The British Veterinary Association has announced that it has almost halved the cost of attending its annual Congress this September.

According to the BVA, the decision was made to demonstrate its commitment to providing high-quality, affordable CPD.

The two-day event will now cost £150 +VAT for members and £300 +VAT for non-members for up to 11 hours of small animal CPD provided by the University of Liverpool.

The choice of topics includes:

• recent advances in the management of elbow dysplasia and cruciate rupture
• responsible use of medicines
• how to get the best out of your Ultrasound machine for suspected cardiac disease
• recent advances in the management of common tumours
• management of the collapsing patient
• management of acute gastroenteritis

The BVA says all the lectures will be delivered by leading experts in their field.

Alongside the clinical CPD programme BVA will run its contentious issues stream with discussions around the impact of women on the profession, horses for sport and the use of antimicrobials.

BVA Past President and small animal vet Harvey Locke worked with the University of Liverpool to create the clinical CPD programme. He said: "With a small animal clinical programme provided by the University of Liverpool, the BVA this year not only provides world-class CPD at Congress but it also comes at a fantastic price.  

"BVA is committed to providing high-quality CPD to our members at affordable rates. We look forward to welcoming vets to Liverpool in September for our great value CPD programme."

BVA Congress takes place in Liverpool on 27-29 September at the Merseyside Maritime Museum.

The full programme and further information is available at www.bva.co.uk/congress.

Registration is now open for the ISFM 2021 World Feline Congress, taking place online from 25th to the 27th June.

The theme this year is 'The ever-complex cat: a multidisciplinary approach to feline medicine', around which there will be a full programme of talks and lectures, including more than 30 hours of CPD.

The main strands for each day are:

• The pancreas: endocrine/exocrine and the impact of obesity
• Gastrointestinal disease, therapeutics and clinical problem solving
• Liver disease, future horizons of gastrointestinal research and renal disease

Keynote speaker Professor Kenneth Simpson, BVM&S, PhD, Chief of the Section of Small Animal Internal Medicine at Cornell University will deliver a series of talks on his specialisms, including gastrointestinal (GI) disease, pancreatitis and liver enzyme interpretation.

Joining him are more than twenty international feline experts who will be considering the cat from all angles, from imaging and clinical pathology to histology.

Nathalie Dowgray, Head of ISFM, said: "We are very excited about the line-up of speakers for this year’s congress, it is a fantastic opportunity for vets to understand the complexity of feline medicine and come away better able to manage difficult cases."

New for this year are live panel sessions in which delegates will be able to join the speakers in expert discussion on key feline topics, as well as opportunities to network and chat directly with leading names in the veterinary industry.

Delegates will also have access to all of the content for six months of on-demand learning after congress ends.

Registration is open now and available at a special early bird rate until March 31st. This year there are bursary places available for veterinary surgeons and students from low-income countries. More information about eligibility and how to apply can be found on the website.

To register, visit: https://icatcare.org/events/isfm-world-feline-congress/ 

The Blue Cross has released new figures which show that more horse owners may be struggling financially to keep their horse.

So far this year the charity says it has received 144 requests from people asking for it to take in or help rehome their horse or pony through the Blue Cross Home Direct service.

More than 70% cited personal or financial circumstances as the reason.

In comparison for the full year of 2021, 43 (or around 15%) of a total of 277 intake and rehoming requests specified financial reasons.

In 2020 a total of 32 (around 14%) out of 231 requests stated financial reasons.

Annabelle Taylor, Rehoming Coordinator at Blue Cross, said: “It is distressing to see that the number of people seeking rehoming support because of financial reasons is already more than double last year’s annual total and we still have a third of the year to go.

Liz Leece, a European and RCVS Specialist in veterinary anaesthesia and analgesia at Paragon Veterinary Referrals in Yorkshire, is championing a new approach to post-operative pain management.

The traditional approach is to use anatomical knowledge to inject pain relief in the area of the nerves to be blocked.

Liz is leading a move away from this approach to a more precise method which uses ultrasound guidance to visualise the nerves, allowing the local anaesthetic to be placed directly around the nerve itself.

For some nerve blocks, it is possible to block just the sensory branches of nerves, which means pets can walk better immediately after surgery while not feeling any pain.

Liz, a past president of the Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists, said: “Local analgesia is now at the forefront of our post-operative care and reliably improves the quality of a pet’s recovery and reduces the need for opioid pain relief, which can cause side effects.

“We’re using the latest techniques to deliver the nerve-blocking anaesthetics to exactly where they’re needed.

“For many of the nerve blocks, the use of ultrasound guidance allows more precise delivery and a complete blockade of the sensory nerves, which is why, here at Paragon, we’ve invested in state-of-the art ultrasound machine designed specifically for superficial and deep nerve blocks.

“This means we can provide more effective immediate post-operative analgesia for our patients and minimise the need for further pain killers.

“The nerves can be directly visualised and local anaesthetic directly placed around the nerve bundles.”

Liz is keen to highlight the advantages of the increased use of local anaesthesia in the treatment of animals. She added: “We’re hoping we’ll soon be able to publish some clinical research on the use of some of the blocking techniques used to demonstrate our clinical impression of their effectiveness in patient management.”

The Yorkshire-based group, White Cross Vets, has delved into its archives to see how pet names have changed since the 1930s.

First they looked at the names of all the cats and dogs they saw in 2018, finding that the most popular names for dogs were Bella, Poppy and Alfie, whilst the most popular for cats were Charlie, Bella and Molly.

By comparison, the top ten names registered at the practice in the thirties were: Susie, Sally, Judy, Penny, Candy, Sam, Betty, Simon, Wendy and Bridget.

Honestly, who calls their dog Simon? Even in the 1930s. 

Tom Ward, from White Cross Vets, said: "The most common names in our research reveal a leaning towards giving pets human names. It’s fascinating that this has gone full circle and was also a trend in the late 1930s, before names such as Fido, Patch, Sooty, Duke and Fluffy became popular with cats and dogs."

White Cross says that more recently it has also seen a surge of pets named after TV and film characters including Elsa from Frozen, Baloo from The Jungle Book, Peppa the cartoon pig, and Khaleesi, Sansa, Brienne and Tyrion, the Game of Thrones characters.

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has reprimanded Anglesey-based Louise Marie Henry MRCVS for writing a letter on behalf of a client that dishonestly certified incorrect details surrounding the death of a ewe.

Dr Henry faced one charge, that in January 2020 she wrote and/or signed an undated letter confirming that a ewe had died in transit to the surgery due to dystocia and peri-parturient stress, when in fact she had euthanised the animal at the veterinary practice the day before. The letter, which was addressed 'To whom it may concern’, was on practice letterheaded paper and signed "Louise Henry MRCVS". 

The second part of the charge outlined that her conduct concerning the letter was dishonest.

The Committee heard that the ewe was lambing and brought to the practice by a client. Dr Henry was on-call at the time and advised a Caesarean section. The client agreed and Dr Henry delivered two live lambs and one dead lamb.

Dr Henry was concerned about the welfare of the ewe post-surgery because of the risk of peritonitis and advised that the ewe should be euthanised.

The client agreed to the ewe being euthanised and then asked Dr Henry to write a letter in which it was stated that the ewe had died in transit on route to the practice. Dr Henry agreed to write the letter in which she falsely certified that the ewe had died in transit. 

The letter came to light when the practice director found it in an insurance file. The practice arranged an investigatory meeting with Dr Henry where she admitted that writing the letter was an error of judgement. When asked about her conduct, Dr Henry explained that the client had subsequently been dissatisfied with the letter she had written and asked her to change it. She refused to amend the letter and told him that it was wrong of her to have written it in the first place and that she regretted having done so.

Dr Henry told the Committee that she valued integrity very highly and that she was deeply ashamed that she had been prepared to write the dishonest letter.

The Committee heard several testimonials from people who had worked with or studied alongside Dr Henry, who all attested to her skill as a veterinary surgeon and that they had no concerns about her integrity and honesty. She self-reported her actions from January to the RCVS and from the outset admitted the facts of the charge. During the hearing, Dr Henry submitted that her action of dishonest false certification amounted to disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.

Dr Martin Whiting, chairing the Committee, and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee considered that, in this case, the aggravating features were limited and the mitigating factors extensive. There was no premeditated dishonesty or financial gain involved, there was no actual harm or risk of harm to an animal or human and this was a single incident in an otherwise unblemished 13-year career. The Committee found that the shame and remorse expressed by Dr Henry were entirely genuine. Her conduct on this occasion was entirely untypical of her practise.

“After careful consideration, the Committee concluded that the substantial mitigating features permitted it to take the somewhat unusual course of issuing a reprimand in a case involving dishonesty. In taking this course, the Committee attached significant weight not only to the isolated nature of the event but also to the genuine insight shown by Dr Henry and the lasting impact this event has had upon her. In the Committee’s assessment, a reasonable and fully informed member of the public would, in this particular case, regard a reprimand as a sanction which protected the public interest in the profession and upheld its standards.”

The full documentation for the hearing can be found at www.rcvs.org.uk/disciplinary

A study by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) VetCompass Programme has revealed a number of insights into nail clipping in dogs, including the four breeds which may need more nail clipping than others: chihuahuas, beagles, greyhounds and pugs¹.

For the study, researchers from the RVC, University of Edinburgh and Scotland’s Rural College analysed data from the RVC’s VetCompass Programme on a random sample of 2,440 nail clipping cases taken from over 2 million dogs under UK primary veterinary practice care during 2019, 5.64% of UK dogs (over one in twenty dogs) were found to have had their nails clipped at least once as part of their primary veterinary care each year.

The nail clipping was the primary reason for attending the veterinary visit for more than half (59.40%) of those dogs.

The most cited clinical reasons for nail clipping veterinary visits were overgrown and/or ingrown nails (12.66%) and broken claws or dewclaws (8.84%).

Of the breeds that were most likely to present for nail-clipping, 13.29% of chihuahuas were clipped each year, 12.58% of beagles, 11.98% of greyhounds and 9.36% of pugs.

Dog breeds with a skull shape that deviated from a typical medium-length skull in either direction also had a higher risk of needing nail clipping.

Flat-faced dogs breeds (e.g. pugs, French bulldogs, shih tzus) were 1.67 times more likely to have their nails clipped, while breeds with long faces (e.g. greyhound, whippet) were 1.32 times more likely to have their nails clipped, compared to breeds with a medium length skull (e.g. Labrador retriever, English springer spaniel).

Dog breeds with shortened and often twisted legs (chondrodystrophic breeds) were also 1.44 times more likely to have their nails clipped compared to dog breeds with straight legs.

Age and body weight also affected a dog’s chances of undergoing nail clipping.

Young dogs aged between 1 to 2 years were the most likely to have nail clipping procedures.

Smaller dogs weighing less than 10.00 kg had higher odds of overgrown nails compared to larger dogs weighing 40.00 kg or more.

The researchers say that frequency of nail clipping in primary veterinary care indicates the need for comprehensive teaching of canine nail care in veterinary and veterinary nursing education, as well as proactive veterinary monitoring, nail care protocols and owner education.

Dr Dan O’Neill, Associate Professor of Companion Animal Epidemiology at the RVC and co-author of the paper, said: “This new VetCompass study shows that some dog breeds have more than twice the need to have their nails clipped compared to other breeds.

"This highlights just how distinct humanity has made each dog breed and suggests we are getting close to the time when we should no longer consider all dog breeds as even being the same species.”

Dr Lavin Ahmed, Veterinary Surgeon, President of Protecting Animals in Kurdistan Organization (PAKO) and lead author of the study, said: “When I was first offered nail clipping by RVC VetCompass as my MSc research topic, I honestly underestimated its significance.

"It seemed like just another routine procedure that we all do every day in veterinary practice.

"However, reading the clinical records made it clear that nail care is more than just a trivial grooming procedure but is a genuine welfare issue that deserves much more attention in both veterinary training and owner education.”

Reference

• Ahmed, L.A., Somarriba, M., Brodbelt, D.C., Church, D.B. and O’Neill, D.G. (2025), Epidemiology and clinical management of nail clipping in dogs under UK primary veterinary care. J Small Anim Pract. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsap.70002 

The Metropolitan Police Mounted Branch (Hyde Park) has joined forces with the Blue Cross to launch the charity's National Equine Health Survey, taking place this week.

The National Equine Health Survey is an online snapshot survey designed to uncover common health issues in horses, directly from horse owners themselves. Results of the survey are used to build a picture of equine health and disease in the UK and define priorities for future research, training and education. 

Over the past six years the survey, in partnership with the British Equine Veterinary Association, has developed to become one of the UK’s most important endemic disease monitoring initiative. The results are referenced in leading veterinary and equestrian publications and papers and are regarded as valuable benchmarks for our general knowledge of horse health.

Blue Cross Education Officer Gemma Taylor said: "These majestic police horses have taken part in our survey and we hope that they will encourage others to follow suit and be ambassadors for horse welfare.

"The more data we can collect from the National Equine Health Survey the more robust our results will be, helping us to steer equine awareness, education and research to keep our nation’s horses healthier."

Last year survey records were returned for almost 17,000 horses, ponies, donkeys and mules and the six most notable disease syndromes identified.

1. Lameness 32.9% including laminitis (compared to 24.4% in 2015, 21% in 2014, 19.2% in 2013 and 12.9% in 2010-12).
2. Skin diseases (sweet itch, mud fever, rainscald, external parasites, skin tumours and wounds) 25.5% compared to 17.2% in 2015 (18.3% in 2014, 14.6% in 2013 and 15.2% in 2010-12).
3. Laminitis 6.8% compared to 6.4% in 2015 (7.1% in 2014, 4.4% in 2013 and 3.6% in 2010-12).
4. PPID (‘Equine Cushing’s Disease) 6.6%. This is similar to the high prevalence of PPID reported in 2015 (6.4%) and 2014 (5.6%) and possibly reflects increased surveillance through sponsored testing programmes as opposed to true increases in prevalence from the pre-2014 surveys.
5. Recurrent Airway Obstruction 5.6% compared to 6.7% in 2015 (6.9% in 2014, 4.2% in 2013 and 3.6% in 2010-12).
6. Back problems 5.5% compared to 7% in 2015 (7.7% in 2014, 5% in 2013 and 3% in 2010-12).

To take part in the National Equine Health Survey, visit: www.bluecross.org.uk/NEHS

To find out more about Blue Cross’s rescue and rehoming work with horses and ponies visit bluecross.org.uk

Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AHVLA) has announced the formation of a new independent advisory group to recommend a future delivery model for veterinary surveillance in England and Wales.

The Advisory Group will be chaired by Dirk Pfeiffer, Professor of Veterinary Epidemiology at the Royal Veterinary College. According to the AHVLA, it will include representatives from government, the veterinary profession and the livestock farming and private laboratory industries and is being created so all those with an interest in veterinary surveillance can shape a future model and ensure that all issues are thoroughly considered.

Veterinary surveillance seeks to identify new or re-emerging threats to our livestock population and to public health. It involves a partnership approach between livestock keepers, private veterinary surgeons, the Scottish Agricultural College, industry bodies and AHVLA in order to effectively gather and assess intelligence.

AHVLA is seeking to identify ways to undertake veterinary surveillance both more effectively and at an affordable cost to the taxpayer. Work in this area has been on-going since 2010, and the merger of the former Animal Health and Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) has created opportunities to review how veterinary surveillance can best be delivered.

The new model will aim to address capacity imbalances in the current service where provision sometimes outstrips demand. The independent advisory group are also expected to recommend how better and closer working methods across the partners can make the surveillance stronger as well as more cost effective.

Surveillance has historically been based on in-depth investigation of disease incidents with an emphasis on post mortem examinations carried out at AHVLA's regional laboratories. This system is a key element in the government's risk-based approach to the management of animal disease related threats.

AHVLA says that the current model, although successful in identifying diseases in the past, can be improved upon. A recent internal AHVLA report identified viable options for achieving better surveillance at the same or lower cost by, for example, exploring moving towards risk and intelligence based surveillance and improving the value added by working more closely in partnership with vets and their farmer clients and other sources of intelligence data.

In mid-January 2012, AHVLA will also be publishing, and publicising, an online survey aimed at individual veterinary practioners and livestock keepers. The survey will seek individual opinions on the inputs, mechanisms, outputs and value of surveillance in England and Wales Work is expected to run until spring 2012, following which recommendations on a way forward will be made.

Carl Padgett, President of the BVA, said: “Veterinary surveillance is an essential component in our animal health, public health, food security, and international trade work.

“The emergence of Schmallenberg virus in ruminants in northern Europe demonstrates the current value and ongoing need for a robust surveillance system to work both nationally and internationally.

“The BVA welcomes the establishment of the advisory group and particularly the wide range of veterinary expertise and experience that is represented on the group. It is important that views from both veterinary practitioners and veterinary scientists are fed into this review.

“While we understand that AHVLA and Defra must ensure value for money from the surveillance network, any future model must be shaped by good surveillance strategies, not the need to cut costs.

“We urge all practitioners in England and Wales to contribute to the discussions by completing the online survey.

“We look forward to engaging with the advisory group as it carries out the review and beyond.”

The RCVS and the BVA have joined forces with Defra on a project to assess the challenges and opportunities posed by EU exit, with the aim to develop a flexible and skilled veterinary workforce which meets the UK's needs for both the immediate and longer term future.

The Veterinary Capability and Capacity Project (VCCP) is co-chaired by the UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer Nigel Gibbens, RCVS Senior Vice-President Dr Chris Tufnell, and BVA Senior Vice-President Gudrun Ravetz. The project board also comprises the CVOs for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, Sheila Voas, Christianne Glossop and Robert Huey, as well as the Animal and Plant Health Agency and the Food Standards Agency.

The project’s objective is to work with the veterinary sector to better understand the UK’s workforce needs and ensure that both the Government and veterinary businesses can continue to protect animal health and welfare, safeguard the food chain and maintain levels of public health and public services, and enable trade in animals and animal products.

The project will include a joint BVA-RCVS submission to the Migration Advisory Committee’s call for evidence on workforce issues post-Brexit. Three working groups have been set up within the project to look specifically at issues of veterinary resources, recruitment and retention.

The UK’s Chief Veterinary Officer, Nigel Gibbens, said: "Leaving the EU provides us with an opportunity to develop gold standard policies on animal welfare. The UK Government is determined to get a good Brexit deal for Britain and Ministers have been absolutely clear we will maintain our world-leading animal welfare standards.

"The VCCP is a great example of collaborative working between government, professional bodies and regulators to prepare for our exit from the European Union.

"I am pleased the Prime Minister has set out the government’s aim to secure the status of the veterinary workforce as a top priority as we leave the EU. The UK’s vets - both Official Veterinarians and those in the private sector - play a key role in protecting our country from endemic and exotic diseases, tackling outbreaks when they occur, safeguarding our animals and tackling global challenges like antibiotic resistance."

Chris Tufnell said: "Since the vote to leave the European Union last year the RCVS has been working in partnership with BVA to highlight to Government and others the potential workforce shortages that could arise from a loss of non-UK EU-qualified vets, particularly in public health work where they tend to predominate. Our position was highlighted in our Brexit Principles published earlier this year and at an event organised by us and the BVA at the Palace of Westminster for MPs and Peers.

"We are very glad that Defra is working proactively with us and BVA to understand  the scale of the issues and map out the risks and opportunities and to help us plan for a number of different scenarios in advance so that we do not find ourselves in a position whereby animal health and welfare or public health might be compromised by workforce shortages."

BVA Senior Vice President Gudrun Ravetz said: "Vets provide the foundation for the UK’s high animal health and welfare, and make an essential contribution to the UK economy and wider society. Veterinary teams up and down the country support the UK’s 11 million pet-owning households; not a penny of the UK’s £12.7 billion livestock industry could be realised without vets; and vets are vital to facilitating UK trade, through health certification and controls, so that consumers have confidence in the food safety and welfare of the products they buy.

"Non-UK EU vets make up around 50% of our new workforce each year yet, since the EU referendum; we are facing increasing problems in recruiting and retaining EU colleagues to the UK. The impact of the loss of even a small percentage of the veterinary workforce could have serious repercussions on the practices, communities and industries that vets serve. This profession-wide project is pivotal to ensuring we have a veterinary workforce that can serve the UK’s needs post-Brexit."

The BVA’s Brexit and the veterinary profession report can be found at www.bva.co.uk/news-campaigns-and-policy/policy/future-of-the-profession/brexit/

To read the College’s Brexit Principles in full visit www.rcvs.org.uk/brexit

The Prime Minister has set out the government’s offer for EU citizens in the UK and UK nationals in the EU on their rights and status after the UK leaves the EU: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safeguarding-the-position-of-eu-citizens-in-the-uk-and-uk-nationals-in-the-eu

The government’s response to House of Lord’s EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee’s inquiry into Brexit: Farm Animal Welfare also addresses veterinary capability post-Brexit:https://www.parliament.uk/documents/lords-committees/eu-energy-environment-subcommittee/Brexit-farm-animal-welfare/Gov-Brexit-farm-anim.pdf

The RCVS Charitable Trust has teamed up with the Foundation for Social Improvement (FSI) for the launch of the Great Big Small Charity Car Draw 2011.

The draw enables small charities, such as the RCVS Charitable Trust, to sell tickets to supporters which offer a chance of winning a brand new Fiat 500 1.2 Pop. Each ticket costs only £2, and the Trust will receive £1.90 for every ticket it sells.

Tickets can be bought securely online at http://trust.rcvs.org.uk/support-us/get-involved/win-a-fiat-500/ or directly from the Trust office on 020 7202 0721 or by emailing fundraising@rcvstrust.org.uk.  Books of tickets are also available to sell to colleagues, friends and family. The deadline for buying tickets is September 16th 2011 with the draw taking place on 25th October 2011.

Here are a few examples of what reviewers have been saying about the Fiat 500:

"The Fiat 500 is both stylish and fun. The modest running costs complement the engaging handling. So, this nimble little city car can be enthusiastically thrown into corners and it should emerge grinning like a Cheshire Cat." Motoring.co.uk

"I love my Fiat 500 1.2 Pop from the moment I drove off in it. Great fun to drive on the motorway and in town for parking into slots others cannot!" What Car?

"It's absolutely fantastic. It drives like a dream. Everybody admires it." Fiat Forum

For further information on the car draw, please contact Fiona O'Regan on 020 7202 0743 or Rebecca Fellows on 020 7202 0721.  Alternatively email fundraising@rcvstrust.org.uk.

Richard Hepburn MRCVS has launched what is thought to be the world's first equine gastric ulcer study, designed to improve understanding and knowledge of ulceration in performance horses.

Mr Hepburn is conducting the InnerVision study of performance horses, which is being championed by the University of Liverpool, as part of his PhD.

21 appointed practices across the UK are participating in the study, and with each practice scoping between 10 and 20 animals, it will include well over 200 performance horses. Mr Hepburn said: "Gastric ulceration in sports horses is poorly understood, especially compared with racehorses. But what we do know is that it's a very important factor in the performance and well-being of many horses in training and competition."

2012 Paralympic Gold medallist Deb Criddle MBE also attended the launch event. She explained the difference that regular gastroscopy and ulcer management of Paralympic team horses had made to her success. Speaking about her Beijing ride, Pavaroti, she said: "If it weren't for the diagnosis and treatment of Pavaroti's ulcers I don't know what we'd have done. I would probably have had to withdraw him from training, so it made the difference between our partnership continuing or not".

Mr Hepburn expects a prevalence of approximately 60% and, keen to increase understanding of glandular ulceration, participants are being tasked to scope all areas of the stomach, pylorus and duodenum to ensure that every incidence of ulceration is diagnosed and recorded.

He says he is particularly eager to find out more about glandular disease, which hitherto has had little research: "Glandular disease appears to have a very different aetiology to squamous ulceration, and often presents with different signs. We also believe that prevalence of glandular ulceration is most common in sports horses."

"We hope that publication of this study will help all equine vets in their work with performance horses and the quest to prevent and manage equine ulcers," he added. 

Merial is supporting the study with management assistance.