Animalcare, said: "The addition of the Dental Sticks to the Plaqtiv+ range gives practices and pet owners another option for maintaining oral health.
"With multiple formats now available, the Plaqtiv+ range caters to individual pet needs and owner preferences while supporting long-term home dental healthcare."
https://dental.pet
The CMA proposed that veterinary practices should be compelled to:
Most of these, along with the CMA's support for reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act, have been welcomed not just by the BVA, but by the RCVS and the BVNA which also issued their responses on Friday.
The big sticking points, however, are the proposal that veterinary practices should cap prescription fees at £16, and that all practices should inform clients that they may buy medicines cheaper online.
The BVA argued that the proposed prescription price cap would be unlikely to reduce costs, and that 65% of vets who took part in its Voice of the Profession Survey said it would risk practice viability.
The proposal that vets should tell clients they can buy medicines cheaper online was more controversial, because of course two of the largest veterinary pharmacies are owned by corporate groups, and it is hard to think of any other area of business where small companies are legally required to direct customers to their corporate competitors.
BVA President Dr. Rob Williams MRCVS (pictured) said: “The measures outlined in the CMA’s provisional decision report are much more measured and proportionate compared to earlier proposals and that clearly shows they have listened to our concerns.
"As vets, we welcome the measures that increase transparency and help us to better support our clients.
"However, it’s vital that the CMA gets the detail right or it risks unintended negative consequences.
“BVA particularly welcomes the CMA backing our calls for reform of the outdated Veterinary Surgeons Act, including the need for practice regulation.
"Vets have been pressing for reform of this woefully outdated legislation for many years, and reform will go a long way to addressing many of the concerns raised throughout the CMA investigation and will help build trust with our clients.
“We do, however, have serious concerns about the medicines proposals – it is simply unreasonable to expect vet practices to actively promote online pharmacies, which are in direct competition for customers and some of which are run by large veterinary groups.
"In addition, the proposed £16 price cap for prescriptions will be ineffective and is unlikely to lead to lower vet bills for consumers.”
https://www.bva.co.uk/media/6641/bva-bsava-bvna-spvs-vmg-joint-response-to-cma-provisional-decision-report-final.pdf
The new guidelines are freely available in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery (JFMS), along with accompanying guides for vet nurses and cat carers.
Samantha Taylor, iCatCare Veterinary Specialist Consultant and co-author and panel chair for the guidelines said: “There have been significant developments in the treatment of feline diabetes mellitus since the publication of the 2015 ISFM diabetes guidelines.
"Experts in the disease from the USA, Netherlands, UK, Australia and Italy have collaborated on a much-needed update and the resulting 2025 iCatCare consensus guidelines are an essential information resource for vets diagnosing and treating diabetes mellitus in cats.”
https://internationalcatcare.cmail20.com/t/i-l-znwll-tykyklax-k/
Mike Ellinger, Business Unit Director, UK Diagnostics at Zoetis said: “VPG’s national reputation for quality and deep expertise strengthens our ability to innovate and expand our diagnostic offerings to better serve the veterinary community in the UK and Ireland.
“Our shared commitment to service excellence means we can continue to support veterinary customers seamlessly from day one.
"This acquisition strengthens our ability to innovate and expand our diagnostic offerings to better serve the veterinary community’s point-of-care and reference lab needs in the UK and Ireland.”
https://thevpg.co.uk
The installation is a collaboration between Vet Sustain and IVC Evidensia, supported by MSD Animal Health.
Laura Gelder-Robertson, CEO of Vet Sustain, said: “We want to show the best of what already exists within veterinary sustainability, to bring to life the business benefits for veterinary teams in a really hands-on, practical way that people can touch and feel and relate back to their everyday practice.
"This is a really positive news story where by sharing knowledge and collaborating across the profession, we can continually improve the health and wellbeing of animals, people, the environment and business.”
https://vetsustain.org
The awards are an opportunity to acknowledged unsung heroes within the veterinary profession, celebrating those who have made significant contributions to veterinary science, research, clinical practice, education and the welfare of small animals.
The award categories are:
Nominations are welcome from both BSAVA members and non-members.
Nominations will close on 9th January 2026 and the winners will be announced in February 2026.
Adam Gow, BSAVA Honorary Secretary said: “Each year, we’re proud to shine a spotlight on individuals who have truly made a difference in our profession.
"Nominating a colleague is a meaningful way to show appreciation and celebrate the impact they’ve had, so we encourage everyone to get involved and put forward those who inspire them.”
https://www.bsava.com/awards