View all veterinary jobs
VetSurgeon.org publishes a curated feed of veterinary news for practising veterinary surgeons, with a primary focus on the UK profession.
We select stories based on their practical relevance, clinical interest, or professional significance — filtering out noise so busy vets can stay informed quickly.
Our coverage includes:
We report across all areas of practice, including companion animal, farm, equine and exotic species.
Our editorial approach is deliberately selective and concise. We prioritise clarity and relevance over volume, aiming to make each story worth your time.
You can follow VetSurgeon News by subscribing to the daily, weekly or monthly email digest, or via our channels on Facebook and LinkedIn.
The awards celebrate talented veterinary professionals who are going above and beyond for their patients and clients, supporting wellbeing and positive workplace culture, driving positive change across sustainability, delivering inspirational leadership and mentoring, and pushing the boundaries of veterinary science.
The winners will be announced at a special awards dinner at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole on Thursday 11 June 2026, as part of BVA Live.
BVA President Dr Rob Williams MRCVS said: "Our new BVA Awards event is a fantastic opportunity to shine a light on our outstanding vets and veterinary teams.
"If you know an inspirational vet or vet team who always goes the extra mile, this is your chance to nominate them and give them the recognition they deserve.”
The Awards:
The nomination deadline is 16 March 2026.
https://www.bva.co.uk/membership/bva-awards-2026/
The platform is designed to help practices manage HR and compliance requirements without dedicated HR support, in the face of increasing inspections.
Agilio said iTeam centralises HR tasks, automates compliance, and can include optional access to HR advisers for more complex people issues.
iTeam includes built-in veterinary-specific compliance checks, plus workflows and integrated learning tools that do not require specialist HR expertise.
The company says the software can also handle automated reminders and workflows, leave and absence management, and staff records and policies.
iTeam can also support CPD tracking via iLearn Vet integration.
Agilio says rota management is planned next via iRota, described as a dedicated workforce planning solution for visibility of shifts, cover and capacity.
Emma Barnes, Managing Director – Emerging Markets at Agilio Software, said: “iTeam was designed to make HR compliance simple and manageable, without adding unnecessary complexity.”
https://agiliosoftware.com/veterinary
The sessions are aimed at vets, vet nurses, SQPs and RAMAs involved in anthelmintic prescribing, and are designed to support implementation of new sustainable equine parasite control guidelines from the BEVA and Canter.
The webinars will be presented by Professor Jacqui Matthews, an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Parasitology, and Dr Wendy Talbot, Zoetis RCVS and European Specialist in Internal Medicine.
Participants can submit real-world case scenarios for discussion by emailing details to wendy.talbot@zoetis.com at least four weeks before each webinar. There is no obligation for case submitters to speak during the webinar.
The remaining scheduled sessions are:
The webinar series can be recorded as self-reflective CPD.
https://canterforhorses.org.uk/guidelines/
https://www.beva.org.uk/Resources/Medicines/Anthelmintic-Toolkit
BBC Entertainment is looking for fresh veterinary talent to be part of an exciting new show that it is developing.
If you're passionate about pet health and would jump at the chance to help animals on screen, please call 0161 244 3718 as soon as possible or alternatively email alexis.price@bbc.co.uk
The College says the findings address evidence gaps from previous research and highlight the importance of routine veterinary otoscopic ear checks.
Although previous research has suggested that lop-eared rabbits may be more susceptible, the researchers say it relied on small samples and retrospective clinical records or owner reports.
For this study, RVC Rabbit Welfare Research Assistants, Maria Jackson RVN and Michaela Betts MRCVS, examined 435 pedigree rabbits volunteered by British Rabbit Council (BRC) breeders.
Between October 2023 and February 2024, the team travelled to BRC shows and breeding studs to record each rabbit’s ear type, head shape, estimated adult bodyweight, age and other features before performing a structured otoscopic examination in which the outer ear, the diverticulum and the full length of the external ear canal were checked for signs of inflammation, narrowing, discharge or crusting.
By combining these observations with multivariable statistics, the team was able to compare ear health across 49 breeds and identify which conformations were most strongly associated with specific ear abnormalities.
The results showed that ear shape plays a central role in predisposing rabbits to hidden ear disease.
Lop-eared rabbits were more likely to show 9 of the 11 abnormalities assessed, including ear canal narrowing, abnormal colour, flaky and wet discharge, behavioural reactivity to ear examination, dermatological changes to the pinna and crusts in the diverticulum.
The shape of a rabbit’s head was also associated with the types of ear problems they were likely to develop, but not in a consistent manner.
Brachycephalic rabbits had narrower ear canals, while dolichocephalic rabbits were more likely to have crusts in the diverticulum.
Body size mattered too, with heavier rabbits more likely to show problems such as redness, narrowing, flaky discharge and traumatic pinna changes, as well as stronger behavioural reactions during examination.
Other physical and signalment factors showed mixed results, highlighting the complexity of ear health across breeds.
Maria said: “Our findings have once again shown that rabbits with lop ears are more likely to develop ear problems – specifically, signs of otitis externa – than rabbits with upright ears."
Dr Charlotte Burn, Associate Professor in Animal Welfare and Behaviour Science at the RVC, and senior author on the paper, said: “This is the first study to have directly and systematically examined rabbit ears outside a clinical context, and it confirms that the seemingly endearing shape of lop rabbits’ ears really do risk deeper ear disorders.
"Alongside the physical changes we observed, we documented rabbit behaviour, such as avoidance, shaking their heads and scratching at their ears, and found that the lop-eared rabbits reacted significantly more to having their ears examined than rabbits with ‘up’ ears.
"To me, this indicates that their ears were not only physically affected, but they also hurt more, highlighting the animal welfare burden of this hidden problem.”
References
The webinar will be presented by Jenny Helm Cert SAM Dip ECVIM-CA FHEA MRCVS EBVS and RCVS Specialist in Small Animal Medicine.
Jenny will explain the latest knowledge about lungworm in dogs, including an update on prevalence, clinical case management and treatment and prevention options.
Louise Longstaff, National Veterinary Manager at Zoetis said: “Jenny will not only cover some of the challenges with diagnosing lungworm but will also discuss the latest prevention strategies including the use of Simparica Trio."
https://cloud.mc.zoetis.com/LungWormWebinar2025
The study was led by Ruby Chang, Associate Professor of Statistics at the RVC, and carried out by Dr Hanya Ahmed.
The team compiled a databank of images, including 100 equine fracture cases from two UK equine hospitals and published literature, alongside 70 feline cases from hospital databases and around 4,000 human fracture images from a public database.
Using these images, the researchers built a three-stage AI system that first identifies the scan type, then recognises the image angle, before detecting and precisely localising fractures.
The system used transfer learning, enabling it to be trained on the large human dataset before being adapted for equine cases.
Using this method, the system achieved a reported fracture localisation accuracy of between 71 and 84% without requiring an unrealistically large number of equine images.
The RVC said the findings demonstrate the potential for AI-assisted tools to strengthen fracture diagnosis across veterinary practice.
It said faster and more reliable detection could reduce uncertainty in clinical decision-making and enable earlier treatment for racehorses and companion animals.
Building on the work, the team has expanded its collaboration with the Hong Kong Jockey Club to investigate whether AI can identify early bone changes before fracture occurs.
The study has been shortlisted for the STEM for Britain 2026 award and was funded by the Horserace Betting Levy Board.
Reference
Providing an opportunity to present new research to the veterinary community, the Clinical Research Abstracts can be on any veterinary subject, whether it’s the preliminary results of a new study, a discussion of a new technique or a description of an interesting case.
Each application should be based on high-quality clinical research undertaken in industry, practice or academia, and summarised in 250 words
Applications are welcome from vets, veterinary nurses, practice managers and students, with applications from those working in general practice especially encouraged.
Researchers with research of direct relevance to veterinary practice may also submit an abstract for consideration.
Those who are selected to present will receive a free complimentary ticket to BVA Live.
The Clinical Research Abstract awards will also give researchers the opportunity to present their winning abstract at London Vet Show 2026.
Julian Hoad, BSAVA President said: "We’re delighted to invite veterinary professionals to share their latest research with the wider community.
"The Clinical Research Abstracts offer a unique platform to showcase innovation, spark discussion, and contribute to the advancement of veterinary medicine. We look forward to seeing fresh ideas and emerging techniques that can shape the future of clinical practice. It’s an opportunity not to be missed!"
Submissions are open until 6th March 2025.
https://www.bsavaclinicalabstracts.com
For the challenge, Wendy had to run for at least 20 minutes every day.
On a previous attempt, she reached day 605 before being put out of action with a skiing injury.
Wendy's work takes her to all sorts of interesting places and sticking to the challenge has had her running in the African bush, through the jungles of Sumatra and on the ice in Japan, braving temperatures as low as -20C in Finland, to 35% during an Italian heatwave.
It has also meant running on through a 10-day bout of dysentery!
At the end of it all, Wendy raised over £3000 for The Painted Wolf Foundation, a charity working to reverse the decline of painted wolves.
Wendy said: ‘I first saw painted wolves in Botswana twenty years ago – a pack ran out in front of us and I hadn’t seen them before.
"They were stunning.
"The more I learned about them – how they work together, collaborate and look after each other – the more drawn I was to them.
"They are on the IUCN red list, which means they are critically endangered, with only around 6,500 left spread across southern and eastern Africa.
"I decided to use my 1,000-day streak to raise money for the Foundation to support the work being done to help these amazing animals.’
https://www.gofundme.com/f/running-for-1000-days-for-painted-wolves
https://paintedwolf.org
The films, which include information and practical advice based on the pillars of lifestyle medicine and the neuropsychology of hormones, are aimed both at individuals who are directly affected and those who want to support them.
Wellvet co-founder Liz Barton said: “We now know that nearly half of veterinary team members experience a moderate-severe impact of perimenopause symptoms on their mental health, and a third report a significant impact on their working life and career."
Dr. Claire Gillvray, GP, Lifestyle Medicine specialist and psychiatrist with a special interest in women’s health, who introduces the films, said: “While we tend to focus on the individual, we all have friends, family, colleagues and clients who will experience symptoms impacting their mental and physical health and relationships.
"Although some women transition through the menopause with no problems, many women suffer a multiplicity of debilitating symptoms.
"These symptoms can be devastating and the medical advice they receive can be extremely variable, with some doctors dismissing perimenopause.
"Though onset can be earlier, symptoms typically occur between the ages of 40-60 years and can last for a decade or more, and there can be severe health impacts including cardiovascular, neurological and orthopaedic disease."
“These videos will empower individuals to take control of their symptom monitoring, have meaningful conversations with medical professionals, and trial lifestyle adjustments that may improve their health and wellbeing.”
The first instalment of nine 5-30 minute bitesize videos are accessible now on the WellVet website: https://www.wellvet.co.uk/resources/menopause-resources-for-veterinary-teams/.
The nine-month course, which starts on 15th October, is designed to address the non-clinical challenges faced by vets in general practice — many of which SPVS says are still underrepresented in traditional CPD, including:
The course includes a two-day in-person launch in Solihull, monthly online group sessions till July 2026 and a mix of in-person, virtual and self-paced learning.
The course costs £1250 for SPVS members, £1,500 for non members.
https://spvs.org.uk/gp-mastery/
The awards are an opportunity to acknowledged unsung heroes within the veterinary profession, celebrating those who have made significant contributions to veterinary science, research, clinical practice, education and the welfare of small animals.
The award categories are:
Nominations are welcome from both BSAVA members and non-members.
Nominations will close on 9th January 2026 and the winners will be announced in February 2026.
Adam Gow, BSAVA Honorary Secretary said: “Each year, we’re proud to shine a spotlight on individuals who have truly made a difference in our profession.
"Nominating a colleague is a meaningful way to show appreciation and celebrate the impact they’ve had, so we encourage everyone to get involved and put forward those who inspire them.”
https://www.bsava.com/awards
The webinar, "The Thyronorm Precision Masterclass: navigating comorbidities, compliance and complex cases", will be presented by Sam Taylor, an RCVS Recognised Specialist in Feline Medicine based at Lumbry Park.
The session will look at balancing thyroid control alongside CKD, cardiac disease and other common concurrent conditions.
It will also cover approaches for improving long-term treatment success in the home environment.
Sam will also cover challenging presentations, atypical progressions and decision-making frameworks for case management.
Registration is free, and the webinar will also be available on demand after the live event.
https://membership.elearning.vet/sam-taylor-thyronorm-free-webinar-registration
The guide, which is based on ten restorative just culture principles, aims to help practices move away from blame culture and improve staff wellbeing.
Dr Hannah Godfrey, VetLed Community Lead, said: "We know the positive difference that Restorative Just Culture principles could make within the veterinary profession, and we’re proud that we’ve been able to deliver such a useful tool for practice, with expertise from the Restorative Just Culture Foundation."
VetLed is also running a 6-module online course ‘Restorative Just Culture for Veterinary Practice’, starting in May: https://www.vetled.co.uk/courses-services/restorative-just-culture-for-veterinary-practice-open-course.
https://www.vetled.co.uk/resources/restorative-just-culture-campaign-2026
The course, which has been produced as part of Dechra's collaboration with Not One More Vet, is presented by vets who specialise in mental health counselling.
The four new topics are: client communication: the human side of veterinary medicine; professional identity development for students and recent graduates; executive function management and mental health; and the science of mindfulness.
https://academy.dechra.com/learn/catalog/view/502
The company says it has now had over two million client interactions, more than three quarters of which result in the pet visiting their vet practice, generating an average revenue of £206 per case, with a net promoter score of 88.
VidiVet was founded by veterinary surgeon Ben Sweeney in 2020, the main idea being to keep vet clinics at the centre of the customer journey whilst driving footfall and revenue, keeping pet owners happy and saving clinic teams time and stress.
VidiVet now has more than 60 vets providing a remote digital support team for vet clinics, 24/7.
Every vet working for VidiVet is still in clinical practice and has spent at least five years working in practice, with an average of 14 years experience.
Ben said: “We enable practices to complete the circle of care and augment the services they offer.
"Rather than us competing with clinics, under our strapline of ‘Just Trust VidiVet’, we continually delight clients, drive efficiencies and deliver revenues.
“We work with clients to determine whether their pet requires emergency treatment and, in most cases, direct them back to the practice at an appropriate time, based on their symptoms.
"Crucially, Vidivet vets never diagnose or prescribe, meaning they remain totally impartial and all revenues generated from a case go to the clinic.
VidiVet’s head of veterinary operations, Sarah Holmes, who is also a qualified vet, added: “VidiVet’s success is built on our ability to provide immediate advice from highly experienced UK based vets who all still work in clinics, and we only select those with exceptional communication and clinical skills.
"When this is combined with people’s appetite for instant information in a digital age, it gives us a very compelling offering, which is hugely popular with both veterinary practices and pet owners.”
Pippa Adams, director at PowisVets in Stourbridge, said: “We have been using VidiVet for four years now and it has been a game changer for our business.
"The clients love it, the system is simple for our staff and it has really helped our business as we have been growing.
"We would recommend it to any vet practice.”
www.vidivet.com.
The bundle includes:
To be in with a chance of winning, take the Lec Medical voucher from the Vet Show voucher book to stand T64.
https://www.lec-medical.co.uk/en-gb
This is the first ISVPS-awarded certificate programme that has been directly accredited by the College without the prior requirement for a university Postgraduate Certificate (PgC), creating a new, streamlined route to Advanced Practitioner status.
The newly approved ISVPS GPCert combines 10 hands-on practical surgery days with structured online learning, human factors training, and additional active learning activities such as error management training.
Aidan McAlinden, Academic and Content Director at Improve International, said: "Over the last 12 months we have invested significant time and resources to develop an innovative, contemporary, and relevant Soft Tissue Surgery programme that meets the needs of the profession today."
www.improveinternational.com
Stacy has been leading the BSAVA’s Programme of Change and has worked with the Board and leadership team over the past year on the new business plan and strategy.
Amanda Stranack joined the BSAVA in 2012 as Head of Congress, became Director of Operations in 2016 and was appointed CEO in 2019.
The BSAVA said she helped strengthen its operational capability and long-term resilience, and that membership has grown to more than 10,000 during her time as CEO.
Amanda said: “I’m proud of what we’ve achieved together and grateful to the team, volunteers, partners and veterinary community who have supported our work.”
BSAVA president Dr Julian Hoad said: “Amanda’s contribution to the BSAVA over the past 14 years has been exceptional.
"She has led with professionalism, warmth and a deep commitment to the veterinary profession...And as we move into that next phase, we are delighted to welcome Stacy as our Interim CEO.”
Details of the BSAVA’s strategic plan and forward direction are due to be announced in mid-March.
The webinar explores the practical application of thoracic ultrasound to support earlier, more accurate identification of BRD in the field.
The webinar demonstrates how integrating thoracic ultrasound into routine assessment can help clinicians identify cases earlier, target treatment more precisely and avoid the use of blanket metaphylaxis – supporting both herd health and antimicrobial stewardship.
George said: “Recent research suggests that nearly one third of UK dairy calves experience BRD and subclinical pneumonia, and a significant proportion may remain undiagnosed when assessed by clinical signs alone.
"One of the clearest indicators of pneumonia is lung consolidation.
"Thoracic ultrasound enables us to detect this early, grade its severity and provide a meaningful prognosis.
"It’s easy to do in the field with minimal patient preparation and gives a level of clarity that helps manage BRD much more effectively.”
Alongside the main webinar is a series of four bite-sized sessions which address common clinical scenarios, including when initiating antimicrobials is justified in BRD cases and how thoracic ultrasound can be used to monitor treatment progress.
Krka has also developed a new Vet2Vet Insight guide on creating an on-farm BRD protocol, together with a downloadable, editable template that practices can tailor to their own herd health plans.
https://www.krka.co.uk/veterinary-knowledge-hub
The new system allows members to subscribe to a daily, weekly or monthly email digest summarising recent discussion topics raised by colleagues, replies to ongoing conversations and the latest veterinary news published on the site.
Crucially, the subscription settings for the digest have been placed prominently in the title bar across most pages of VetSurgeon, making it very easy for members to change their preferences at any time.
For example, you might choose to receive daily updates while following an interesting discussion, before switching back to a weekly or monthly digest once the conversation has run its course — or switch it off entirely when you’re on holiday.
The change is intended to make it easier for veterinary surgeons to engage in professional discussion outside the algorithm-driven environment of social media platforms.
While social media groups have become a common venue for professional conversation, they also have structural limitations.
Posts and replies are filtered by algorithms, discussions very quickly disappear into fast-moving feeds and useful exchanges of professional information can be difficult to find later.
They can also encourage echo chambers, with users primarily exposed to views similar to their own, while the format of short comments and rapid replies can make it difficult to express complex reasoning or nuanced clinical judgement.
Another limitation is provenance.
In many social media discussions it is not always clear who contributors are, what experience they bring to a topic, or the context in which advice is being offered.
Veterinary medicine is, fundamentally, a scientific profession.
Progress depends on the exchange of experience, the testing of ideas and the careful discussion of evidence.
Platforms that favour speed, brevity and engagement metrics are not always well suited to that kind of conversation.
Forums such as VetSurgeon allow discussions to develop in a more structured way.
Threads remain searchable and can be referred back to months or years later, replies appear in sequence rather than being prioritised by engagement metrics, and contributors post under identifiable profiles that provide context for their views and experience.
For veterinary surgeons, time spent reading and reflecting on professional discussions also contribute towards continuing professional development (CPD) requirements, using the built-in feature to record time spent on a discussion.
Until now, however, one drawback of forum discussions has been the volume of email notifications generated when users subscribe to individual threads.
The new digest system is designed to solve that problem by allowing members to stay informed about discussions without receiving a constant stream of individual alerts.
Just one digest — daily, weekly or monthly.
Several new discussion threads have already appeared on the forum as members start using the new system, covering things like anti-parasitic prescribing, the oddest things you've taken out of a dog's gut, choline deficiency, and the people who have made the biggest mark on your career.
Come and join us! Join an existing discussion or post a question.
And whilst you’re there, choose a daily, weekly or monthly digest to follow along.
The Clinical Research Project grants support the undertaking for small-scale research projects in companion animals, with the ultimate objective of advancing understanding of the causes and/or management of a clinical disorder.
The awards include funding for:
The projects are expected to be completed by 2028.
https://bsava.com/petsavers
Fifteen candidates stood in the 2026 election and 6,289 veterinary surgeons (15.8% of those eligible) cast a vote.
Voter turnout compares with 19% in 2025, 19.7% in 2024, 16.7% in 2023 and 18.6% in 2022.
The winning candidates were: Ian Battersby FRCVS with 2,205 votes, Neil Smith FRCVS with 1,620 votes and Lara Wilson MRCVS with 1,598 votes.
Their four-year terms will start at the RCVS Annual General Meeting on Friday, 3 July.
Clare Paget, RCVS Registrar and Returning Officer for the election, said: "Thank you to all of this year's candidates for taking the time and effort to put themselves forward for the election, and to all those who voted as well."
"We look forward to welcoming our three new Council members later this year."
www.rcvs.org.uk/vetvote26
The proposals stem from the College's Veterinary Clinical Career Paths (VCCP) project, launched in 2024, which aimed to address the limited career paths open to the 80% of veterinary surgeons who work in general practice.
The proposals were develope by the VCCP working group, comprising advanced practitioners, specialists, rural practitioners, new graduates and representatives from different areas of practice, and headed up by medical GP Professor Nick Cooper.
Professor Tim Parkin, RCVS President and Chair of RCVS Education Committee, said: “The introduction of this speciality training is an exciting progression.
"With change on the horizon in many areas of the profession, we’re delighted that as part of this ongoing evolution we will be able to provide further career opportunities for vets in general practice.
“The proposals were passed unanimously by our Education Committee before going to Council for formal approval, where the document was met with immense positivity and enthusiasm.”
RCVS Director for Education, Dr Linda Prescott-Clements, said: “As a level 8 qualification, this programme will support the development of accomplished leaders and the completion and publication of research and scholarship to help ensure veterinary primary care practice continues to advance.
“Designed to be highly flexible and workplace based, with a strong emphasis placed on support for learners, the modular nature of the programme will allow vets to tailor their learning to their own interests.
“Vets working in general practice are the backbone of the profession and while we understand that not all vets wish to pursue further training, this new programme will provide those looking to develop their career paths in a more structured and supported way with an opportunity to do so.”
The College will begin consulting with the profession on the proposals in the coming weeks, starting with stakeholder groups, before progressing to a full consultation with the wider profession.
The survey is part an initiative designed to bring together the UK ruminant sector to co-develop a roadmap which will champion animal health and welfare solutions that promote and demonstrate responsible antibiotic stewardship.
It is also designed to find out exactly what ruminant antibiotic use data is needed at both farm-level and national reporting level so that data collected delivers value to farms and vet practices.
Mark Jelley, Chair of Cattle Antibiotic Guardian Group (pictured) said: “Farmers are already required to record their purchase and use of veterinary medicines but turning this requirement into evidence of responsible use while also being confident that data is being used responsibly is challenging.
“Other food producing species in the UK can demonstrate their medicine use with confidence and many competitor nations are now legislating for this data collection too - the ruminant sector is at risk of being left behind.”
Anyone working in the UK ruminant sector - from vets and farmers to government employees and academics - is encouraged to complete the survey, which is open till 28th February 2026.
https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/rvc/uk-ruminant-antibiotic-stewardship-roadmap