The Veterinary Laboratories Agency has worked in collaboration with the Institute of Animal Health (IAH) at Pirbright to introduce the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test for Bluetongue virus.

This test is now available via veterinary surgeons for pre-movement (UK) and export testing purposes only.

As of this date, PCR testing for these purposes will no longer be available from IAH, Pirbright.

For further information see www.vla.gov.uk

.

Martin Hosegood MRCVS has been selected to run for (your) Vetlife in the Virgin London Marathon.

Martin said: "Through my role at VDS where I assist those on the receiving end of an allegation of professional negligence or professional misconduct, I have seen the fantastic work that Vetlife does to assist anyone in the veterinary community who is having a difficult time. I’ve run the marathon before for other charities but there will be something special about running it to help support my own profession. I feel privileged to have been chosen."

Martin (aka Obed) is a Bristol graduate who worked mainly in large animal practice for 25 years before becoming a VDS claims consultant in 2010. He has also been advising a large safari park on the health, conservation and management of a wide range of zoo species for many years and still continues this role now, albeit in a reduced capacity.

Martin will be running on April 26th with 38,000 other runners – almost five times the number that ran the first race in 1981. Other competitors will include Tim Peake, who will be running the race aboard the International Space Station, Dame Kelly Holmes MBE, James Cracknell and Rosie Allister, Chair of Vetlife Helpline. 

Rosie said: "It’s brilliant that Martin is giving up his time and training miles to support Vetlife. People who call Vetlife Helpline can often feel very alone; knowing the profession is behind us and wants to help can make a real difference. I’m hoping Martin waves as he overtakes me on the day! And that more vets and VNs will help us fundraise for Vetlife in the future."

Anyone willing to sponsor Martin can do so at: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ObedMartinHosegood

Data from the Surveillance of Equine Strangles (SES) network confirms that over 370 cases of equine strangles have already been diagnosed in 2025, surpassing the UK’s annual average of around 300.

The increase has prompted a call by Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance (EIDS) for equine professionals and owners to strengthen biosecurity and consider vaccination to help reduce disease spread.

EIDS has been monitoring diagnoses reported to SES and says the data indicates a genuine increase rather than normal year-to-year variation.

With the number of confirmed cases climbing, EIDS and the SES network are urging veterinary professionals and horse owners to revisit their yard management practices, saying that simple but consistent actions, such as isolating new arrivals, disinfecting shared equipment, and post-outbreak screening can make a substantial difference in controlling the disease.

In addition, they recommend the Strangvac vaccine, saying that when combined with good hygiene and daily temperature checking, can help reduce both the risk of infection and onward spread.

Dr Richard Newton of EIDS said, “These findings are a clear reminder that strangles remains an ever-present risk to the UK horse population.

"The increase in diagnoses underlines the importance of continued vigilance, prompt reporting, and proactive prevention measures.”

https://equinesurveillance.org/ses/ 

Lauren Pears, an Australian entrepreneur, is about to launch the country's first 'cat café' in London, where aficionados of felines will be able to enjoy a cappuccino in the company of ... a cat.

Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium is aimed at city dwellers who are unable to have their own pet, novelty seekers, parents and tourists.

At this stage, Ms Pears intends to have around 10 cats in the café, with up to 50 people having coffee with them at any one time.

Interest in the new café has been phenomenal: over £100,000 has been raised for the project so far, via the crowd-funding website Indiegogo, and over 3000 pre-sales tickets sent to those people who have invested.

Meanwhile the British Small Animal Veterinary Association has highlighted some of the potential problems with the concept. BSAVA President Professor Michael Day said: "While some cats appear content living in groups and interacting with human strangers, other cats can be very stressed in these circumstances. It isn't always easy to identify whether a cat is suffering from stress - this is often missed or misinterpreted. For example, inactivity can be seen as contentment, but they are actually internalising their anxiety. The input of a veterinary behaviourist and appropriate staff training will be essential."

Dr Kate Richards, the new President of the RCVS, has declared her intention to use her term in office to build connections between the RCVS and the veterinary professions, within the veterinary professions, and between the veterinary professions and other healthcare professions, as well as wider society.

Kate (pictured right) was confirmed as the 150th RCVS President at the College’s 2021 Annual General Meeting, which took place last Friday. Kate’s investiture makes her the 10th female President of the RCVS and the first to lead an all-female presidential team with Senior Vice-President Mandisa Greene and Junior Vice-President Melissa Donald.

Kate has been an elected member of RCVS Council from 2015 to 2019 and then from 2020 onwards, and brings with her a bank of professional experience having worked in clinical farm practice, in the pharmaceutical industry and as a senior civil servant in non-veterinary roles, including as Principal Private Secretary to three Secretaries of State for Scotland.

She’s a graduate from the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh and during her time on RCVS Council has chaired the Standards Committee and been a member of the Legislation Working Party. She currently chairs the Preliminary Investigation Committee /Disciplinary Committee Liaison Committee and sits on the Education Committee, Registration Committee, VN Council, Primary Qualifications Subcommittee and the Environmental & Sustainability Working Party.

During her first speech as RCVS President, Kate spoke about how experiences of loneliness early in her veterinary career, when she was working in rural farm vet practice, has led her to have a deep understanding of the importance of connection, something which has been reinforced by the coronavirus pandemic.

She said: “The Covid pandemic has demonstrated the value of connections for our mental health and wellbeing. Social distancing has spotlighted in fluorescent pinks, blues and greens the need for social connections. When hungry we eat, thirsty we drink, when we feel lonely we need to connect.

“And that starts with connecting with ourselves, nurturing our minds and bodies, building our sense of self and resilience. I am passionate about initiatives including the RCVS Mind Matters Initiative and Vetlife that support our professions.

“Connections within the professions have been fundamental to my career, providing opportunities to collaborate, extend my knowledge and forge support networks. I look forward to building stronger connections with vets in the UK and abroad, including the Federation of Veterinarians in Europe. I’m so excited about the energy, new connections and networks springing up in the profession. 

“I’ve worked in non-veterinary roles where I’ve had the opportunity to make new connections and share knowledge across professional disciplines.

“Pre-pandemic I attended a seminar on domestic violence. Speakers from social services said how hard it was to identify victims of domestic violence who were too scared to report. I informed the room about the Links Group, which works hard to raise awareness of the connection between the abuse of animals and people. Sadly, there are still silos, disconnections between well-meaning professionals. That proves to me the critical role of vets in human health and welfare by reporting animals they suspect of non-accidental injury.”

She concluded her speech (which is available to read in full at www.rcvs.org.uk/features) by saying: “I am excited about my presidential year, thankful for my connections, my iceberg of support. I’m thankful for the wise counsel of past Presidents especially Mandisa Greene and Niall Connell. My priority is to encourage Connections that Count, making sure we look after ourselves so that we can build vibrant purposeful and powerful connections across ours and allied professions for the good of animal and human health and welfare, for our communities, society and the environment.

“My aim this year? To amplify and extend the reach of the veterinary voice.”

SPVS has announced that its 2025 Congress, aimed at the whole practice team, will take place at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole from Thursday 30th January to Saturday 1st February 2025.

The opening speaker will be Cassie Leonard (pictured), engineer, best-selling author and executive coach, who will be talking about the value of authentic networking.

The programme, which includes a combination of lectures, panel sessions and interactive workshops, will cover: 

• Team Dynamics – growing together as a whole practice team
• Leadership – creating a winning team
• Effective Practice Management – running a happy, profitable practice
• Self-Development – boosting your career
• Business Development – overcoming the challenges of personal and practice finance in today’s economic climate

On the Saturday, there's a dedicated ‘Grow your business’ day for those thinking of starting up or expanding their business.

New for 2025 will be a Friday morning collaborative ‘Business Club Live’ speed-networking session: an opportunity to discuss a variety of issues on hosted tables.

Also new for 2025 will be a dedicated livestock stream focussing on the unique challenges faced by livestock veterinary professionals. 

The accompanying exhibition will host a selection of companies focussed on the business, management, marketing and client-facing aspects of veterinary practice and offering the latest products, services and advice.

Social events include Thursday afternoon's Happy Hour followed by a networking event and Friday night’s Presidents’ party with a reception, 3-course meal and a performance by the party band The Kings.

www.spvs-congress.co.uk  

The Animal Health Trust's (AHT) Dr Sue Dyson has been awarded a place in the International Equine Veterinarians Hall of Fame, in recognition of her contribution to hoof care in horses.

Sue, who is Head of Clinical Orthopaedics at the AHT, has lectured internationally and is known for both her clinical work with horses and an extensive research record, having published more than 200 refereed papers on lameness and diagnostic imaging in scientific journals. She has also co-authored several veterinary textbooks as well as training and competing as a high-level rider in international events.

Established in 1997, the International Equine Veterinarians Hall of Fame honours veterinary surgeons who have contributed to the knowledge and recognition of proper hoof care for horses. Vets are nominated either as practicing equine vets who work closely with farriers in the field, or as college and industry vets involved in teaching, research or other important aspects of equine veterinary and hoof care.

Anyone can nominate an equine vet for the award, which is sponsored by the American Farriers Journal, but selection is completed by previous inductees into the International Equine Veterinarians Hall of Fame. Awards are presented each year during the International Hoof-Care Summit in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Sue said: "I was completely surprised, but absolutely thrilled, to learn that I had been selected to join the distinguished list of people who have previously been appointed to the International Equine Veterinarians Hall of Fame.

"I think it is very humbling to recognise that, despite the knowledge that my team and I have amassed in the last 30 years, there is so much more to learn. From every new finding come many more questions. I hope that the enthusiastic dedication of my team will continue to result in learning and discovering more, and inspire others to do likewise, to the ultimate benefit of the welfare of our great friend, the horse."

Sue has has worked at the AHT for 30 years and is currently researching the association between hindlimb lameness and saddle slip. She has observed some association between the two for several years, however saddle slip has traditionally been attributed to an ill-fitting saddle, asymmetry of the horse's back shape or a crooked rider.

In 2011 Sue carried out a prospective research project with Intern Line Greve: 'Saddle slip may be an indicator of the presence of hindlimb lameness'. It was presented at the 51^st Annual Congress of the British Equine Veterinary Association, Birmingham 2012, and identified that in some cases, saddle slip was directly linked to the presence of hindlimb lameness.

Research results showed that of 128 horses assessed for lameness grade and degree of saddle slip when ridden by two riders, the saddle consistently slipped to one side in 54% of the horses with hindlimb lameness, in comparison to just 4% of the horses with forelimb lameness. Diagnostic analgesia to abolish the hindlimb lameness eliminated the saddle slip in 97% of the horses observed in the study.

Sue and Line are currently undertaking further research to measure movement of the back, and forces under the saddle, with the aim of explaining biomechanically what is happening during the occurrence of saddle slip.

Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health has produced a new Orf Vaccination Starter Pack to help vets better inform their sheep farmer clients about the disease.

The new campaign Vaccination Starter Pack includes a practical guide to Orf and its control in UK sheep flocks, a DVD profiling vet and farmer experiences of managing the disease, an 'Orf questions answered' handout and a best practice vaccination protocol. Additional practice support materials highlighting the problems caused by Orf and its control with Scabivax Forte are also available.

The Starter Pack and full range of promotional materials are available from local Intervet/Schering-Plough Account Managers or by contacting the Veterinary Support Group on 01908 685685.

Virbac Animal Health has launched a special scheme to encourage farmers to have milk samples analysed in line with the industry-wide campaign to promote the responsible use of antimicrobials.

Under the terms of the scheme, veterinary surgeons purchasing Virbac's Cephaguard DC therapy will receive vouchers to distribute to their farmer clients. These vouchers can be redeemed for milk bacteriology to determine the pathogens causing mastitis and so ensure treatment is more targeted and effective.

Brigitte Goasduf MRCVS, Ruminants Marketing Manager at Virbac, said: "Mastitis is a major concern for dairy farmers with reported numbers of cases ranging from 26-50 for every 100 cows.

"Experts agree that individual SCC monitoring and the accurate diagnosis of pathogens causing infection are key to treating mastitis effectively.  Unfortunately many farmers are often deterred by the cost.

"Our scheme gives our veterinary customers the opportunity to foster good practice by encouraging farmer clients to submit milk samples for investigation at no cost to them.  This will then enable them to treat the bacteria causing the infection in line with industry guidelines for the use of antimicrobials.

"Over time, we believe farmers will come to realise that adopting this more targeted approach is not only more cost-effective but will also preserve their ability to treat their herd, both now and in the future."

For further information on the scheme, contact your Virbac territory manager or call Virbac on 01359 243243.  

Just Exotics is holding an day of CPD lectures about anaesthetising exotic species at The Hive, Weston-Super-Mare on the 25th August.

The day will be led by Sonya Miles, BVSc CertAVP (ZM), CertAqV, MRCVS, RCVS Recognised Advanced Practitioner in Zoological Medicine and WAVMA Certified Aquatic Species Veterinarian.

Lectures will look at techniques, protocols, potential drug options and combinations as well as blood sampling and hospitalisation techniques in a wide variety of exotic species. 

Delegates will also be provided with lecture notes, a CPD certificate, refreshments and lunch, as well as goodie bags provided by sponsors Pinmoore Animal Laboratory Services Limited.

Sonya says the aim of the day is to dispel many myths associated with anaesthetising a wide variety of exotic species, including fish and amphibians, whilst simultaneously providing vets and nurses with the skills to undertake these often challenging and comparatively high-risk anaesthetics.

To book your place or for more information, email: info@justexotics.co.uk or book online at https://justexoticsevents.co.uk/dont-miss-out-on-our-latest-event

Dechra Veterinary Products has announced the appointment of Bob Parmenter as managing director of its UK business. 

Commenting on his appointment, Bob said: "I'm pleased to have joined Dechra at a very exciting stage of the company's development. I've been following the growth of Dechra over recent years and with its acquisition of VetXX in January, I believe that the business is now strongly placed to further establish itself as a leading player in the animal health industry."

Having spent nearly 40 years in the industry, Bob Parmenter has previously worked for Schering-Plough, Mallinckrodt Veterinary, Pitman-Moore, Coopers Animal Health and ICI Pharmaceuticals. "My career path has enabled me to experience all aspects of the animal health market. I'm confident my industry-wide knowledge will provide Dechra with additional experience as we continue to build our reputation and strengthen our UK market position."

Former MD Giles Coley, who joined Dechra in 1999 and has managed the UK business since 2003, has been promoted to European Pharmaceutical and Export Sales Director.  As a member of Dechra Veterinary Product's European Board he will be responsible for co-ordinating pharmaceutical sales across Europe and developing the company's export sales.

Merial has joined forces with the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC) promote its "Me and My Dog - Together Against Rabies" social media campaign, designed to raise awareness of the importance of vaccinating dogs against rabies. 

As part of the campaign, pet owners are asked to share photos of themselves with their dog on social media channels, using the hash tags #TogetherAgainstRabies and #MerialMeAndMyDog.

Merial says the increased numbers of pets travelling since the changes to the Pet Travel Scheme rules in 2012 means that awareness of rabies amongst pet owners is important, despite the fact that the disease is not endemic in the UK.

Joanne Maki, Director Veterinary Public Health for Wildlife and Companion Animals for Merial said: "The "Me and My Dog - Together against Rabies" campaign is a unique opportunity for all of us to play a part in spreading the word about eliminating human rabies through the vaccination of animals. The more of us who participate, the stronger we are in this important fight".

A study carried out by epidemiologist Dr. John Tulloch at the University of Liverpool in collaboration with CVS, has revealed the scale and complexity of work-related injuries in UK companion animal veterinary practices and highlights a need for improved safety protocols and cultural change across the veterinary profession.

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.