A survey of 246 veterinary surgeons and nurses attending a lunch and learn webinar sponsored by Supreme Petfoods has revealed that they rate high fibre as the most important factor in making a recommendation for rabbit or guinea pig food.

High fibre was the top factor for 53% of respondents and rated as being much more important than monocomponent kibbles (27%), or a recommendation by an exotics expert (18%).

Supreme says it has addressed this concern by increasing the fibre content of its Science Selective Rabbit food to 23% fibre - the highest of any concentrate for small furries in the UK. The new VetCarePlus range, based on the monoforage technology developed by the company, contains up to 34% fibre. Fibre is vital for small furries, playing an active role in gastro intestinal health, dental health, weight management and behavioural factors.

The survey also revealed that vets and nurses are feeling optimistic about the impact of small furries on veterinary practice. 70% of respondents felt that, even in the face of the recent recession, small furries/exotics had made a growing contribution to their business profits over the last five years and 90% felt that there was potential for them to make an even bigger contribution to practice profits in the future. The biggest barrier to more small pets being brought forward for treatment was felt to be the cost of treatment relative to the cost of the pet - 55% felt that this was the most significant stumbling block - but another 45% felt that lack of education and an inability to recognise illness were the main factors.

Supreme's Marketing Manager Claire Hamblion has recently launched a trial programme in a limited number of practices to provide the tools needed to help grow the small pets sector. She said: "Our experience to date indicates that having the right tools and providing a warm welcome to owners of small furries that projects a willingness to treat them, can make a difference. We would love to hear more from those who have successfully grown this part of their business and those who are looking to expand their capabilities in this exciting area." Interested parties, or those who would like to pre-register for the further roll out of Supreme's business programme can send an email with their contact details to b2b@supremepetfoods.com.

The company says it has been delighted by the positive response to its lunch and learn webinar format, and more events are being scheduled for the winter months. Those interested in attending future events, or receiving educational material, can register their interest by email at cpd@supremepetfoods.com to receive priority notification of dates and availability.

Members of the XLVets, a collaborative group of independent veterinary practices across the UK, have raised over £35,000 in a recent charity challenge to travel the world without an engine.

To mark the 10^th anniversary of XLVets, all 53 member practices together travelled a total of 34,727 miles to complete the challenge, the equivalent of almost one and a half times around the world, by running, kayaking, swimming, cycling and walking their way thoughout the UK. 

Alex Cooper of Pembrokeshire based Fenton Vets raised the most, totalling £1,966.04, whilst his practice also clocked up the furthest distance, travelling 4,516 miles. He said: "The day took some coordinating with a horsebox carrying bikes and kayaks. The enthusiasm created amongst the team meant it became the talking point within the practice for weeks. It even reached the local press!"

He added: "We have already decided that it will become an annual event with invites extended to clients as well as all XLVets member practices."

Organiser Jane Simpson said: "The money raised has been split between member practices’ local chosen charities and Send a Cow, which will receive a cheque for £15,571.00." 

Sophie Porfirio, corporate partnerships manager for Send a Cow is delighted with the donation: "It’s a big fat thank-moo(!) from everyone at Send a Cow to everyone at XLVets who have made this fabulous donation possible. We don’t put cows on planes anymore, so they aren’t doing the mileage the XLVets teams have been achieving in recent months, but we do go to great lengths to provide the skills training, livestock and support so that some of Africa’s poorest families are able to help themselves. This donation ensures hundreds of people have food security and the knowledge to future-proof their families for generations to come. It’s an incredibly special gift and we really appreciate it."

Jane said: "The XLVets practices have shown how independent practices can work together to achieve amazing results. The generosity of all those that have supported our efforts will make a real difference to the charities.  It's a great achievement and I am sure that the resourceful and competitve nature of all of our members will mean that our fundraising efforts will not stop here." 

Fitzpatrick Referrals has launched a new sports medicine and rehabilitation centre for dogs at its referral centre in Surrey.

Fitzpatrick Referrals has been running a dedicated rehabilitation centre since the practice opened at Eashing in 2007. It has now extended the offering to include sports medicine clinics and osteoarthritis clinics, creating what it claims is the largest centre of its kind in the country.

Building work has now been completed at the centre and Fitzpatrick Referrals has appointed David Prydie MRCVS, a small animal rehabilitation expert, to head up the centre.

Speaking about the launch of the new service, Noel Fitzpatrick, Managing Director of Fitzpatrick Referrals said: "At Fitzpatrick Referrals, we believe that appropriate rehabilitation is integral to the success of orthopaedic and neuro-surgical intervention and fundamental in promoting pain free functional quality of life.

"Traditionally, the rehabilitation centre has been geared towards treating post-op patients. While the new centre will continue to treat animals which have been referred to Fitzpatrick Referrals for surgical procedures, helping to restore function, reduce pain and speed up the recovery process, we will now offer new dedicated Sports Medicine and Osteoarthritis clinics, of which there are currently only a handful in the UK. This will provide referring practitioners and clients with a new range of options for dealing with sports injuries and the on-going management of Osteoarthritis.

"For the first time, minimally invasive arthroscopic investigation and advanced diagnostic imaging with MRI and CT will be available side-by-side with a team of clinicians who truly understand the unique anatomy, physiology and exercise demands of working and sports dogs and who adopt an integrated approach to achieving maximum mobility for dogs of all ages. We intend that the new centre will create a new standard of integrated care for the active performance or pet dog because we will match function with form and intention with action. Every plan will be tailor made for the individual with sincere attention to the very special environment and demands of the sporting dog. I'm extraordinarily excited about this new horizon."  

David Prydie added: "We expect to see cases where there are specific injuries which the canine athlete is prone to and which require specialist knowledge to identify and treat. Our goal is to help the dogs return to their performance event as soon as possible. We will also be offering advice on training regimes for the various activities. The centre will offer a new osteoarthritis clinic, treating osteoarthritis in all ages of dog using a multimodal approach such as weight management, exercise regimes, physiotherapy techniques and use of tools such as the therapeutic laser. There is a wealth of experience already present within the practice and I will be working with Noel and the other surgeons to develop our offering in sports injury management and also with Professor Stuart Carmichael in the development of osteoarthritis management schemes."

The practice will celebrate the launch of the new centre with its first festival for pets, 'Dogfest', built around the theme of the 'Active Dog'. The festival will take place on 10^th and 11^th of August and will feature a number of agility and flyball events, canine sports medicine lectures delivered by world experts, a range of tents and stalls, 'Have a Go' agility sessions, an agility display by former Fitzpatrick patients who have returned to compete in the agility circuit, a 'Meet the Fitzpatrick Heroes' display and a special '999' display by the Sussex Police Dogs on both days.

For information on the new Fitzpatrick Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Centre services and to discuss referrals, contact the reception team on 01483 423 761. 

Janssen Animal Health is advising vets to be on the look out for coccidiosis as the spring lambing season approaches: cases usually rise in March and peak in April and May.

According to the company, some reports also suggest that the incidence of coccidiosis in calves may apparently increase during the grazing months. However, vets are reporting that interpretation of laboratory tests used to confirm diagnosis, such as oocyst count, can be problematic due to the ubiquitous nature of the Eimeria parasite in the UK.

Young animals may be infected by oocysts shed by asymptomatic carriers or infected older cohort animals. Low levels of challenge can help young animals develop immunity but exposure to high oocyst numbers, particularly in combination with stress can lead to clinical and subclinical forms of the disease. Diagnosis can be problematic, particularly in subclinical cases of disease where failure to gain weight is the main presenting sign and in clinical cases the differential diagnoses include all causes of scour in young animals.

Janssen Animal Health has suggested a few indicators that may be useful in identifying cases of coccidiosis. The Vecoxan Coccidiosis Survey in 2008 and 2009 asked farmers about their experiences of coccidiosis and identified that bad weather was a major trigger particularly in lambs; while castration and weaning were also factors in calves. As the parasite life cycle is 21 days, vets should be alert to disease 2-3 weeks after a stressor event.

The company has also suggested a few guidelines to aid interpretation of laboratory results:

• Identification of pathogenic Eimeria species can be suggestive but does not provide conclusive evidence of a causative effect.
• Speciation of Eimeria is useful (not easy in lambs) as there are several non-pathogenic strains which can give high counts without clinical effect
• The number of oocysts will not always correlate with clinical signs
• Low levels of oocysts in faeces are less likely to be significant but some animals can die even while excreting at a low level because shedding occurs after the gut damage has already occurred.
• There is extensive replication and multiplication through the parasite lifecycle - susceptible infected animals will usually shed millions or even billions of oocysts.
• Adult animals that are infected but immune tend to excrete oocysts at a regular low level.
• A pooled sample from at least 10 lambs or calves may give a better indication of the level of infection.
• The history of the farm, the individual patient and the presence of risk factors should be taken into account when interpreting results.

Janssen says Vecoxan (diclazuril) does not interfere with the development of immunity and kills all stages of the parasite in the host.

The RCVS Education Committee has granted conditional accreditation of the veterinary degree offered by the University of Cambridge’s Department of Veterinary Medicine, to allow for further improvements to be made to meet accreditation standards for another year.

In November 2024, the RCVS Education Committee agreed to grant the veterinary degree conditional accreditation after an accreditation visitation earlier that year found deficiencies with the degree meant it only met 27 of the 77 RCVS accreditation standards.

55 recommendations for improvement were made by the visitation panel.

A subsequent visit in September 2025 found that while there were still a significant number of standards to be met, many of the recommendations for improvement had either been achieved, or significant progress had been made towards them being met.

The Education Committee therefore decided to grant the programme conditional accreditation for one year, with an action plan and timetable being put into place to guide how and when the 20 outstanding recommendations would be met.

The next accreditation visit to Cambridge will take place in October 2026.

It was agreed that this timeframe and accreditation status would ensure that progress towards meeting accreditation standards continued at pace, allowing the Department to demonstrate its commitment to student wellbeing and support for learning across the entirety of the veterinary programme.

An RCVS spokesperson said: “We appreciate the considerable efforts and hard work that the staff team within the veterinary department at Cambridge University have put into rectifying many of the issues identified in the 2024 accreditation event, for taking on board the constructive advice that was given and working together to make many of the necessary improvements.

“However, as the report shows, there are still several outstanding areas of concern, and so the Education Committee agreed that it was not yet in a position to grant Cambridge’s veterinary degree full accreditation.

“We have collaborated with Cambridge on putting together an action plan and timeline for meeting the 20 remaining recommendations and we hope that it will continue on its current trajectory towards meeting the RCVS accreditation standards.”

https://www.rcvs.org.uk/document-library/university-of-cambridge-2025-report/ 

Photo: © Copyright John Sutton and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

A cat which was lost eight years ago has been reunited with his owner thanks to the RSPCA, and the fact that the animal had been chipped.

'Bigga' went missing at the end of 2002 from his home in High Wycombe. His owner Lorna Fothergill launched a desperate search to find him. She offered a reward, knocked on doors and put up of posters in the hope that someone would recognise him and bring him home. But after weeks of looking she thought all was lost, and gave up the search. She eventually moved away from the area.

Last month however, Bigga was picked up by RSPCA animal welfare officer Julie Britnell. It is believed he had been living feral for some while. His coat was extremely matted, and he looked as though he had been in a few scrapes along the way, but he was well-fed and in good spirits. Thanks to the fact Mrs Fothergill had him microchipped all those years ago, and some dedicated detective work by the RSPCA, Bigga has now been reunited with his long lost family.

Mrs Fothergill, 40, who is a new business director and singer in the band Northsyde, said: "We just couldn't believe it when we got the call from the RSPCA to say they had found our cat. It's unbelievable and I was just astonished and so relieved that I had him micro--chipped all those years ago. We just can't thank the RSPCA enough for how they have managed to reunite us with Bigga, it's so wonderful."

Is this a record? Do you know of any pets that have been lost for longer, and reunited thanks to a microchip? Comment below.

The BVA has raised serious concerns over the findings of a new parliamentary committee report on biosecurity at the UK borders, which warns that significant volumes of meat are being illegally imported into the UK, with some entering the food chain, and that the true scale of the problem is unknown due to weak enforcement and data.

The BVA is calling on the UK Government to urgently develop a coherent, risk-based national strategy to close the gaps in border biosecurity and protect the UK from devastating diseases like African swine fever and foot-and-mouth disease.  

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee report makes for sobering reading.

It reveals a lack of adequate border control enforcement when it comes to personal imports of meat and other products of animal origin, weak intelligence networks, poor Government interdepartmental working and an absence of a national strategy to manage the significant animal disease and public health risks posed by potentially contaminated products.

The report raises particular concerns about funding cuts for Official Vets at Dover, alongside ministerial comments that appear to dismiss the role of vets in protecting biosecurity.  

British Veterinary Association Junior Vice President Rob Williams said:  “This report is deeply concerning, exposing serious gaps in border enforcement and warning that large amounts of illegal and potentially contaminated meat continue to enter the UK and make their way on to our plates.

"We cannot know where this meat has come from or if it meets the UK’s high animal welfare and biosecurity standards, and without appropriate checks, we can’t stop illegal meat imports at the border.

"This could have catastrophic and costly impacts on the UK’s food security, public health, and animal health and welfare through the import of exotic animal diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease.

"The findings from this report, coupled with the recent National Audit Office report on animal disease resilience, should act as a wake-up call to Government to urgently deliver a coherent and properly resourced national strategy to tackle illegal meat imports and safeguard the UK’s biosecurity.  

“Government vets play a critical role in protecting the nation’s biosecurity but can only do their jobs effectively if they are supported by effective systems.

"Currently, veterinary capacity required to perform checks remains a concern.

"As part of a national action plan, we would like to see better support for vets through a data-driven and risk-based system that is fit for purpose.

"This should also include adequate resources for Official Vets and the agencies tasked with keeping borders secure, which is why we want to see the proposed 70% cuts to Dover Port's budget for spot checks on animal products reversed.”  

committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/135824/html/ 

Photo: www.depositphotos.com

The BSAVA and the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund (RWA&F) have published a new guide to responsible use of antibiotics in rabbits.

The BSAVA says there unique opportunities and risks to the use of antibiotics in rabbits.

For example, antibiotic combination therapy, which is discouraged in dogs and cats, can be safe and effective in this species.

Also, careful selection of appropriate antibiotics, in terms of active substance, dose and route of administration, is crucial when treating rabbits due to the risk of enterotoxaemia.

The new guide gives advice on diagnosing bacterial infections, likely causal organisms and appropriate antibiotic and non-antibiotic management.

The guide covers dacryocystitis, ear disease, facial abscesses, enteritis, urinary tract disease, and upper and lower respiratory tract disease.

John Chitty, one of the authors, said: “Choosing an antibiotic for rabbits is not simple.

"Their diseases do not necessarily mirror those of dogs and cats, and they do have gut sensitivities to certain antimicrobials.

"However, like dogs and cats, there are situations where antibiotics are not needed where we once thought they were.

"This is especially important in reducing antibiotic usage in rabbits and, of course, in reducing use of critically important antibiotics in them as well.

"We hope this guide will help practitioners to see when antibiosis is needed, what choices are available and how to sample and select the most appropriate drug if needed.”

The new guide is free to all and can be accessed at bsavalibrary.com/protectme.

The RCVS has launched a new animated video to help promote Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) accredited practices to the public, and explain the benefits of the scheme.

Launched in 2005, almost 60% of practices are now part of the PSS, which requires them to submit to a rigorous inspection every four years and meet a stringent standards across a wide range of areas including cleanliness and hygiene, facilities and equipment, staff training and development and customer service. Practices may also be subject to spot-checks between inspections.

Jacqui Molyneux, who heads up the RCVS Practice Standards Group said: “Our new video is a light-hearted explanation of the Practice Standards Scheme, how it can help animal owners decide which practice to go to and reassure them about the standards they can expect to find at an RCVS-accredited practice.”

The College says a similar version of the video will soon be available for RCVS-accredited practices to show to their clients, either on their own websites and social media channels, or in the waiting room.

Jacqui said: “Not only do we want to spread the word about the benefits of the Practice Standards Scheme and suggest animal owners look for the RCVS-accredited practice logo, but we also want to give accredited practices an engaging way of telling their clients about their achievement.

“Gaining RCVS accreditation is not easy, so accredited practices deserve every opportunity to demonstrate to their clients their commitment to supporting high standards of veterinary care. This fun two-minute video should help them do just that.”

Animal owners can search for an RCVS-accredited practice in their area, or elsewhere in the UK, using Find A Vet – the College’s online search tool – at www.findavet.org.uk.

The RVC is addressing a worldwide shortage of scientists who have the specialist skills necessary for research into the spread of infectious disease with it’s MSc in Veterinary Epidemiology.

According to the RVC, by June 2008, more than 60 countries had been affected by outbreaks of bird flu, resulting in millions of birds dying or being destroyed. A total of 14 countries had suffered human cases by the end of 2007, with a large proportion of cases being fatal. In 2006, bluetongue virus was introduced to Northern Europe and spread rapidly, so that by the end of 2007 over 50,000 outbreaks were reported from cattle and sheep farms in Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxemburg, Germany, France and the UK.

“The RVC has seen interest in epidemiology increase dramatically, but there still aren’t enough skilled professionals to service this growing global need.” said Professor Dirk Pfeiffer, Professor of Veterinary Epidemiology at the Royal Veterinary College. “The course provides specialist training that integrates scientific knowledge from microbiology, ecology, social sciences and animal husbandry in order to understand how diseases such as avian flu and bluetongue are spreading.”

“At a time when such diseases are increasing globally it is vital that we have scientists that are able to understand how the infections are spreading and how outbreaks can be contained. The RVC is looking to hear from graduates in veterinary science, biological science, medicine, mathematics or statistics, who are ready to take up the challenge of this fascinating field of study.”

The RVC’s course is unique in that it is taught by 4 organisations; the RVC (animal epidemiology), London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (human epidemiology), the Veterinary Laboratories Agency – VLA- (veterinary surveillance and epidemiology), and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – Defra - (UK government animal disease surveillance).

The course attracts between 10 and 15 students per year. Successful candidates can move into roles in a variety of UK, European or international governmental organisations such as Defra, the VLA and the World Health Organisation, in addition to the prospect of working in academic or purely research environments.

Funding from the BBSRC (Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council) has enabled the RVC to offer 4 full-time scholarships for students resident in the UK to study veterinary epidemiology at postgraduate level. The scholarships cover the course fees and upkeep for the year of study, and are between £14,000 and £19,000 per candidate.

More information can be found at: http://www.rvc.ac.uk/postgrad

The RCVS has announced that 19 people are standing in this year's RCVS Council elections, including, for the first time, more women than men, and a much lower average candidate age.

Of the 19 candidates - believed to be the highest number since records began - ten are women. Not only is this the most women ever to stand, but it is in direct contrast to last year where all 13 candidates were men. Additionally, whereas the average age of all elected Council members in March 2013 was 56.5 (57 for women and 56 for men), the average age of this year's candidates is 47 (45 for women and 48 for men).

The RCVS Council candidates are:

• David Bartram
• David Catlow
• Camilla Edwards
• Caroline Foalks
• Edward Gillams
• Mandisa Greene
• David Leicester
• Thomas Lonsdale
• Susan Macaldowie
• Jacqueline Molyneux
• Peter Moore
• Sarah Oxley
• Susan Paterson
• Christopher Pearson
• Katherine Richards
• Janet Ritchie
• Peter Robinson
• Christine Shield
• Neil Smith

Last year, the all-male candidate list prompted concern from the profession and calls for the College to investigate the reasons behind the lack of women and to take steps to redress the balance. The then RCVS President Jacqui Molyneux invited feedback from the profession about the barriers to joining Council, and set up a working party, chaired by Council member Amanda Boag, to look at how participation could be widened, not only to women, but also younger members of the profession and those actively engaged in clinical practice.

The working party suggested a number of initiatives, including a mentoring scheme, providing more practical information about being a Council member (see www.youtube.com/rcvsvideos), and inviting prospective candidates to the RCVS to discuss the role in more detail.

Amanda said: "The College's efforts to broaden participation in its election process seem to have paid dividends. I'm delighted there is so much more diversity amongst the election candidates this year, and that so many women have decided to throw their hat into the ring, especially as women now form over 50% of the profession. I'm very much looking forward to the outcome of the elections, and hope that this dramatic increase in candidates in turn prompts an excellent turnout."

In a slightly later start to the voting period this year, ballot papers and candidate details will be posted on 19 March 2014, and all votes must be cast, either online or by post, by 5pm on Friday, 25 April 2014.

In the meantime, the College is inviting all voters to think about the one question they would like to put to the candidates and submit it in time for this year's 'Quiz the Candidates', to be broadcast by the Webinar Vet on the evening of 20 March. All questions received will be put to the candidates, who will each then answer two questions of their choice, as well as explaining what they consider sets them apart as a potential Council member. The candidates' answers will be pre-recorded (due to the large number of candidates) and made available online at around 8:00pm on 20th March.

Questions (one per person) for RCVS Council should be submitted to the RCVS by 12 March via its dedicated election websites, available soon at www.votebyinternet.com/vetvote14, on twitter using the hashtag #vetvote14, or by email to vetvote14@rcvs.org.uk.