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<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="https://www.vetsurgeon.org/utility/feedstylesheets/rss.xsl" media="screen"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"><channel><title>Arlo Guthrie's Activities</title><link>https://www.vetsurgeon.org/members/editor</link><description>Arlo Guthrie's recent activity</description><dc:language>en-US</dc:language><generator>Telligent Community 10</generator><item><title>And it&amp;#39;s goodnight from him ...</title><link>https://www.vetsurgeon.org/f/non-clinical-questions/31375/and-it-s-goodnight-from-him</link><pubDate>Tue, 16 Jun 2026 08:53:10 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">146601cc-3922-4be7-9974-7e1d4e45a66b:b4c3870a-0a3b-4c4a-ba5c-eab37dcf333e</guid><dc:creator>Arlo Guthrie</dc:creator><description>&lt;p&gt;Hi all,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;After 26 years doing this, I&amp;rsquo;ve decided it&amp;rsquo;s time to hang up my boots.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;There are lots of reasons, but perhaps the biggest is the realisation, some would say belated, that I&amp;rsquo;m no longer particularly in tune with the veterinary zeitgeist.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As an almost-60-year-old, overweight, deaf, pale male from Somerset, I&amp;rsquo;m also not exactly representative of, or likely to be especially enticing to, the site&amp;rsquo;s future audience.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Also,&amp;nbsp;I&amp;rsquo;ve developed an opinion about veterinary medicine that is not universally popular.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In short, and driven by scientific progress, the direction of veterinary education, and ever increasing regulatory standards, the profession has evolved into one that delivers levels of care that many owners struggle to afford and sometimes seems disproportionate to the species being treated.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;You may agree with that view, disagree with it entirely, or fall somewhere in between. But it has made me realise that I&amp;rsquo;m probably no longer the right person to be moderating discussions about the profession.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;What I do still believe, very strongly, is that there remains a place for algorithm-free, provenance-checked discussion. A place where people can exchange ideas, challenge each other respectfully, and explore complicated scientific and professional issues in more than 280 characters.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In fact, in an age of AI-generated content, social media outrage and disappearing attention spans, I think that sort of space is more important than ever.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The good news is that VetSurgeon.org isn&amp;rsquo;t going anywhere.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I&amp;rsquo;m delighted to be handing editorial responsibility for VetSurgeon and VetNurse to Chris Ritchie, who many of you will know through Veterinary Edge and his wider work within the profession. I believe the sites will be in very good hands.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I&amp;rsquo;ll still be around behind the scenes helping with the technical side of things, but I&amp;rsquo;ll be stepping back from the front line.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I&amp;rsquo;d like to thank everyone who has contributed to these communities over the years. I won&amp;rsquo;t attempt to name individuals because I would inevitably miss somebody important, but please know how grateful I am.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This community has given me far more than a job. Many of you know that one of my daughters has faced serious health challenges over the years, ones which would have made a conventional office career impossible. There were (many) times when I didn&amp;rsquo;t know whether she would still be alive by the end of the day, which would have made working away from home difficult.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;So I will always be VERY grateful to all of you who participated in discussions, making these sites the success that they became, and giving me a way to pay the bills while being where I needed to be.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I&amp;rsquo;m now going to work full time on my YouTube channel which covers gadgets, technology and AI tools that are increasingly shaping all our lives.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you&amp;rsquo;d like to support my efforts, or at least make sure I don&amp;rsquo;t come back, do subscribe at &lt;a href="http://www.arlo-guthrie.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;www.arlo-guthrie.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Otherwise, I hope you&amp;rsquo;ll give Chris and his colleagues a very warm welcome and continue supporting the community as enthusiastically as you always have.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I shall be around for a little while yet, passing things across to Chris ... but in the meantime, thank you again for the last 26 years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Arlo&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description></item><item><title>New neutering benchmark data gives vet practices 20-year comparison rates</title><link>https://www.vetsurgeon.org/b/veterinary-news/posts/new-neutering-benchmark-data-gives-vet-practices-20-year-comparison-rates</link><pubDate>Thu, 02 Jul 2026 07:00:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">146601cc-3922-4be7-9974-7e1d4e45a66b:93e2c2b8-b8e0-4138-b185-297e54947440</guid><dc:creator>Arlo Guthrie</dc:creator><description>&lt;h2&gt;RCVS Knowledge has released the 20th anniversary National Audit for Small Animal Neutering benchmarking report, giving UK veterinary teams new species- and procedure-specific benchmark rates to compare with their own neutering outcomes.&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The report presents the full dataset collected over two decades and contains post-operative complication data from 90,363 neutering cases in dogs, cats and rabbits carried out between 2005 and 2025 in the UK and Republic of Ireland.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Among the results published for the first time are pan-UK complication rates by species and procedure for the last two decades.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For spay procedures where no abnormality was present, the benchmark outcomes were 76% in dogs, 86% in cats and 81% in rabbits.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For castrate procedures where no abnormality was present, the benchmark outcomes were 75% in dogs, 95% in cats and 78% in rabbits.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The benchmarks exclude patients lost to follow-up and are representative of 76,222 cases across all species.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The rabbit dataset is much smaller than the data for cats and dogs, so RCVS Knowledge said the rabbit benchmarks are less robust.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;RCVS Knowledge said the report can be used by practices as a reference point to understand their own audit data, highlight strengths and work towards improvements in the quality of care.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Katie Mantell, Chief Executive Officer at RCVS Knowledge, said: &amp;quot;Over the last 20 years, the NASAN has become a respected data set that provides veterinary professionals with reliable data to help them benchmark and audit complications associated with neutering in their own practices.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;The NASAN can only exist because veterinary professionals across the UK and Ireland willingly contribute their data for the betterment of surgical outcomes for dogs, cats, rabbits and guinea pigs.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Thank you to everyone who has submitted their data over the last two decades.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Once you&amp;#39;ve finished reading the benchmarking report, I hope you&amp;#39;ll be inspired to start contributing your own practice&amp;#39;s data to the NASAN.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a  target='_blank'  href="https://www.rcvsknowledge.org/subject/audits-and-benchmarks/national-audit-for-small-animal-neutering-nasan/nasan-benchmark-reports/"&gt;https://www.rcvsknowledge.org/subject/audits-and-benchmarks/national-audit-for-small-animal-neutering-nasan/nasan-benchmark-reports/&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.rcvsknowledge.org/NASAN-submit" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;www.rcvsknowledge.org/NASAN-submit&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description></item><item><title>Inspirational influences</title><link>https://www.vetsurgeon.org/f/non-clinical-questions/31337/inspirational-influences</link><pubDate>Sat, 11 Apr 2026 22:42:04 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">146601cc-3922-4be7-9974-7e1d4e45a66b:6a983c16-97fc-4d42-96d8-34ec0b687bec</guid><dc:creator>Alasdair Hotston Moore</dc:creator><description>&lt;p&gt;The death of Dr Barbara Weaver recently has made me think. Which colleagues have left a mark on your career? &amp;nbsp;Living or deceased. &amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;Barbara was one of mine, A woman in veterinary science way ahead of her time. Kind and funny. Occasionally irritating ( aren&amp;rsquo;t we all?). Not only interested in the pharmacology of anaesthesia but the physics and practicalities. And above all, deeply caring for her patients and own pets&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description></item><item><title>Chris Ritchie takes over as editor of VetSurgeon.org and VetNurse.co.uk</title><link>https://www.vetsurgeon.org/b/veterinary-news/posts/chris-ritchie-takes-over-as-editor-of-vetsurgeon-org-and-vetnurse-co-uk</link><pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2026 10:10:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">146601cc-3922-4be7-9974-7e1d4e45a66b:7645c05f-77a2-41c1-9337-3c0445bf2327</guid><dc:creator>Arlo Guthrie</dc:creator><description>&lt;h2&gt;VetSurgeon.org and VetNurse.co.uk have announced a new partnership with Teamwork Professionals, publisher of Veterinary Edge and VetIndex and organiser of VetEdge Congress, bringing together established online veterinary communities with a print magazine and a major face-to-face veterinary event.&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;As part of the arrangement, I am stepping down as Editor, with Veterinary Edge editor and VetEdge Congress organiser Chris Ritchie taking over day-to-day editorial responsibility for VetSurgeon.org and VetNurse.co.uk.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The collaboration is designed to broaden editorial reach, strengthen the range of services offered to veterinary surgeons and veterinary nurses, and create additional value for advertisers.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;David Kimberley will become the main point of contact for advertising across VetSurgeon.org, VetNurse.co.uk, Veterinary Edge, VetIndex and VetEdge Congress.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;After more than 25 years running the communities, I will remain publisher of the sites, working behind the scenes to support Chris and his team.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Alongside that, I&amp;rsquo;ll be focusing my attention on a new journalism venture, reviewing and explaining consumer technology, AI and gadgets for mainstream audiences: &lt;a href="http://www.arlo-guthrie.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;www.arlo-guthrie.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;My resignation letter in full:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;a href="/p/announce"&gt; https://www.vetsurgeon.org/p/announce&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:75%;"&gt;Photo: It&amp;#39;s bye bye from me.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description></item><item><title>Susan Little takes over as BSAVA President</title><link>https://www.vetsurgeon.org/b/veterinary-news/posts/susan-little-takes-over-as-bsava-president</link><pubDate>Wed, 01 Jul 2026 07:00:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">146601cc-3922-4be7-9974-7e1d4e45a66b:ee3b14a2-301f-44eb-82c7-3c166ec5f902</guid><dc:creator>Arlo Guthrie</dc:creator><description>&lt;h2&gt;The BSAVA has appointed Dr Susan Little as President, giving members a new association leader with experience in small animal general practice, practice ownership and senior leadership roles across multiple practices.&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Susan graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1992 and spent most of her career in small animal general practice.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In 2000, she founded her own practice and grew it into a three-site operation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;After two decades, the practice became part of a larger mixed group and then a corporate organisation, where Susan held senior roles including Managing Director and Business Development Director, supporting multiple practices across Scotland and the Scottish Borders.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Within BSAVA, Susan began as a regional volunteer, later became Regions Coordinator and then served a three-year term as Chair of the BSAVA PetSavers Management Committee.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Following&amp;nbsp;a short break, she returned to the association in 2024 as a Trustee and joined the Presidential ladder as Junior Vice President.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Susan also volunteers with Vetlife and has contributed to the RCVS university accreditation panel.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;She&amp;nbsp;said: &amp;quot;I am very much looking forward to working closely with our Executive Leadership Team, Board, Volunteers, Staff and most importantly, our members, to keep rolling out the support, opportunities and products that our members value.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;It has been both interesting and a privilege to have served my first two years as a trustee, where as a team we see lots of opportunity for representation, innovation, collaboration, growth and strengthening of our BSAVA community.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Susan takes over from Dr Julian Hoad, who moves to Senior Vice President after two years as BSAVA President.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Niall Connell has moved into the role of Vice President, and Matt Erskine has joined the Presidential ladder as Junior Vice President.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description></item><item><title>Would welfare-based insurance cover solve the price problem?</title><link>https://www.vetsurgeon.org/f/non-clinical-questions/31361/would-welfare-based-insurance-cover-solve-the-price-problem</link><pubDate>Mon, 11 May 2026 16:14:18 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">146601cc-3922-4be7-9974-7e1d4e45a66b:04b40add-ef56-43bb-bd38-74fdb2a12ecf</guid><dc:creator>Arlo Guthrie</dc:creator><description>&lt;p&gt;Sharing a post here that I put up on Linkedin and wondering if anyone here has any thoughts:&amp;nbsp;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;As if we needed it, &lt;a href="/b/veterinary-news/posts/survey-finds-82-of-uk-pet-owners-worried-about-rising-vet-bills" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;more research has found pet owners are worried about rising vet bills&lt;/a&gt;. What&amp;#39;s more, the results are startlingly similar to another study published in the Veterinary Record a few weeks ago. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;At that time,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class="_836eec6c"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;a  target='_blank'  class="d7aa8400 _7d2088df" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-stern-19402b334/"&gt;&lt;span class="abd68f3e"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Joshua Stern&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;span class="_836eec6c"&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;argued that this kind of data does not indicate a systemic problem, just an &amp;#39;unmet need&amp;#39;, which can addressed by emphasising the breadth of treatment options available. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;He also said that I should write a solutions-based article which explains how vets could continue advancing care whilst simultaneously bringing prices down. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;I continue to disagree&amp;nbsp;with the idea that this is primarily a communication problem rather than a systemic one.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;If large numbers of owners repeatedly report anxiety about affordability, across multiple studies, it becomes difficult to argue that the issue exists only at the level of consultation-room communication.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;And I&amp;rsquo;m not convinced that simply emphasising the breadth of treatment options, aka contextual care, fully solves the problem either. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;Because unlike getting the fridge repaired, there&amp;#39;s a lot of emotion attached to the dog, and people will always want more treatment than they can afford, and resent it when they can&amp;#39;t.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;What&amp;#39;s more, people make rational, logical decisions about their fridge. If it cost &amp;pound;500 to replace, they won&amp;#39;t spend &amp;pound;600 fixing it. The same is not usually true of the dog.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;Joshua argues &amp;mdash; and he is not alone in this &amp;mdash; that I am wrong to talk about a &amp;ldquo;rational&amp;rdquo; limit on spending, and that I am simply projecting my own view of what constitutes rationality.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;But society clearly does make judgments about proportionality in healthcare spending, whether we admit it or not.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;If someone spends &amp;pound;30,000 treating a 15-year-old dog, many people would regard that as disproportionate. A billionaire may view it differently, but the earlier research suggested owners themselves place the limit far lower than modern veterinary medicine increasingly assumes &amp;mdash; somewhere well south of &amp;pound;3,000.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;It was suggested that I write an article which shows how vets can continue advancing care whilst bringing prices down. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;I don&amp;#39;t think that&amp;#39;s possible. Advancing care whilst bringing prices down seems oxymoronic. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;I think the solution may lie in offering a lower, more affordable standard of care, perhaps based more strictly on the welfare needs of the animal, and supported with an appropriate level of cheaper insurance cover. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;In&amp;nbsp;other words, shifting cheaper insurance from&amp;nbsp;simply&amp;nbsp;offering&amp;nbsp;less comprehensive financial protection&amp;nbsp;to supporting a consciously different model of veterinary care &amp;mdash; one focused more on welfare thresholds than maximal intervention.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;Of course that doesn&amp;#39;t restrict those who want the highest clinical standards for their dog. But the cost of that should not come from the premiums paid by low-income owners. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span&gt;Just a thought!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description></item><item><title>Georgie Hollis to present free webinar on post-op wound care</title><link>https://www.vetsurgeon.org/b/veterinary-news/posts/georgie-hollis-to-present-free-webinar-on-post-op-wound-care</link><pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2026 11:00:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">146601cc-3922-4be7-9974-7e1d4e45a66b:d61ea36d-bb8e-4484-ae5e-243bf4260121</guid><dc:creator>Arlo Guthrie</dc:creator><description>&lt;h2&gt;Select from NVS will host a free webinar for veterinary professionals on post-operative recovery and wound healing, with Georgie Hollis presenting practical guidance on wound management, common complications and owner support.&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Supporting Successful Recovery - Practical Strategies for Post-Operative Care and Wound Healing&amp;quot; will be available from 09:00 July 13th 2026 through The Webinar Vet.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The webinar, which is aimed at the whole veterinary team but has a particular relevance for nurses involved in post-operative patient care, wound management and client support, is part of a new educational Recovery campaign delivered by Select from NVS and offering further resources via a dedicated online Recovery hub.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The session will provide a practical overview of post-operative wound healing and help veterinary professionals distinguish between surgical site infections (SSIs) and other common causes of wound breakdown.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Georgie, the founder of Bandaging Angels and a well-known veterinary nurse educator, will discuss factors that influence healing, illustrate common post-operative complications and share best-practice approaches to wound protection, including dressings, bandaging, collars and recovery garments.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The session will also include practical guidance on home wound management and how to encourage owner engagement to support successful recovery outcomes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The Recovery hub will also feature articles, blogs and a podcast focused on recovery and wound care.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The campaign will also highlight complementary recovery products including Select from NVS bandages, bandage removal spray and recovery collars, designed to help&amp;nbsp;practices create a comprehensive approach to post-operative care.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a  target='_blank'  href="https://thewebinarvet.com/webinars/supporting-successful-recovery-practical-strategies-for-post-operative-care-and-wound-healing"&gt;https://thewebinarvet.com/webinars/supporting-successful-recovery-practical-strategies-for-post-operative-care-and-wound-healing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a  target='_blank'  href="https://www.nvsweb.co.uk/products/recovery/"&gt;https://www.nvsweb.co.uk/products/recovery/&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description></item><item><title>Henry Cloete, Emily Clark, Katie Ennis and Izzy Adams bag BSAVA Clinical Research Abstract Awards</title><link>https://www.vetsurgeon.org/b/veterinary-news/posts/henry-cloete-emily-clark-katie-ennis-and-izzy-adams-bag-bsava-clinical-research-abstract-awards</link><pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2026 07:00:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">146601cc-3922-4be7-9974-7e1d4e45a66b:12fb693d-195f-4f22-80e0-05f3a9379ae4</guid><dc:creator>Arlo Guthrie</dc:creator><description>&lt;h2&gt;Henry Cloete, Emily Clark, Katie Ennis and Izzy Adams have won the BSAVA Clinical Research Abstract Awards.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Henry, a Small Animal Internal Medicine resident at the University of Liverpool Small Animal Teaching Hospital, won the Outstanding Oral Abstract Presentation award for &amp;quot;Risk factors associated with the development of suspected feline injection site sarcomas identified in a sentinel network of UK primary care veterinary practices.&amp;quot;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Henry said: &amp;quot;It is particularly rewarding to see this work recognised, as it reflects a collaborative effort between researchers, clinicians, and the veterinary practices and pet owners contributing data through SAVSNET.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;I hope these findings contribute to a better understanding of feline injection site sarcomas and help support evidence-based discussions around feline vaccination in clinical practice.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Emily graduated from the University of Glasgow in 2023 and subsequently worked in a busy first-opinion practice in Inverness for 18 months.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;She then returned to the University of Glasgow to complete a rotating internship, with the goal of pursuing a residency in Internal Medicine.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;She won Outstanding Poster Abstract Presentation for: &amp;quot;Serum thyrotropin (TSH) concentrations help to predict azotaemia following radio-iodine treatment of hyperthyroid cats&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Emily said: &amp;quot;I am delighted to receive this award from the BSAVA. It is exciting to be involved in research that can help guide clinical decision-making in practice, and presenting my findings at BVA Live was a fantastic opportunity to share this work.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Katie, a final-year veterinary medicine student at the Royal Veterinary College, won&amp;nbsp;Outstanding Student Abstract Presentation for: &amp;quot;Hot Cats: Incidence and risk factors for heat-related illness in cats under UK emergency veterinary care during 2022 and 2023.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Izzy,&amp;nbsp;a student and feline enthusiast at the Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh, is due&amp;nbsp;to graduate in July 2026.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;She won the BSAVA PetSavers Clinical Research Abstract Award for &amp;quot;Pride and Purr-judice: Perception of Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) by veterinary personnel, animal shelter staff and cat owners.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Her presentation is the culmination of a three-year project investigating whether perceptions and attitudes towards Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), a disease once thought to be a death sentence, have changed alongside scientific understanding. Its results reveal that veterinary personnel still overestimate FIV&amp;rsquo;s transmissibility and its impact on life expectancy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;She said: &amp;quot;It was an incredible honour just to receive a BSAVA PetSavers grant and present my abstract at BVA Live.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;This award has redefined my expectations of my own capabilities as a veterinarian and researcher.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;I am beyond excited to share my project with a larger audience, and reaching this many people makes me feel that I truly can make a difference to the welfare of FIV-positive cats.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;BSAVA President Julian Hoad was one of the judges for this year. He said: &amp;ldquo;The standard of submissions this year was exceptionally high, reflecting the strength and diversity of clinical research taking place across the profession.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;The quality, enthusiasm, and innovation on display were truly inspiring, and it&amp;rsquo;s clear that these researchers are helping to drive veterinary medicine forward.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;A huge congratulations to all of this year&amp;rsquo;s winners and all who presented for their outstanding contributions.&amp;rdquo;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description></item><item><title>New guide offers guidance on faecal calprotectin testing in cases of feline GI disease</title><link>https://www.vetsurgeon.org/b/veterinary-news/posts/new-guide-offers-guidance-on-faecal-calprotectin-testing-in-cases-of-feline-gi-disease</link><pubDate>Mon, 29 Jun 2026 07:00:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">146601cc-3922-4be7-9974-7e1d4e45a66b:814de4bb-3698-4271-8142-3192cd7dd15c</guid><dc:creator>Arlo Guthrie</dc:creator><description>&lt;h2&gt;Carus Animal Health has launched a free educational booklet for veterinary professionals on the use of faecal calprotectin in feline medicine.&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Bringing together the latest research, practical guidance and case studies, the resource is designed to help veterinary teams managing chronic gastrointestinal (GI) disease in cats.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Carus says that while faecal calprotectin is well established in human medicine, the veterinary evidence base in cats continues to build.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The publication includes findings from a University of Bristol validation study demonstrating that the GIQuest faecal calprotectin test differentiated cats with chronic inflammatory enteropathy from healthy controls with 100% specificity and 92% sensitivity.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The booklet also features case studies from UK veterinary professionals, illustrating how faecal calprotectin testing has been used to support diagnosis, monitor treatment response and identify inflammatory flare-ups in complex chronic GI cases.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Lucy Williams BVSc MRCVS, Marketing and Veterinary Technical Services Manager at Carus Animal Health, said: &amp;quot;Feline gastrointestinal disease can be particularly challenging to manage.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Clinical signs are often non-specific, diagnostics can be limited by patient temperament or owner factors, and monitoring treatment response isn&amp;#39;t always straightforward.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;The growing evidence around faecal calprotectin is exciting because it offers clinicians an objective measure of intestinal inflammation that can support decision-making throughout the patient journey.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a  target='_blank'  href="https://content.carusanimalhealth.com/feline-only-booklet-download"&gt;https://content.carusanimalhealth.com/feline-only-booklet-download&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description></item><item><title>Free Virbac webinar to cover antimicrobial stewardship in otitis cases</title><link>https://www.vetsurgeon.org/b/veterinary-news/posts/free-virbac-webinar-to-cover-antimicrobial-stewardship-in-otitis-cases</link><pubDate>Fri, 26 Jun 2026 11:00:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">146601cc-3922-4be7-9974-7e1d4e45a66b:86885ed0-3f61-48f8-be07-c39994286294</guid><dc:creator>Arlo Guthrie</dc:creator><description>&lt;h2&gt;Virbac has announced a free one-hour CPD webinar on otitis externa management to help vets deliver evidence-based, sustainable care, with the live session taking place on Tuesday 7th July from 8-9pm.&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The webinar, Beyond Antibiotics: Navigating Otitis Management, will be presented by Ellie Wyatt BVSc DipECVD MRCVS, EBVS and RCVS Specialist in Veterinary Dermatology (pictured).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The session will focus on current best practice in otitis management, including antimicrobial stewardship and the role of targeted, anti-inflammatory-led therapy.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Delegates will be guided on how to apply antimicrobial stewardship principles when diagnosing and managing otitis externa without compromising clinical standards or patient outcomes.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The webinar will also cover the role of topical steroids in addressing the underlying inflammatory process and how early inflammatory control can resolve acute flares of otitis externa and help prevent long-term structural ear pathology.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The session will look at how to construct treatment plans that combine acute flare management with proactive, long-term therapy, as well as practical clinic protocols and client communication strategies to support consistent management of otitis cases.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Registration is free and includes access to the live session and on-demand viewing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a  target='_blank'  href="https://bit.ly/NavigatingOtitis"&gt;https://bit.ly/NavigatingOtitis&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description></item><item><title>Giant dogs die younger and suffer more health problems</title><link>https://www.vetsurgeon.org/b/veterinary-news/posts/giant-dogs-die-younger-and-suffer-more-health-problems</link><pubDate>Fri, 26 Jun 2026 07:00:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">146601cc-3922-4be7-9974-7e1d4e45a66b:f36caf35-c8b4-4d1f-8848-c17657859259</guid><dc:creator>Arlo Guthrie</dc:creator><description>&lt;h2&gt;New research from the Royal Veterinary College has revealed that giant dog breeds in the UK live substantially shorter lives than the general dog population and experience higher levels of some disorders&lt;sup&gt;1&lt;/sup&gt;, raising concerns about the welfare impacts of breeding for extreme size.&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;For the&amp;nbsp;research, the RVC&amp;rsquo;s VetCompass Programme analysed anonymised veterinary records from 2.25 million dogs attending UK primary-care veterinary practices during 2019.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;From this population, researchers identified 28,345 giant dogs and examined their demographic data, disorder frequency and lifespan records.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The study also involved a detailed manual review of clinical records from a random sample of more than 4,300 giant dogs to assess the most common health disorders and causes of death.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The data showed&amp;nbsp;that the average lifespan of giant dogs was 8.9 years.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This is more than three years shorter than the average lifespan previously reported within VetCompass for dogs overall in England.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The RVC says this finding aligns with other research reported in many countries that more rapid growth in giant dogs leads to more rapid ageing.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The findings also showed that almost three-quarters (73.8%) of giant dogs had at least one disorder recorded annually, significantly higher than the average for all dog breeds (65.8%) within VetCompass.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The most common general groups of disorders overall were skin disorders, musculoskeletal disease and ear disease.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The most common specific diseases were ear infections (8.2%), overweight or obesity (8.0%) and aggression (5.6%).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The frequency of aggression in these giant breeds was more than double the 2.2% level recorded in dogs overall.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Additional findings included:&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;The most common giant dog breeds in the UK were the Dogue de Bordeaux, Alaskan Malamute and Akita.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Female giant dogs lived 0.8 years longer on average than males (9.3 years compared to 8.5 years). So, acquiring a female giant breed dog could offer the possibility to owners of a longer life in their new dog.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Some giant breeds showed extremely short average lifespans, including Tibetan Mastiffs at just 4.8 years.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Cancer was identified as the leading cause of death in giant dogs overall.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;Great Danes (60.5kg), Irish Wolfhounds (64.0kg) and Saint Bernards (65.1kg) were the heaviest of the 29 giant breeds recorded.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Professor Dan O&amp;rsquo;Neill, Professor of Companion Animal Epidemiology at the RVC and lead author of the paper, said: &amp;ldquo;Humanity has reshaped the domestic dog into the most physically diverse mammalian species on earth to create over 1,200 distinct dog breeds.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Among these, the giant dog breeds can offer wonderful companionship for humans, but our findings suggest that the lifespan and welfare costs for these dogs, linked to their extreme body size, are substantial.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;ldquo;The relatively short lives of giant dogs compared to the wider dog population should prompt wider discussion on the welfare limits of selective breeding towards extreme giantism.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;To protect these cherished breeds and make them sustainable for the future, moving towards more moderate body sizes within these breeds may help to improve both the quality and length of life for these dogs, while still giving owners a fulfilling dog-ownership experience.&amp;rdquo;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Reference&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ol&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="font-size:75%;"&gt;O&amp;rsquo;Neill, D.G., Curtis, T.J., York, G.O.J. et al. Giant dog breeds under primary veterinary care in the UK: demography, common disorders and mortality. Companion Anim. Health Genet. 13, 4 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40575-026-00152-7&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description></item><item><title>GP Specialisation</title><link>https://www.vetsurgeon.org/f/non-clinical-questions/31377/gp-specialisation</link><pubDate>Thu, 18 Jun 2026 11:09:30 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">146601cc-3922-4be7-9974-7e1d4e45a66b:b18ccd78-2343-490c-9795-95808d352fa0</guid><dc:creator>Arlo Guthrie</dc:creator><description>&lt;p&gt;I haven&amp;#39;t quite gone yet&amp;nbsp; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="/b/veterinary-news/posts/new-primary-care-vet-specialty-training-proposals-move-to-consultation"&gt;https://www.vetsurgeon.org/b/veterinary-news/posts/new-primary-care-vet-specialty-training-proposals-move-to-consultation&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="p1"&gt;Now I get&amp;nbsp;that it creates a more satisfying and structured career path for some vets. Fair enough.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="p1"&gt;What I struggle with is identifying the benefit to the people ultimately paying for it: pet owners.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="p1"&gt;This training won&amp;rsquo;t come at zero cost. Someone will have to fund the fees, study time and supervision, and in the end those costs are likely to find their way into veterinary fees.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="p1"&gt;And creating a &amp;ldquo;specialist GP&amp;rdquo; risks reinforcing the inflationary idea that simply being a competent, experienced veterinary surgeon is somehow no longer enough.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="p1"&gt;Could it produce better outcomes? Possibly. But is a lack of expertise the profession&amp;rsquo;s biggest challenge right now, or is affordability the bigger issue?&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="p1"&gt;Could it reduce costs for owners? Perhaps, if it reduced referrals and allowed more cases to be managed in-house.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="p1"&gt;But I can&amp;rsquo;t help feeling this is another step in a direction veterinary medicine has been travelling for years: improvements in quality accompanied by increases in cost.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="p1"&gt;At some point, someone has to ask whether the bigger problem is a lack of expertise, or a lack of owners who can afford the expertise the profession&amp;nbsp;already has.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="p1"&gt;The RCVS will be consulting on these proposals more widely in due course.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p class="p1"&gt;I hope that when it does, thought is given to how this could make care more affordable, not less.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description></item><item><title>Daxocox gains UK perioperative licence for canine surgery</title><link>https://www.vetsurgeon.org/b/veterinary-news/posts/daxocox-gains-uk-perioperative-licence-for-canine-surgery</link><pubDate>Thu, 25 Jun 2026 07:00:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">146601cc-3922-4be7-9974-7e1d4e45a66b:08c34374-47dd-48e9-b621-5e5b824e0dc8</guid><dc:creator>Arlo Guthrie</dc:creator><description>&lt;h2&gt;Daxocox (enflicoxib) has been granted a perioperative licence for use in dogs in the UK, giving veterinary teams another licensed option for managing pain and inflammation associated with orthopaedic and soft tissue surgery.&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Daxocox is&amp;nbsp;a COX2 selective NSAID administered orally, with a dosing interval of seven days.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;When given preoperatively, its weekly duration of action means postoperative analgesia is already in place, with the NSAID being active throughout and following the surgery.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Colin Capner, Animalcare Senior Technical Vet, said: &amp;quot;Administering analgesia ahead of surgery can be an important part of perioperative planning.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;This licence extension enables Daxocox to be used pre-operatively with the confidence that the NSAID contribution to analgesia is available even during surgical preparation (often neglected) in suitable patients.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;That continuity of analgesia can also provide reassurance beyond discharge, supporting a smoother transition from practice to home.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;For veterinary teams, knowing analgesic cover remains in place may help provide additional confidence when patients leave the clinic.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;For owners, it may help reduce concerns around managing a dog recovering from surgery, particularly where discomfort could affect behaviour, mobility or appetite during the first few days at home.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Full prescribing information is available in the GB/NI Summary of Product Characteristics.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.animalcare.co.uk" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;www.animalcare.co.uk&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description></item><item><title>Supreme launches rabbit and guinea pig feeding guide developed with Molly Varga</title><link>https://www.vetsurgeon.org/b/veterinary-news/posts/supreme-launches-rabbit-and-guinea-pig-feeding-guide-developed-with-molly-varga</link><pubDate>Wed, 24 Jun 2026 07:00:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">146601cc-3922-4be7-9974-7e1d4e45a66b:b51a9787-e993-45c3-8c87-360dc3295262</guid><dc:creator>Arlo Guthrie</dc:creator><description>&lt;h2&gt;Supreme Petfoods has launched a new rabbit and guinea pig feeding guide to give UK veterinary teams and pet owners a resource which gives advice based on body condition scoring, weight and a safe food database.&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The web-based Selective Nutrition Guide was&amp;nbsp;developed in partnership with specialist veterinary expert Molly Varga from The Exotics Animals Vets (pictured).&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In addition to weight and body condition, the guide takes into account whether the rabbit lives indoors or out, is a picky eater or not, and whether it has any clinical issues such as&amp;nbsp;dental problems or digestive issues.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Claire Hamblion-Jennings, Supreme Marketing Director, said: &amp;quot;Rabbits and guinea pigs are intelligent, social, and deeply rewarding companions, and we know that most pet owners&amp;nbsp;want to do the right thing.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;But our research has shown that what&amp;#39;s been missing until now is definitive, actionable feeding guidelines.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&amp;quot;Our simple, expert-led approach should finally clarify any confusion, and the new app will put precise, expert-level nutritional guidance in the palm of everyone&amp;#39;s hand.&amp;quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;a  target='_blank'  href="https://app.supremepetfoods.com"&gt;https://app.supremepetfoods.com&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description></item><item><title>Free webinar on faecal testing for companion animal parasite control</title><link>https://www.vetsurgeon.org/b/veterinary-news/posts/free-webinar-on-faecal-testing-for-companion-animal-parasite-control</link><pubDate>Tue, 23 Jun 2026 07:00:00 GMT</pubDate><guid isPermaLink="false">146601cc-3922-4be7-9974-7e1d4e45a66b:47ddaf8d-7184-4ba5-b34d-e2fd2a9ccf5f</guid><dc:creator>Arlo Guthrie</dc:creator><description>&lt;h2 dir="auto"&gt;Veterinary professionals and SQPs are being invited to a free CPD webinar hosted by Micron Agritech on&amp;nbsp;&lt;span&gt;25 June 2026&lt;/span&gt; at 7:00pm (BST), where Dr Ian Wright will discuss the role of faecal testing in cat and dog worm control.&lt;/h2&gt;
&lt;p dir="auto"&gt;The webinar, titled &amp;quot;Not Just a Gut Feeling: The Role of Faecal Testing in Cat and Dog Worm Control&amp;quot;, will provide practical insights into how routine faecal testing can support more targeted, evidence-based parasite control strategies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p dir="auto"&gt;The programme will cover the most common companion animal parasites encountered in practice, the role of faecal testing and the value it adds for veterinary teams and pet owners, the benefits and limitations of currently available diagnostic methods, future developments in pet parasite testing, and a live Q&amp;amp;A session with Dr Wright.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p dir="auto"&gt;The webinar will be introduced by Madeleine Bucki BVMedSci BVM BVS MRCVS, who will also provide an overview of Micron Agritech&amp;#39;s diagnostic technology, including the launch of the company&amp;#39;s new +Pet testing system.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p dir="auto"&gt;The source text also states that all attendees can enter a prize draw to win a ticket to the London Vet Show 2026.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p dir="auto"&gt;Registration is free and all attendees can enter a prize draw to win a ticket to the London Vet Show 2026.&lt;span class="Apple-converted-space"&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p dir="auto"&gt;&lt;a href="https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/6817815210276/WN_myTFq4nHST6mBdvOPOQ5-w" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"&gt;https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/6817815210276/WN_myTFq4nHST6mBdvOPOQ5-w&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div style="clear:both;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</description></item></channel></rss>