David Godfrey has moved into his post as BSAVA President for 2025-26.

Taking over the Presidency from Julian Hoad, David will continue to focus on the Programme of Change and the BSAVA’s new strategy, which includes some new products and services.

David qualified from the RVC in 1988 and has had a career largely in small animal practice, including a year in Canada.

He and his wife Rosie started the first feline-only practice in England and David is now an Advanced Practitioner in small animal dermatology.

He has postgraduate qualifications in small animal dermatology and medicine, becoming board certified in feline practice, and has an RCVS Fellowship on Feline Osteoarthritis.

David helped to set up the BSAVA West Midlands committee, before then becoming a BSAVA Council member and Chair of the Regions for three years before joining the Board and the presidential ladder.

David said: “It is an honour being BSAVA President for 2025-2026, but this next year will not be about me.

"It will be about the renewal of BSAVA, it will hear us shouting out with an ever-increasing voice about the most exciting innovations and I promise to do my very best.”

Julian Hoad will now move into the role of Senior Vice President, whilst Niall Connell begins his new role as Junior Vice President alongside Jo Megarity, who joins the Board as Honorary Treasurer.

Dr Sarah Caney, RCVS specialist in feline medicine has launched http://www.catprofessional.com/, a new website for vets and nurses that want to become more feline friendly, and those in the animal health industry who want to be cleverer in their approach to cats.

The new site, which has been developed by Dr Caney’s own company Cat Professional Ltd, offers articles for vets and owners on various aspects of cat care, as well as detailing upcoming events and publications.

In addition, companies can access a range of consultancy services, including assistance with clinical trials and product design.

There is a facility to book training sessions and lecture slots at home and abroad with Dr Caney, who is a renowned speaker, able to combine her expertise in feline medicine with a gift for communicating difficult concepts in a way that makes learning an enjoyable experience.

Dr Caney’s latest book, ‘Caring for a Cat with Kidney Failure’ is available as an environmentally friendly download or to purchase as a hard copy from the site. Aimed at vets and cat owners, the book includes step-by-step instructions on how to give medication and better cater for a cat’s needs, providing another tool that will help owner compliance and therefore quality of life in renal failure cats.

For vets, nurses and other cat professionals, perhaps the biggest bonus is that the site provides a direct line of communication to Dr Caney and access to her vast knowledge of all things feline: from effective handling techniques to the best therapeutic protocols.

Hill’s Pet Nutrition has launched Prescription Diet Feline c/d Multicare, formulated to manage both struvite and oxalate urinary stones. It's appropriate for cats with feline idiopathic cystitis, which accounts for an estimated 64% of all FLUTD cases. The new diet replaces x/d, which will be discontinued.

According to Hill's, a significant benefit is that c/d contains no excess salt and therefore presents no risk to cats that have hidden kidney disease. Libby Sheridan, Veterinary Affairs Manager, said: “It’s something that is always at the back of our minds when cats have shown signs of urinary tract problems: has there been damage to the kidneys that I can’t yet detect? We need to be cautious when it comes to managing urinary disease in cats. Limiting salt with careful diet formulation and therefore avoiding potentially worsening compromised kidneys is important in long term management.”

Feline c/d Multicare contains controlled levels of magnesium, calcium, phosphorus and oxalate to reduce the constituents of crystals and calculi, added citrate to reduce stone formation and enhanced levels of B6 specifically to decrease the risk of oxalate formation. Increases in omega-3 fatty acids help ensure that the inflammatory response is ameliorated, which is particularly important in the management of feline idiopathic cystitis. 

Hills continue to recommend s/d for dissolution of struvite calculi and k/d in cases of feline urate calculi. Feline urinary disease is, of course, a condition that requires long term intervention to guard against recurrence and c/d Multicare is available in a variety of flavours and formats, including tender chunks in gravy pouches, 156 g tins and dry in chicken and ocean fish varieties, ensuring there is a enough choice to satisfy the most discerning of cats.

For more information call Hill’s Customer Service on 0800 282 438 or (ROI) 1-800 626002.

Two equine journals have joined forces to create a free online collection of their recent articles on endocrinology to raise awareness of these common disorders and to provide veterinary surgeons with what they say is a definitive source of references all in one place.

The collection of references published by Equine Veterinary Education (EVE) and Equine Veterinary Journal (EVJ) covers a range of topics within the field of endocrinology and includes authoritative review articles on insulin dysregulation², glucocorticoids and laminitis³ and paraneoplastic syndromes⁴.

The initiative has been made possible with the support of British Equine Veterinary Association Trust and has been compiled by leading international authorities on equine endocrinology, Professor Philip Johnson, of University of Missouri and Professor Nicholas Frank of Tufts University, Boston and the University of Nottingham.

They say that equine endocrine disorders, such as Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), are becoming more promptly identified and treated, thanks to ongoing research and advances in diagnosis, pharmacokinetics and management protocols.

PPID, or Cushing's, is a progressive neurodegenerative condition that is more easily recognised in its advanced form in older horses. Surveys show a PPID prevalence rate of up to 22% in horses over the age of 15⁵, with the odds of developing clinical signs associated with PPID increasing by approximately 20% per year after this age.

Insulin dysregulation (ID), characterised by increased insulin response to oral sugars, hyperinsulinaemia and insulin resistance, is identified in both PPID and equine metabolic syndrome (EMS)². Both PPID and EMS have been linked to the development of recurrent laminitis with subsequent high risk of mortality⁶. The exact mechanisms which link insulin to laminitis remain to be clarified¹ but this online collection highlights several studies, which partially address this important jigsaw^7-12.

Best practice for the management of EMS is outlined by Professors Nick Frank and Ray Geor in the December issue of EVE¹³. The first goal is to induce weight loss, and guidelines for designing diets for obese equids are provided. Exercise and dietary management¹⁴ have been shown to reduce the clinical signs and indices of inflammation in equine metabolic syndrome^{13 - 15}, however, further studies are needed to quantify the efficacy of these management changes on long-term outcomes.

The online collection also includes several studies addressing the diagnosis of PPID. The value of plasma adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH), when interpreted with seasonally adjusted reference ranges, is discussed by several authors^18-20. Professors Frank and Geor advocate it as the most readily accessible test for monitoring PPID cases in a field setting, although they maintain that the thyrotropin- releasing hormone (TRH) stimulation test is more sensitive and therefore has advantages when diagnosing PPID in its early stages¹³.

Pergolide has emerged as the drug of first choice for treatment of PPID¹³. While many vets recommend the early introduction of medication in the hope that it may avert the specter of laminitis, at present, there are no trials comparing pergolide with alternatives. Furthermore, there have been no long-term studies to show that horses treated with pergolide before the onset of clinical signs of PPID have better outcomes, including a reduced incidence of developing laminitis, than horses in which treatment is delayed until clinical signs become apparent.

Professor Celia Marr, Editor of Equine Veterinary Journal said: "Better control of PPID and insulin dysregulation should lower the risk of laminitis to help improve the health and longevity of many predisposed horses and ponies.

"Raising awareness of the benefits of early diagnosis and sharing the latest research on these and other associated conditions are imperative to provide horse owners with the best diagnostic and treatment programmes for their horses. However, it is easy to under-estimate obesity: horse owners need to think about improving management of their horses' feeding and exercise in order to avert problems before they become a veterinary issue."

References

1. Kritchevsky, S.E. and Johnson, P.J.  (2014) Current Status and Future Directions: Equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction and Equine Metabolic Syndrome. Equine Veterinary Journal 46, to add.
2. Frank, N. and Tadros, E.M. (2014) Insulin Dysregulation. Equine Veterinary Journal 46, to add.
3. Cornelisse, C.J. and Robinson, N.E. (2013) Glucocortioid therapy and the risk of equine laminitis. Equine Veterinary Education 25, 39-46.
4. Axiak, S. and Johnson, P.J. (2012) Paraneoplastic manifestations of cancer in horses. Equine Veterinary Education 24, 367-376.
5. McGowan, T.W., Pinchbeck, G.P. and McGowan, C.M. (2013) Prevalence, risk factors and clinical signs predictive for equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction in aged horses. Equine Veterinary Journal 45, 74-79.
6. Tadros, E.M. and Frank, N. (2011) Endocrine disorders and laminitis. Equine Veterinary Education 25, 152-162.
7. TÓth, F., Frank, N., Martin-JimÉNez, T., Elliott, S.B., Geor, R.J. and Boston, R.C. (2010) Measurement of C-peptide concentrations and responses to somatostatin, glucose infusion, and insulin resistance in horses. Equine Veterinary Journal 42, 149- 155.
8. Venugopal, C.S., Eades, S., Holmes, E.P. and Beadle, R.E. (2011) Insulin resistance in equine digital vessel rings: An in vitro model to study vascular dysfunction in equine laminitis. Equine Veterinary Journal 43, 744-749.
9. Borer-Weir, K.E., Menzies-Gow, N.J., Bailey, S.R., Harris, P.A. and Elliott, J. (2013) Seasonal and annual influence on insulin and cortisol results from overnight dexamethasone suppression tests in normal ponies and ponies predisposed to laminitis. Equine Veterinary Journal 45, 688-693.
10. Burns, T.A., Watts, M.R., Weber, P.S., McCutcheon, L.J., Geor, R.J. and Belknap, J.K. (2013) Distribution of insulin receptor and insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor in the digital laminae of mixed-breed ponies: An immunohistochemical study. Equine Veterinary Journal 45, 326-332.
11. Gauff, F., Patan-Zugaj, B. and Licka, T.F. (2013) Hyperinsulinaemia increases vascular resistance and endothelin-1 expression in the equine digit. Equine Veterinary Journal 45, 613-618.
12. Dunkel, B., Wilford, S.A., Parkinson, N.J., Ward, C., Smith, P., Grahame, L., Brazil, T. and Schott II, H.C. (2014) Severe hypertriglyceridaemia in horses and ponies with endocrine disorders. Equine Veterinary Journal 46, to add.
13. Frank, N. and Geor, R. (2014) Current best practice in clinical management of equine endocrine patients. Equine Veterinary Education to add.
14. Hudson, A.B., McGowan, C.M. and Morgan, R. (2012) The clinical management of EMS at the Philip Leverhulme equine hospital. Equine Veterinary Journal 44, 6.
15. Menzies-Gow, N.J., Wray, H., Bailey, S.R., Harris, P.A. and Elliott, J. (2014) The effect of exercise on plasma concentrations of inflammatory markers in normal and previously laminitic ponies. Equine Veterinary Journal 46.
16. Rendle, D.I., Rutledge, F., Hughes, K.J., Heller, J. and Durham, A.E. (2013) Effects of metformin hydrochloride on blood glucose and insulin responses to oral dextrose in horses. Equine Veterinary Journal 45, 751-754.
17. Owers, R. and Chubbock, S. (2013) Fight the fat! Equine Veterinary Journal 45, 5-5.
18. Copas, V.E.N. and Durham, A.E. (2012) Circannual variation in plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone concentrations in the UK in normal horses and ponies, and those with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction. Equine Veterinary Journal 44, 440-443.
19. McGowan, T.W., Pinchbeck, G.P. and Mc Gowan, C.M. (2013) Evaluation of basal plasma α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone and adrenocorticotrophic hormone concentrations for the diagnosis of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction from a population of aged horses. Equine Veterinary Journal 45, 66-73.
20. Rendle, D.I., Litchfield, E., Heller, J. and Hughes, K.J. (2014) Investigation of rhythms of secretion and repeatability of plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone concentrations in healthy horses and horses with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction. Equine Veterinary Journal 46, to add.

Ceva has announced that its enzootic abortion of ewes (EAE) vaccine, Cevac Chlamydia, is back in stock after supply challenges last year and vets are being encouraged to promote EAE vaccination to farmers for ewe lambs and shearlings.

The company says farmers should be vaccinating their flocks to help protect the cohort of ewes that missed last year’s vaccination.

Flock replacements should also be vaccinated this summer ahead of tupping.

Shearlings (one year plus) and older can be vaccinated with Cevac Chlamydia within four months before tupping and no later than four weeks before the rams go in, while ewe lambs can be vaccinated from five months of age.

The vaccine should not be used in pregnant ewes.

Fiona Lovatt BVSc PhD FHEA DSHP DipECSRHM FRCVS from Flock Health Ltd said: “It is really good news to hear that there will be good availability of EAE vaccine this year.

"The lambing season started off with some disappointing news for some farmers who were not able to vaccinate last year as they faced EAE abortions.

"We are emphasising to these farmers and others that it is essential that the youngest two years of the ewes are vaccinated before next tupping to ensure that the cohort that missed last year’s vaccination are fully covered.”

https://ruminants.ceva.co.uk.

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association has opened nominations for its 2025 awards.

The award categories are:

• The Bourgelat Award - For outstanding international contribution to small animal practice or science in their widest context.
• The Simon Award - Recognising contributions to the advancement of all aspects of small animal surgery.
• The Woodrow Award - For significant contributions to the advancement of small animal medicine.
• The Amoroso Award - Honouring contributions to undergraduate teaching of small animal studies. Presented by Hill’s.
• The Blaine Award - For contributions to the advancement of all aspects of non‑client facing small animal veterinary medicine.
• The Bruce Vivash Jones Veterinary Nurse Award - Recognising outstanding contributions to the advancement of small animal veterinary nursing.
• The Ray Butcher Award - For a non-veterinary individual who has been an ‘unsung hero’ by making a significant contribution to animal welfare in the community.
• The J.A. Wight Memorial Award - For a qualified veterinarian who has made an outstanding contribution to the welfare of companion animals. Presented by the Blue Cross.

Nominations are welcome from both BSAVA members and non-members.

Nominations close on 30^th October 2024 and the winners will be announced on 16^th January 2025.

The BSAVA awards ceremony will take place at the reinvented Congress and Expo 2025, taking place at Manchester Central in March.

https://www.bsava.com/awards.

Krka has launched 'Ears to Tail', a range of veterinary practice resources designed to encourage a responsible, risk-based approach to the use of parasiticides.

The materials include pet owner guides, reception posters and slides to display on waiting room TV.

They complement the Krka veterinary professional guide on responsible risk-based parasiticide use for cats and dogs that was developed in conjunction with Ian Wright BVMS MSc MRCVS and launched last year.

Renzo Di Florio, Krka’s Technical Veterinary Adviser said:  “In first opinion veterinary practice, where the majority of consultations last 15 minutes or less, time is short and in-depth discussions are not always possible.

"The guides provide comprehensive information on common parasites, practical advice on prevention and treatment and information on risk assessment.

"And by aligning with ESCCAP guidelines, the guides help address the delicate balance between animal health, human health and environmental protection – a true One Health issue.”

https://www.krka.co.uk/veterinary-knowledge-hub/articles/risk-based-parasiticide-use-for-cats-and-dogs

Dechra has expanded its endocrine app with new material on feline hyperthyroidism, with guidance for vets on the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of the condition.

The updated content includes instructions on interpreting blood test results and dosing with Felimazole (thiamazole), which is now available as both a tablet and a honey-flavoured oral solution.

The new Felimazole Oral Solution formulation is presented in a syringe graduated in 0.25 mg increments to ensure accurate dosing.

Thomas Johnson, Dechra companion animal brand manager said: “Consistent management and accurate treatment is key to enabling cats with feline hyperthyroidism to lead long and healthy lives.”

Dechra’s Endocrine app already covers Addison’s disease and canine Cushing’s syndrome. The inclusion of feline hyperthyroidism content aims to provide a single resource for veterinarians managing endocrine disorders in companion animals.

Dechra’s Endocrine app is available at the Apple App Store or Google Play Store

https://www.dechra.co.uk/products#/search=Felimazole 

Pete Wedderburn MRCVS is reporting on the latest veterinary developments in the USA, with a daily blog from the Western Veterinary Conference in Las Vegas.

You can read / subscribe to Pete's engaging blog here.

The RCVS Academy has launched ‘Vet return,’ a free course designed to offer support and guidance to veterinary surgeons returning to clinical practice after a break.

The College says that the course is suitable for veterinary surgeons who:

• Are returning to the UK Practising Register after a period of more than five years, and are therefore required to complete the Veterinary Graduate Development Programme (VetGDP)
• Have not left the UK Practising Register but have been out of practice for a period of time and would like support in returning to work
• Left the UK Practising Register for less than five years, are not required to complete the VetGDP, but would like structured support to refresh their skills
• Have not yet completed the registration process after obtaining their licence-to-practise qualification

The course does not offer clinical training, but the College says it will help vets identify areas for improvement and support them in building confidence and competence.

It also offers guidance on wellbeing and mentorship.

The snappily job titled Tash Goodwin Roberts, RCVS Projects Implementation Manager in the Advancement of the Professions Team, said: "As part of our commitment to supporting the workforce ambitions this is a course that can support not just the returning vets but also offers insight to those who will be supporting them.

"Vets who have taken career breaks have often gained a huge wealth of skills which, combined with their veterinary training, makes them assets to their new teams and the professions.

“The course covers key topics to bring vets up to date with many of the professional aspects of working as a vet and also includes a range of additional content to support their journey, such as practical tips for returning, important recent updates on prescribing, as well as reflective practice and lifelong learning.

"The course also contains video interviews with vets who have already returned, offering valuable insights into how they approached their journey.

The course takes around three hours to complete.

https://academy.rcvs.org.uk 

The Bella Moss Foundation and the Royal Society of Medicine have announced 'One Health', a conference which will bring together experts from the veterinary and medical sectors to collaborate on infectious disease.

Subjects under discussion will include infection control, antimicrobial resistance and the threats posed by emerging zoonotic diseases. Amongst the speakers will be Professor Peter Borriello, Chief Executive of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate and Professor Anthony Kessel, Director of Public Health England. The audience will include policy makers and clinicians together with researchers and academics from both human and veterinary medicine.

Jill Moss, President of the Bella Moss Foundation, said: "With antimicrobial resistance and updated protocols hitting the headlines regularly, our speakers will discuss the key issues. For instance, what exactly is the current status of antimicrobial resistance? How is it affecting our lives? What are the veterinary, medical and research professions doing to resolve the challenges we face - and how can they persuade policy makers to take a united stand on the issue?"

Tom Keith - Welsh president of comparative medicine network, Royal Society of Medicine, said: "Antimicrobial resistance is a global issue requiring education, information and action. The conference programme will provide anyone with an interest in antimicrobial resistance a current and rounded perspective on this important and pressing issue."

For more information, visit: www.onehealthbmf.com.

Improve Veterinary Education and Central CPD have merged.

The merger brings together Improve International’s global reach and postgraduate qualification programmes with Central CPD’s practitioner-led Continuing Professional Development training and digital learning infrastructure. 

Improve says the merger will better position the two companies to meet the growing and evolving needs of the profession. 

However, the veterinary training marketplace has been hit recently by news that IVC Evidensia has opened two in-house training centres, one in Scotland and one in the Midlands, perhaps precipitating some consolidation, especially since IVC has announced plans to offer CPD to the wider profession later this year.