VetSurgeon News

RVC gait study could support mobility care for canine amputees

2026-06-08T11:00:00Z

Royal Veterinary College researchers have shown that three-legged dogs use different gait strategies at different speeds, giving veterinary teams new evidence on how canine amputees load and move after limb loss.

The study¹ was led by Dr Zoe Davies, a former Postdoctoral Researcher at the RVC, supervised by Jim Usherwood, Professor in Locomotor Biomechanics at the RVC, and co-authored by Aimee Savage, who was an RVC undergraduate at the time.

It involved six dogs with forelimb amputations and six with hindlimb amputations recruited from across the UK through the RVC's social media channels.

Using a 3D motion capture system and force plates in the RVC's Structure and Motion Laboratory, researchers analysed how the dogs adapted their bodies at different speeds.

At higher speeds, the dogs used a gallop-like gait similar to that seen in four-legged dogs.

At slower speeds, the dogs adopted two different movement strategies.

One involved a slowed-down version of the gallop.

The other involved a gait in which the pair of remaining limbs moved in a walking pattern, while the single remaining limb contacted the ground more than once during each stride.

When analysing forces acting on the limbs, the researchers found that forelimb amputee dogs placed around 50% of their bodyweight through their single remaining front limb, whereas weight in hindlimb amputee dogs was distributed more evenly across their three remaining limbs.

The RVC said the research provides a foundation for future work into rehabilitation and mobility support for canine amputees and may also inform the development of adaptive legged robots capable of responding to limb loss.

https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rspb/article/293/2069/20253159/481426/Locomotion-on-three-legs-the-tripedal-gaits-of

Reference

Zoe T. Self Davies, Aimee L. Savage, James R. Usherwood; Locomotion on three legs: the tripedal gaits of canine amputees. Proc Biol Sci 1 April 2026; 293 (2069): 20253159. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2025.3159

MPs call for end to veterinary self-regulation

2026-06-08T06:47:00Z

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee of the House of Commons has called for an end to veterinary self-regulation and, as part of reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act, for a new independent regulator to be created.

If adopted, the move would end the RCVS's 182-year role as regulator of the veterinary profession.

In its report, "A sustainable veterinary workforce", the committee said the Government should separate the RCVS's professional leadership role from any regulatory functions within the veterinary profession, creating a new independent body that can oversee the expanded role of a reformed Act.

The report argued that the current system of self-regulation makes the veterinary sector an outlier, pointing towards professions such as medicine and law where regulatory functions have been separated from professional bodies.

It added that self-regulation is increasingly unsuitable for a profession where vet practices and services are coming under the ownership of corporate entities and the management of non-vets.

The recommendation sits within a wider package on veterinary workforce pressures, veterinary education, Competition and Markets Authority remedies and reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act.

On workforce, the report said pressures in the profession are no longer driven primarily by an overall shortage of qualified individuals, but by challenges in retention, distribution and alignment with specific roles.

It recommended that Defra should, within six months, commission a sector-wide review of retention challenges across the profession.

The report also said the Home Office, in collaboration with Defra, should review the Skilled Worker Visa salary thresholds for veterinary roles by early 2027.

On veterinary education, the committee said the current funding model is not sustainable and recommended a full review of funding within the next Spending Review.

It also said the Government should ensure the CMA's remedies are fully rural proofed, and that the CMA, in partnership with the RCVS, should establish a monitoring framework by September 2027.

The RCVS welcomed the majority of the recommendations but said the idea of establishing a new veterinary regulator "seems to be based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the current role and functions of the College."

In a statement, the College added: “The report appears to assert that this reform is necessary because the functions of the RCVS are in conflict with one another, or that it is otherwise undesirable for these functions to be carried out by one organisation.

"Comparison with the legal sector – in which the regulatory and representative functions of professional bodies were separated by statute in 2007 – strongly implies that the committee considers the same reform necessary in the veterinary sector because the RCVS has similarly conflicting functions, which it does not, and suggests a conflation between professional leadership and representation.

“Furthermore, the report fundamentally misunderstands the concepts of self-regulation and regulatory independence.

"In the context of modern regulatory regimes, 'self-regulation' refers to the independence of a regulator from government, not whether a profession makes rules for itself. In this sense most professional regulators, including the General Medical Council, are both self-regulating and independent.

“The press release accompanying the report is more explicit on these points, arguing that the establishment of a new regulator would allow the RCVS to “specialise in continuing to represent the profession’s interests.”

"To be clear, the RCVS does not represent the interests of the veterinary profession as a whole, nor those of the individual veterinary professionals we regulate.

“While it is true that the RCVS is currently both a statutory regulator and a professional leadership body, we carry out our statutory regulatory function in the public interest under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966, and we carry out our professional leadership function in the public interest in line with the objectives in our Royal Charter.

"There is therefore no conflict between the two functions; indeed, they are complementary, allowing us to take a holistic approach to setting, maintaining and advancing veterinary standards.

“Furthermore, our Royal Charter has enabled us to innovate and plug gaps in our aging legislative framework, for example through regulating veterinary nurses and providing quality assurance of veterinary care through our Practice Standards Scheme.

"Far from detracting from or conflicting with our regulatory function, our professional leadership function, underpinned by the Charter, has reinforced our ability to take action in the public interest where we may not have statutory powers to do so.

“In relation to any suggestion that the RCVS should no longer be the veterinary regulator because it is unduly influenced by the profession through its governance arrangements, we would emphasise that the College has for some time been advocating for legislative reform that would replace its governing Council with a fully appointed board with lay parity, which would remove any risk, real or perceived, of the profession setting and marking its own homework.

"We are pleased that Defra has adopted this recommendation in full as part of its proposed reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966.”

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5902/cmselect/cmenvfru/270/report.html

Analysis

The recommendation to create a new veterinary regulator is arguably the most significant proposal in the report, yet the committee’s case for such a fundamental change appears relatively thin.

The report argues that regulation should be separated from professional leadership, bringing the veterinary profession into line with sectors such as medicine and law. It also points to increasing corporate ownership of veterinary practices and the need to maintain public confidence.

However, the report does not provide evidence that the current regulatory model is failing, nor does it explain why reform of the RCVS itself would not achieve the same objective.

The result is that the recommendation appears to rest more on an ideological preference for separating professional leadership from regulation than on evidence that the existing model is producing poor outcomes.

Photo: EFRA committee chair Alistair Carmichael, whose committee has called for an end to veterinary self-regulation.

New veterinary image library launches with 5,000-plus animal photos

2026-06-05T07:00:00Z

The Trimble Group has launched the Animal Health Image Library, giving veterinary practices and veterinary suppliers access to more than 5,000 clinically accurate images of companion and farm animals for education, training and communications use.

The new library provides images of companion and farm animals with the purpose of helping animal health teams find the right images quickly, and with confidence in their clinical accuracy for appropriate use.

Toby Trimble, founder of Trimble Group, said: "We repeatedly saw a common issue in the veterinary sector of inadequate images and teams were having to spend significant amounts of time searching for usable images.

"To remedy this, we have created the Animal Health Image Library.

"Every image is clinically accurate, and features a mixture of breeds, signalments and scenarios.

"Furthermore we have clearly categorised images into categories which makes finding the right image a quick and easy process.

"We truly believe this resource will aid both those working in the industry creating content, and consumers who will benefit from seeing accurate imagery.”

www.vetimages.com

VMD approves three-month injection for canine osteoarthritis pain

2026-06-04T07:00:00Z

Zoetis has announced VMD approval for Lenivia (izenivetmab injection), giving UK vets a new injectable option to alleviate pain associated with osteoarthritis in dogs for up to three months with a single injection.

Lenivia is the first long-acting canine anti-nerve growth factor monoclonal antibody therapy administered three-monthly.

It acts via its binding to nerve growth factor (NGF), a recognised mediator of pain and inflammation.

Julia von Gablenz, Regional President, Europe & Middle East of Zoetis, said: "Lenivia's approval marks a meaningful milestone in our continued innovation for canine osteoarthritis pain."

She added: "With Lenivia's approval, we're proud to bring UK(GB) veterinary professionals a new, long-acting option that can help alleviate osteoarthritis-associated pain and support sustained comfort with a single injection."

Accord launches lower-cost dexmedetomidine option for UK practices

2026-06-03T11:00:00Z

Accord Animal Health has launched Dexmedocord in the UK, giving veterinary practices a new dexmedetomidine injection option for dogs and cats that the company says is competitively priced and supported by commercial rebates.

Dexmedocord is a dexmedetomidine 0.5 mg/ml solution for injection for dogs and cats and is available through all major UK veterinary wholesalers.

It is indicated in cats and dogs for non-invasive, mildly to moderately painful procedures and examinations requiring restraint, sedation and analgesia.

In dogs, it is also indicated for deep sedation and analgesia in concomitant use with butorphanol for medical and minor surgical procedures, and as a premedication in dogs and cats before induction and maintenance of general anaesthesia.

Dexmedetomidine is the active dextrorotatory enantiomer of medetomidine.

Bob Ferguson, Director of Animal Health at Accord Animal Health, said: "Veterinary practices need trusted products backed by accessible pricing and reliable supply."

"Dexmedocord marks an important milestone as our first POM-V pharmaceutical launch in the UK and reflects the established expertise and strong heritage in high-quality pharmaceuticals that we bring through the wider Accord group."

accordanimalhealth.com

The Pet Vet and Optivet partnership brings specialist ophthalmology referrals to London

2026-06-03T07:00:00Z

The Pet Vet and Optivet Referrals have announced a partnership which gives pets in Greater London easier access to advanced eye care.

Specialist-led veterinary ophthalmology care is now available at The Pet Vet's Waltham Forest surgery, saving London-based pet owners the need to travel to Optivet's specialist hospital in Hampshire for advanced ophthalmology treatment.

The Pet Vet and Optivet will remain fully independent organisations, with Optivet delivering specialist ophthalmology services within The Pet Vet surgery.

Optivet London will be led by Dr Gemma Turner BSc DVM MANZCVS FANZCVS MRCVS, Specialist in Veterinary Ophthalmology, working in collaboration with The Pet Vet Waltham Forest Head Vet, Dr Katarina Krasna MVDr CertAVP MRCVS.

Optivet's services will cover a wide range of ocular conditions including distichia and ectopic cilia correction, entropion surgery, medial canthoplasty, superficial keratectomy, corneal crosslinking, cataract surgery, retinal reattachment surgery, enucleation and evisceration, orbitotomy procedures, and retrobulbar abscess management.

Optivet.com

Jade Urquhart-Gilmore, Anna Hewison and Rachael White vie for BVA Young Vet of the Year

2026-06-02T07:00:00Z

Jade Urquhart-Gilmore, Anna Hewison and Rachael White are in the running for BVA Young Vet of the Year 2026 after being shortlisted by the British Veterinary Association ahead of its awards dinner in June.

The award, sponsored by Zoetis, is now in its ninth year and recognises early-career vets.

The winner will be announced at the BVA Awards Dinner at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole on Thursday 11 June 2026, the first day of BVA Live.

Jade Urquhart-Gilmore, a small animal vet, is shortlisted for the second consecutive year.

A 2021 Royal Veterinary College graduate, she is lead vet at Crofts Veterinary Practice in Haslemere, Surrey, and is also studying for a Master’s in Clinical Animal Behaviour.

The BVA said she was nominated for the care she gives patients, clients and colleagues, her work to improve communication between clinical and client care teams, and her advocacy around chronic illness, neurodivergence and disability in the workplace following a brain injury in 2025.

Anna Hewison, a farm vet at Shepton Vets in Somerset, qualified from the University of Nottingham in 2022. She was shortlisted for her standards of care, commitment to development and support for colleagues, particularly in surgery.

She also runs the practice’s Youngstock Club, which the BVA said she has developed into a more collaborative programme bringing vets, technicians and farmers together on youngstock management.

Rachael White, a small animal vet at Emerson’s Green Veterinary Surgery in Bristol, qualified from the University of Bristol in 2019. The BVA said she was nominated for her clinical and surgical progress, attention to detail in planning and performing procedures, and leadership within the practice.

The BVA announced the Young Vet of the Year finalists alongside shortlists for its Wellbeing Awards and three newer categories: the Veterinary Mentor Award, the Veterinary Leader Award and the One Health and Sustainability Award.

BVA president Dr Rob Williams said: “Vet teams have a profound impact both on the lives of individual animals and people, but also on society at large.

"The BVA Awards enable us to take a moment out of our busy schedules to recognise these achievements and celebrate the fantastic work of our community.

"This year’s award finalists stand out as shining examples of the very best of the veterinary profession and it’s going to be very difficult to choose winners for each award.”

New diagnostic tool aims to show where practice owners are carrying too much pressure

2026-06-01T07:00:00Z

The Veterinary Leadership Academy has launched "Practice Performance Diagnostic", a tool to help veterinary practice owners identify where operational and leadership pressure is compromising both performance and wellbeing.

Practice Performance Diagnostic is a structured investigation tool which combines leadership analysis, operational performance data, team feedback and financial analysis into a single integrated report.

The process includes a leadership systems assessment, operational dashboard creation and analysis, financial performance review, employee feedback analysis, a comprehensive written report, and a one-to-one debrief session with the founder of the Veterinary Leadership Academy, Dave Nicol MRCVS.

The resulting report identifies where operational pressure accumulates, where ownership breaks down, where financial performance is leaking, where leadership dependency remains too high, and where the business is relying too heavily on owner intervention to remain stable.

Dave said: "What I keep seeing are practices that are delivering excellent care for clients and patients, but the owner is carrying far too much of the business personally.

"Decisions continue to route back to them. Standards rely heavily on their direct involvement. Team issues escalate upward. Problems accumulate quietly until the owner steps back in to stabilise things again. Over time, that creates a level of pressure that simply isn't sustainable."

www.drdavenicol.com/diagnostic

New BSAVA neurology manual adds five chapters and 100-plus videos

2026-05-29T07:00:00Z

BSAVA has released the fifth edition of the BSAVA Manual of Canine and Feline Neurology, giving veterinary professionals updated reference material on neurological cases alongside more than 100 videos through the BSAVA Library.

The new edition includes five new chapters covering acute myelopathies, chronic myelopathies, emergency protocols, neurotoxicology and neuro-oncology.

The accompanying videos offer demonstrations of neurological examinations, clinical presentations, diagnostic procedures and case management.

Nicola Lloyd, Publishing Manager said: "Whether you're a general practitioner seeking practical guidance, or a specialist aiming to refine your expertise, this edition remains an indispensable reference for anyone involved in the care of neurologically compromised dogs and cats."

The manual is available to buy from the BSAVA store, priced at £61.75 for BSAVA members and £95.00 for non-members.

https://bsavaportal.bsava.com/s/store?#/store/browse/detail/a1BTw0000097b5hMAA

Small animal surgery certificate approved as streamlined route to Advanced Practitioner status

2026-05-28T07:00:00Z

The RCVS has confirmed that a new ISVPS General Practitioner Certificate in Small Animal Soft Tissue Surgery is now recognised as an eligible qualification for vets applying for RCVS Advanced Practitioner status.

This is the first ISVPS-awarded certificate programme that has been directly accredited by the College without the prior requirement for a university Postgraduate Certificate (PgC), creating a new, streamlined route to Advanced Practitioner status.

The newly approved ISVPS GPCert combines 10 hands-on practical surgery days with structured online learning, human factors training, and additional active learning activities such as error management training.

Aidan McAlinden, Academic and Content Director at Improve International, said: "Over the last 12 months we have invested significant time and resources to develop an innovative, contemporary, and relevant Soft Tissue Surgery programme that meets the needs of the profession today."

www.improveinternational.com

Vet locums and practices to be scored publicly on cancellation history

2026-05-27T07:00:00Z

Ronda.vet, the veterinary locum platform which launched last year, has introduced a public reliability score for locums and practices, giving UK veterinary professionals a way to check cancellation history before confirming shifts.

The feature is live on Ronda.vet and calculates a reliability score for every practice and every locum based solely on confirmed shift cancellations and the notice period given.

The score appears publicly on each profile, and practices and locums can view each other's reliability rates before confirming a booking.

The system allows practices to see how often a locum has cancelled shifts and with how much notice, while locums can see which practices have cancelled confirmed shifts at short notice.

The reliability rate is calculated using a standardised penalty points model.

Cancellations made 14 days or more before a shift incur 0.5 penalty points, while cancellations with less than 24 hours' notice, or no-shows, incur five points.

For practices, the same logic applies, and a practice which cancels a confirmed shift with less than 24 hours' notice accrues the same penalty points as a locum doing so.

New practices and locums with no confirmed shifts display "N/A", while those with penalty points but no offsetting completions may show 0 per cent.

The system applies automatically to every confirmed shift on the platform.

Ibra Hernando, co-founder, Ronda.vet, and veterinary surgeon, said: "Reliability is the foundation of trust in locum work but, until now, it has largely been invisible until something went wrong."

"By making reliability rates visible and reciprocal, we are giving both practices and locums the same tool to assess each other."

Ronda.vet has also confirmed that exceptional circumstances such as illness or emergency can be reviewed by the support team, and the score is not intended to permanently penalise anyone for isolated incidents.

Horiba enters veterinary diagnostics with multispecies haematology system

2026-05-26T07:00:00Z

Horiba has launched Yumivet, its new veterinary diagnostics brand, and the Yumivet VH2500 haematology analyser, which gives veterinary teams a new in-house option for multispecies blood testing with results in approximately 30 seconds per test.

The Yumivet VH2500 measures 57 parameters including Complete Blood Count (CBC) with a 9-part differential, reticulocyte analysis, and dual platelet measurement methods.

The analyser enables open tube or continuous sample loading and includes pre-configured species profiles with automatic selection or easy switching between species.

It also has an intuitive touchscreen interface, a simplified reagent system, and automated quality control features.

The Yumivet VH2500 is compatible with a slide maker and stainer called Yumivet SPS, a track system called Yumizen T6000, and middleware called Yumizen P8000, and offers connection to laboratory and practice management systems (LIS/PMS).

The Yumivet VH2500 is built on a hybrid analytical platform combining electrical impedance, fluorescence, flow cytometry and spectrophotometry, which Horiba says delivers robust and reliable performance across a wide range of sample types, including challenging or low-volume samples.

https://www.horiba.com/int/veterinary/products/detail/action/show/Product/yumivet-vh2500-7004/

BVA publishes CMA compliance guides for vet practices

2026-05-25T07:00:00Z

The British Veterinary Association has published some resources to help veterinary practices prepare for the Competition and Markets Authority measures due to take effect in September 2026.

The new materials include a downloadable guide to each CMA remedy and short videos on providing information about ownership, prices, services and treatments, on prescribing veterinary medicines, managing complaints and offering cremation services.

Whilst the CMA's detailed Orders have not yet been released, with more information expected over the summer, the BVA said its information will continue to be updated.

BVA President Dr Rob Williams MRCVS said: "Given the CMA's starting point, following significant pushback from BVA, the final remedies now better balance the needs of the pet-owning public, with practical delivery of vet services."

He added: "However, we understand that the next steps may still feel a bit daunting.

"The first thing to say is that most of you will already be undertaking many, if not most of the measures required by the CMA in your day-to-day work and this next step will be about formalising these processes.

"We're here to support the profession as it gets ready for change later in the year with practical resources to help you comply."

Further discussion of the changes is also planned at BVA Live at the NEC Birmingham on 11 and 12 June, including sessions on complaints handling after the CMA outcome and what the remedies mean in practice.

https://www.bva.co.uk/resources-support/misc-resources/competition-and-markets-authority-measures-for-vet-businesses-get-ready-get-compliant

Equine vets offered communication training to improve client compliance

2026-05-22T07:00:00Z

Zoetis is inviting equine veterinary surgeons to a training day in Newbury on 24th June 2026 designed to strengthen consultation skills, improve client compliance and build professional confidence.

The event, titled "Confident Communication in Equine Veterinary Practice", will run from 10am to 4.30pm at the Orida Hotel, Oxford Road, Newbury, RG20 8XY.

The programme is split into two sessions, with the morning covering "Pursuing Compliance With Your Recommendation" and the afternoon focusing on "The Psychology of Confidence".

Morning topics include: "The four outcomes of successful visits/consultations", "Articulating clinical strategies succinctly", "Discussing the 'pros, cons and costs' of options succinctly" and "Helping clients understand options and reach an informed decision".

Delegates will also hear from Dr Wendy Talbot, National Equine Veterinary Manager at Zoetis, who will present findings from the Equine Herpes Virus Horse Owner Survey Results 2025.

In the afternoon, the session will cover: "Definitions of confidence", "Understanding the link between self-doubt and confidence", "The difference between doubt and self-doubt", "Mindsets that enable or undermine confidence" and "The surprising impact of language on facilitating/undermining confidence".

https://cloud.mc.zoetis.com/UKEquineConfidentCommunication2026

Moores Orthopaedic Clinic reaches 2000th patient and continues free advice for UK vets

2026-05-21T07:00:00Z

The Moores Orthopaedic Clinic is celebrating its 2000th patient and continuing to offer free case advice to UK vets.

The clinic, which is led by RCVS Recognised Specialists in Small Animal Orthopaedics, Andy Moores and Chris Jordan, focuses on delivering affordable care and supporting general practitioners.

Last year, the team sent over 900 free advice emails to UK vets who had asked for guidance.

Clinical Director Andy Moores said: "We would like to thank all of our referring vets for their ongoing support and for putting their trust in us.

"Our goal at The Moores Orthopaedic Clinic has always been to provide excellent, affordable care, and I am pleased to say that we deliver that day in day out."

He added: "We are in a unique situation at The Moores Orthopaedic Clinic, whereby our veterinary team consists solely of RCVS Specialist surgeons.

"This allows us to be efficient and offer great value TPLOs and hip replacements for example but also to offer cutting-edge services such as 3rd generation TATE elbow replacements and be entirely confident in the level of service we provide.

"We are supported by our incredible nursing team and support staff who all have a deep knowledge and understanding of orthopaedic issues in pets."

For case advice, email: info@mooresortho.com