VetSurgeon News

New oral treatment for CKD-related anaemia in cats

2026-07-17T07:00:00Z

Elanco Animal Health has launched a new treatment to manage feline chronic kidney disease (CKD) anaemia.

Varenzin is now available to practices across the UK and offers pet owners “a first-of-its-kind oral suspension that can be administered daily at home”. In clinical studies, 68% of cats achieved treatment success after one month.

Presented as a once-daily fish oil-flavoured formulation, with “a strong acceptance rate of 88%”, the product is designed to stimulate a cat’s natural endogenous erythropoietin production (EPO), which is often reduced in cats with kidney disease.

The active substance, molidustat, belongs to a novel class of hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl hydroxylase (HIF-PH) inhibitors and works by activating the body’s natural response to low oxygen levels, boosting EPO production and thereby stimulating red blood cell production by the bone marrow, Elanco states.

https://my.elanco.com/us/campaign/varenzin

VMD advises caution over health claims for tick prevention products

2026-07-16T07:00:00Z

The Veterinary Medicines Directorate is encouraging pet owners to take caution before purchasing or using tick prevention products promoted on social media.

This follows the publication of a study in Veterinary Record that examined the most-engaged English-language TikTok videos about tick prevention for cats and dogs and found that while tick prevention videos received high engagement on the platform, the content was largely influencer-driven, with limited involvement from veterinary professionals.

Results showed that the most common content promoted and demonstrated use of natural or holistic tick prevention methods, and videos promoting natural or non-prescription approaches received higher total engagement compared to other types of content.

The study also found that references to perceived safety frequently appeared alongside natural ingredients or holistic themes but were rarely accompanied by evidence or cautionary information.

Products marketed as ‘natural’ are still subject to the same advertising rules governing non-medicinal veterinary products.

Practices encountering suspicious veterinary medicines, non-medicinal veterinary products or retailers should report them to the VMD Enforcement Team: https://webform.clue.co.uk/vmdlivewebform

White paper ‘a step closer to improved legislation’

2026-07-15T07:00:00Z

The government’s ‘white paper’, Our vision for a thriving veterinary sector, published last week, sets out proposals for what it says will be the most significant reform of veterinary regulation in a generation.

The proposals follow the recent consultation on reforming the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966 along with recommendations made by the Competition and Markets Authority following its investigation into veterinary services for household pets.

According to DEFRA, the department responsible, “Millions of pet owners will benefit from the most significant overhaul of veterinary regulation in six decades.”

The new measures, it says, “will radically modernise the industry, delivering better protections for households and greater transparency around prices – helping pet owners understand what they are paying for, avoid unexpected costs and choose the best value care for their pets".

Practices will be required to publish price lists for common treatments and be transparent about options and changes. 

An independent veterinary ombudsman is being considered to give pet owners “a clear and straightforward route to redress when complaints cannot be resolved directly with their practice”. DEFRA states: “With the power to make binding decisions, the ombudsman will ensure disputes are resolved more quickly and fairly, increasing confidence across the sector.”

Among the new proposals are that veterinary businesses will be subject to statutory regulation, with a mandatory licensing system – similar to GP surgeries and care homes; and there will be inspections of premises with publication of compliance reports.

The proposals also include reforms to fitness-to-practise processes. The current system, says DEFRA, focuses heavily on past alleged misconduct and professional disrepute offering limited options for intervention. Under the proposed framework, regulation would move towards a modern “current impairment” model that focuses on whether a professional currently presents a risk and what support may be needed to help them practise safely and effectively.

Although no timescale is given, there is to be statutory registration of veterinary nurses as well as farriers; later, physiotherapists, osteopaths, chiropractors, equine dental technicians and cattle and equine hoof trimmers will have to be registered. It is not yet clear who will have responsibility for this.

In addition to the ombudsman, practices will need to have in-house complaints procedures, and first opinion small animal practices will require a mandatory mediation process.

The Secretary of State for DEFRA, Emma Reynolds, said the reforms would help owners avoid unexpected bills, compare prices more easily and get the best value care for their pets; while the UK’s chief veterinary officer at DEFRA, Christine Middlemiss, said the new framework “will build a stronger, more resilient veterinary profession fit to meet the needs of the UK’s animal sector whilst ensuring the highest standards of care for our animals”.

She continued: “One of the most significant proposals is extending statutory regulation beyond veterinary surgeons to include veterinary nurses and other allied veterinary professionals through a licence-to-practise system.

“In recognising and regulating a broader range of professions as a sector we can provide greater clarity about roles and responsibilities, protect professional titles, and enable appropriately qualified professionals to work to the full extent of their competence. This will importantly help create a more flexible and resilient workforce while maintaining high standards of animal welfare and public confidence.”

She added: “The proposed licensing framework for businesses will establish clear standards relating to areas such as clinical governance, staffing, consumer information and accountability. At the same time, of course, regulation should remain proportionate and outcomes-focused, avoiding unnecessary burdens while maintaining confidence in the sector.”

The RCVS warmly welcomed the proposals, calling them “a step-change in how the sector is regulated”. The College said it agreed that the profession required modern legislation to protect animal welfare and noted that it was ready to separate its professional leadership and regulatory roles if DEFRA determined it necessary.

The newly-elected president of the Royal College, Tim Hutchinson, said the proposed reforms would provide stronger powers for the RCVS to regulate all veterinary and animal healthcare businesses, ensure the title “veterinary nurse” is used only by properly qualified professionals, allow for the regulation of the wider veterinary team, and introduce a modern fitness to practise framework. “These changes are essential for protecting animal health and welfare and for public confidence in the veterinary professions,” he added.

The BVA president, Rob Williams, described the publication of the white paper as “a positive, landmark moment for vet professionals, as well as for animals and their owners, taking us all one step closer to improved legislation that meets the demands of modern veterinary medicine”.

The BSAVA gave “broad support” to the proposals, in particular the legal protection of the veterinary nurse title, but it stressed that professional recognition must be paired with continued investment in lifelong learning and education for the whole team. This association, along with the BVA, has previously expressed concern that new pricing and prescription rules may disproportionately impact smaller, independent practices.

The BVNA said it was thrilled to see the white paper include statutory regulation and official protection for the title of “veterinary nurse”. This, it stated, would prevent unqualified individuals from using the title and ensure high standards of animal welfare and public safety. The association said it had pushed for years to update the law so it reflected what nurses actually do today. The BVNA also backed the proposals to hold corporate veterinary practices and businesses accountable, rather than just individual nurses and vets. This, it says, “will improve fairness and create a safer working environment”.

Sue Davies, head of consumer rights policy at Which?, described the current legislation regulating the veterinary market as seriously outdated with pet owners being badly let down by it.

Which? research has shown that the inadequacies of complaints and dispute resolution processes are a particular problem and they leave people fighting for years to get their voice heard. “This is why an independent veterinary ombudsman is sorely needed,” she said. “The government needs to keep moving forward with the reforms so that fit-for-purpose regulation is in place before the next general election.”

According to DEFRA, the reforms will “introduce more competition to lower costs over time” – though there was no detail in the white paper as to how this might happen.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/our-vision-for-a-thriving-veterinary-sector/our-vision-for-a-thriving-veterinary-sector

‘Refreshed categories’ for quality improvement awards

2026-07-14T07:00:00Z

The 2027 RCVS Knowledge Quality Improvement awards are now open for applications with new award categories covering more quality improvement (QI) techniques.

While the awards previously focused on clinical audit, the entry criteria have been expanded to include other approaches to QI. The awards “celebrate the creativity, courage and dedication of veterinary teams that improve their everyday practice through quality improvement”.

The categories are: 

Improving patient outcomes – for projects that have improved the safety, health and welfare or quality of life of veterinary patients.
Improving veterinary teamwork – open to initiatives that have strengthened communication, collaboration, psychological safety, leadership or workplace culture within veterinary teams.
Improving service delivery – that have enhanced the efficiency, accessibility, reliability or overall experience of veterinary services.
Improving antimicrobial stewardship – practical examples where teams are improving antimicrobial stewardship using recognised quality improvement methods.

Projects involving any species can be submitted by any member of the veterinary practice team across first opinion, referral and peripatetic services, higher education facilities and both clinic-based and ambulatory practice.

“A successful application will present a well-designed project delivered through collaborative practice, demonstrating effective use of QI methods and data, meaningful and measured impact, and thoughtful reflection,” RCVS Knowledge says.

Apply (and see last year’s winners) at https://www.rcvsknowledge.org/awards/rcvs-knowledge-quality-improvement-awards/.

Study provides insight into alcohol use in UK practices

2026-07-13T07:00:00Z

The RCVS Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has published its findings from a study on mental health and alcohol use in UK veterinary practice.

The project – ‘Alcohol Harm, mental health and opportunities for change in veterinary practice: A cross-sectional study’ – aimed to discover current attitudes, beliefs and alcohol use behaviours of those working in clinical settings in the UK veterinary sector in order to help improve support for those looking to reduce their consumption.

The survey, which began in May last year and was completed by 652 veterinary surgeons, veterinary nurses and non-clinical roles such as practice managers, receptionists and veterinary care assistants who currently consumed alcohol, concluded that around 40% of participants were drinking at some level of risk.

At-risk drinking was linked to drinking to cope, for pleasure, and poor mental health, and that interventions to reduce drinking and improve help-seeking for alcohol use should target promotion of adaptive coping techniques, knowledge of low-risk drinking and stigma reduction.

Dr Olivia Cormier, a member of the research team who is also undertaking a PhD at Oxford Brookes University on ‘Understanding UK veterinary professionals’ experiences and attitudes of seeking support for their drinking’, said: “Before now, the most recent data we had in this area dated back to 2009. We’re therefore really pleased to be providing new insights. Now, not only do we understand more about what the current situation looks like surrounding alcohol consumption in the UK veterinary professions, but we can use this knowledge to learn how to best provide support to this group.”

If you would like to participate in Olivia’s research, contact her by email: 19175231@brookes.ac.uk

The full peer-reviewed paper is open access: https://bvajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/vetr.70911

£2,000 grant for rabbit and exotic pet care

2026-07-10T07:00:00Z

Supreme Petfoods has launched a £2,000 ‘Selective Vet Grant’ aimed at supporting veterinary professionals who are “passionate about improving rabbit and exotic pet care within practice”.

The grant has been created to help veterinary teams strengthen their knowledge, confidence and care standards for rabbits and other small pets, with funding available for projects including CPD, rabbit-friendly practice improvements, client education initiatives and investment in new equipment or educational resources.

The initiative is open to both veterinary practices applying directly and to pet owners nominating a practice. The grant approval panel includes Dr Molly Varga Smith (The Exotic Animal Vets), Cat Henstridge (Cat the Vet), James Westgate (editor of Vet Times), and Claire Hamblion-Jennings (Supreme Petfoods marketing director).

Nominations close on 18th September.

https://supremepetfoods.com/selective-vet-grant/

New all-in-one veterinary PMS ‘built for AI agents’

2026-07-09T11:00:00Z

Provet has launched what it claims to be “the first and only all-in-one veterinary practice management system built for AI agents to help with booking, treating, billing, and managing”.

The new agents are natively built into the Provet PMS with full context on the clinic’s records, performance, operations, customer communications, inventory and permissions: “they understand what is happening within a clinic, surfacing important information and – with a human's approval – can take action” so that teams spend less time managing software, says the firm.

Operational questions are answered “in plain language – the way a practice manager might ask a colleague” – using live practice data about invoices, payments, debt, items and health plans. More data sources are set to follow.

Clinical Agent, using Provet’s AI Scribe, captures spoken measurements, diagnoses, medications and charges during the consultation; the chart and invoice can then be confirmed in one click.

Provet MCP (coming soon) will connect the practice to external AI agents, including tools like Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini which can securely access Provet data.

See provet.com/next for more information.

New ‘advanced kidney support’ liquid for cats

2026-07-09T07:00:00Z

Nutravet has launched Nutraren Advanced Kidney Support liquid, which it describes as “a highly palatable nutritional supplement designed to help support kidney function and phosphorus balance in cats”.

The formulation “enables fast and efficient absorption” of ingredients in the intestines and contains: calcium carbonate to help naturally bind phosphorus; prebiotic fibres to support digestive health; and essential nutrients to help maintain overall well-being.

Additionally, Nutravet says, it aids normal phosphorus levels, boosts appetite and encourages water intake. Each box contains 4x150ml drink.

Email info@nutravet.co.uk or visit www.nutravet.com.

Vet suspended for one month for dishonest expense claims

2026-07-08T11:00:00Z

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has suspended a Lancashire-based veterinary surgeon for one month after he admitted using funds from his former practice to purchase goods for personal use.

The vet appeared before the committee in June with two charges against him. The first concerned a number of purchases he had made using a practice credit card between 1st January 2019 and 31st December 2019 which were intended for his personal use, amounting to £8,495.77. Purchases included £134.92 on timber, limestone, sand and plywood; £139.99 on aluminium; £125 on calcium propionate; £571.60 on “sheet plastics” and £233.99 on an iPhone. False invoices were produced to account for the spending. The second charge was that his conduct in relation to the first charge was dishonest.

At the outset of the hearing, the defendant admitted all the charges against him and also admitted that, in his view, the conduct amounted to serious professional misconduct. The committee noted that his conduct involved a series of dishonest actions, sustained over a number of months, and that this was not a momentary lapse of judgement but had clearly involved time and thought.

Aggravating factors included that he had been reckless towards the potential impact on fellow professionals and the reputation of the practice; that the conduct was premeditated and sustained; that he had breached the trust placed in him by his employer and that the conduct was undertaken for financial gain. Mitigating factors: he had apologised for his behaviour, had admitted the allegations, had made frank admissions to his employer and to the RCVS during their respective investigations, and had remediated the conduct by undertaking psychotherapy and counselling as well as repaying his debt to the practice.

The vet had a previous suspension for “dishonesty regarding mobility score assessments for cattle”.

Committee chair Neil Slater stated that without the mitigation available, “a much longer period of suspension would have been considered appropriate and proportionate. The committee has determined that following a period of suspension the respondent is safe to return to practice”.

https://www.rcvs.org.uk/veterinary-professionals/conduct-and-guidance/concerns-about-veterinary-professionals/disciplinary-committee-hearings

New diagnostics brand and haematology analyser

2026-07-08T07:00:00Z

Horiba has announced the launch of a new veterinary diagnostics brand – Yumivet – alongside the introduction of the Yumivet VH2500 haematology analyser.

Yumivet, says the firm, combines fast, reliable diagnostics with intuitive workflows to enhance clinical decision-making across many animal species, and is simple to operate, consistently reliable, and readily adaptable across species.

The analyser has a touchscreen interface, supports multiple animal species including cats, dogs and horses and uses a set of 57 parameters, including complete blood count (CBC) with a nine-part differential, reticulocyte analysis, and dual platelet measurement methods. It enables open tube or continuous sample loading and delivers results in approximately 30 seconds per test.

Pre-configured species profiles include advanced cell differentiation and reticulocyte counts, along with automatic selection or easy switching between species. The profiles can also be customised. The analyser is also compatible with the company’s automated solutions such as a slide maker and stainer (Yumivet SPS), a track system (Yumizen T6000) and middleware (Yumizen P8000).

Horiba says product availability may vary by country.

Nominations open for veterinary business awards

2026-07-07T07:00:00Z

Entries for the annual SPVS Veterinary Business Excellence Awards – an initiative designed to “celebrate and honour outstanding veterinary practices that have demonstrated exceptional performance and innovation in key areas crucial to the future success of the profession” – are now open.

Awards are presented across three categories:

Leadership and management skills – recognising practices that exhibit “visionary leadership, strategic planning, resource and finance management and innovative practice development”.
Team and self-development – for practices that have “excellent morale, a culture of collaborative teamworking and effective communication, in a supportive and inclusive work environment”.
Veterinary start-ups – honouring practices that have started up in the last 2.5 years, that have grown in both quantitative and qualitative parameters and achieved a profitable and sustainable business model.

Five shortlisted practices in each category will receive a book of their choice provided by 5m Books; the three category winners will win full-day and evening tickets to SPVS Congress 2027 at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole (three team members per practice), where the overall winner will be announced, plus overnight accommodation. Pet People Vets of East Sheen was the overall winner in the 2025 awards.

The awards are supported by health and safety and employment law consultancy Citation. See spvs.org.uk/business-excellence-awards. The deadline for submissions is Friday 9th October.

Fundraisers conquer Alexandra Palace for Vetlife

2026-07-06T07:00:00Z

On Friday 19th June, a team of fundraisers from across the veterinary community came together to take on the UK's ‘highest roof walk’ at Alexandra Palace in support of Vetlife – raising more than £1,200.

Vetlife reports that this year is shaping up to be one of the busiest in its history, with record numbers of people contacting its confidential helpline and applying for financial assistance.

The event formed part of the Vetlife Day initiative, supported by education platform Risr/, which has also donated £7,500 to the charity. Michelle Gratton, donor relations manager at Vetlife, said: “Taking part in or holding your own Vetlife Day raises vital funds for our profession and can help spread awareness of our services. Thank you to everyone who took part and donated and a special thank you to Risr/ for their generous support of the event and continued support of Vetlife.”

Donations to support the Alexandra Palace fundraiser can still be made at https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/vetlife-alexandra-palace; Vetlife intends to return to Alexandra Palace in 2027 – email info@vetlife.org.uk if you’re interested.

Big event for small furries in September

2026-07-03T07:00:00Z

The Guinea Pig Welfare Forum returns for its third year on Tuesday 22nd September, bringing together veterinary professionals, rescues, welfare organisations and researchers for a day of discussion and collaboration.

Co-hosted by Burgess Excel and the Guinea Pig Welfare UK charity, the event will be held at the Crowne Plaza Birmingham City Centre.

Confirmed speakers include Mary Coles (University of Liverpool), Alison Wills (Hartpury College) and clinicians and nurses working at the forefront of small animal practice, as well as John Chitty, RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Zoological Medicine and chair of Guinea Pig Welfare UK, who will chair the event.

Sessions will cover both clinical insight and practical care challenges: the morning programme will explore key welfare issues affecting guinea pigs in both pet and rescue environments, alongside topics such as reproduction, responsible breeding and the latest research developments. Afternoon sessions will cover sector-wide challenges and opportunities, including discussions on rescue centre operations and evolving licensing proposals, providing an opportunity for delegates to contribute to wider policy conversations around animal welfare.

Tickets are priced at £10, with all proceeds donated to Guinea Pig Welfare UK to support ongoing education, research and advocacy work aimed at improving welfare standards nationwide.

For more information and to register, visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/guinea-pig-welfare-forum-2026-tickets-1987609178558

New neutering benchmark data gives vet practices 20-year comparison rates

2026-07-02T07:00:00Z

RCVS Knowledge has released the 20th anniversary National Audit for Small Animal Neutering benchmarking report, giving UK veterinary teams new species- and procedure-specific benchmark rates to compare with their own neutering outcomes.

The report presents the full dataset collected over two decades and contains post-operative complication data from 90,363 neutering cases in dogs, cats and rabbits carried out between 2005 and 2025 in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Among the results published for the first time are pan-UK complication rates by species and procedure for the last two decades.

For spay procedures where no abnormality was present, the benchmark outcomes were 76% in dogs, 86% in cats and 81% in rabbits.

For castrate procedures where no abnormality was present, the benchmark outcomes were 75% in dogs, 95% in cats and 78% in rabbits.

The benchmarks exclude patients lost to follow-up and are representative of 76,222 cases across all species.

The rabbit dataset is much smaller than the data for cats and dogs, so RCVS Knowledge said the rabbit benchmarks are less robust.

RCVS Knowledge said the report can be used by practices as a reference point to understand their own audit data, highlight strengths and work towards improvements in the quality of care.

Katie Mantell, Chief Executive Officer at RCVS Knowledge, said: "Over the last 20 years, the NASAN has become a respected data set that provides veterinary professionals with reliable data to help them benchmark and audit complications associated with neutering in their own practices.

"The NASAN can only exist because veterinary professionals across the UK and Ireland willingly contribute their data for the betterment of surgical outcomes for dogs, cats, rabbits and guinea pigs.

"Thank you to everyone who has submitted their data over the last two decades.

"Once you've finished reading the benchmarking report, I hope you'll be inspired to start contributing your own practice's data to the NASAN."

https://www.rcvsknowledge.org/subject/audits-and-benchmarks/national-audit-for-small-animal-neutering-nasan/nasan-benchmark-reports/

www.rcvsknowledge.org/NASAN-submit

Chris Ritchie takes over as editor of VetSurgeon.org and VetNurse.co.uk

2026-07-01T10:10:00Z

VetSurgeon.org and VetNurse.co.uk have announced a new partnership with Teamwork Professionals, publisher of Veterinary Edge and VetIndex and organiser of VetEdge Congress, bringing together established online veterinary communities with a print magazine and a major face-to-face veterinary event.

As part of the arrangement, I am stepping down as Editor, with Veterinary Edge editor and VetEdge Congress organiser Chris Ritchie taking over day-to-day editorial responsibility for VetSurgeon.org and VetNurse.co.uk.

The collaboration is designed to broaden editorial reach, strengthen the range of services offered to veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses, and create additional value for advertisers.

David Kimberley will become the main point of contact for advertising across VetSurgeon.org, VetNurse.co.uk, Veterinary Edge, VetIndex and VetEdge Congress.

After more than 25 years running the communities, I will remain publisher of the sites, working behind the scenes to support Chris and his team.

Alongside that, I’ll be focusing my attention on a new journalism venture, reviewing and explaining consumer technology, AI and gadgets for mainstream audiences: www.arlo-guthrie.com

My resignation letter in full:
https://www.vetsurgeon.org/p/announce

Photo: It's bye bye from me.