A SURVEY has been launched to improve knowledge of the lives, behaviours and wellbeing of the nation's small animals. The Great British Small Animal Census 2026, which is being run by Burgess Excel, aims to strengthen understanding of small animal ownership. The outcomes will develop industry education and promote best practice, reinforcing Burgess Excel’s long‑standing commitment to driving welfare standards across the sector.

OPHTHALMOLOGISTS at The Pet Eye Clinic have successfully saved the sight of a young cat suffering from a painful eye condition. One-year-old Arthur developed a corneal sequestrum in his left eye last summer. The condition was causing him significant discomfort, characterised by squinting, redness and discharge.

A NEW training platform has been launched to offer veterinary practices a single, comprehensive subscription that provides role‑specific tuition for every member of the practice team. Vet Team 360, developed by CVS Vets, leverages an extensive catalogue of training developed over the last 15 years.

THE British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) has reviewed and updated its Guidelines for the Euthanasia of Insured Horses. The guidance will help practicing veterinary surgeons ensure good welfare is prioritised throughout the necessary euthanasia of horses insured for mortality ('all risks mortality' cover).

THE RCVS is inviting veterinary professionals to help improve mental health management in the workplace and broaden knowledge on mental health conditions. New continuing professional development opportunities on the subjects are being provided though the college's Mind Matters Initiative.

A WELL-KNOWN UK vet is gearing up for the race of her life for a cause closest to her heart. Dr Rachel Dean, VetPartners director of clinical research and excellence in practice, will be running this year’s TCS London Marathon on April 26 to raise money and awareness for a charity called Gene People. Her 12-year-old son Mikey has Coffin Siris Syndrome (CSS), a rare genetic condition that leads to complex, multiple severe disabilities.

CVS has announced the launch of a new clinical improvement initiative - the Collaborative Care Project - designed to enhance client engagement, support veterinary teams in delivering compassionate, evidence-based care, and improve clinical outcomes across its practices. The initiative is part of CVS’s ongoing commitment to clinical excellence and team wellbeing, and responds to growing evidence that meaningful client relationships are central to effective veterinary care.

AFTER a year of succession planning, a new CEO has been identified to lead XLVets, a community of independent veterinary practices. The group, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, is set to replace Andrew Curwen, who is stepping down after 19 years, with Kerrie Hedley at its AGM in June. XLVets has 70 members who all share best practice, experience, knowledge and skills to define the highest standards of veterinary care.

A NEW package of support has been unveiled which is designed to boost suicide prevention support for veterinary professionals and their employers Vetlife, which has been working in veterinary suicide prevention for years, says support for people who are struggling must be a key priority for the veterinary professions. It has now announced a major new series of resources - The Vetlife Suicide Prevention Resources - to support individuals and veterinary workplaces with suicide

ZOETIS LTD is hosting a masterclass series of equine parasitology webinars, a new continuing professional development resource for sustainable equine parasite control which aims to help prescribers implement the guidelines. They will be presented by Professor Jacqui Matthews, RCVS, recognised specialist in parasitology, and Dr Wendy Talbot, RCVS and European specialist in internal medicine.

REDUCING antibiotic use in calves could represent a significant opportunity for dairy farmers to cut overall antimicrobial usage, according to the latest industry data¹, which highlights oral antibiotics as a growing contributor to on-farm antibiotic use. Figures released by RUMA at the end of 2025 show that calf oral antibiotic sales more than doubled in 2024, rising from 1.92 mg/kg defined daily dose for animals (DDDvet) to 4.03 mg/kg DDDvet.

A PAISLEY vets is set to transform its 116-year-old building into a state-of-the-art veterinary practice to provide the best possible care for Renfrewshire’s pets and farm animals. Work is now underway on the first phase of a major refurbishment of Abbey Vets, which first opened its practice in Paisley in 1910.

VET Danny De Vries has earned his place in the Guinness World Records – by running a half marathon dressed in a rhino suit. Danny clocked 1hr 46 mins 01 secs in a race in Darlington to achieve a world record for the fastest half marathon while dressed as mammal. He beat the previous record of 1hr 47mins 30secs, which was held by a man in the USA who ran in a gorilla suit.

SPONSORED CONTENT The EVA 23B autoclave from Eschmann has been designed and developed specifically to meet the needs of modern veterinary practice teams. Engineered for outstanding safety, efficiency, and longevity, the machine offers both ‘B’ and ‘N’ type cycles, catering for wrapped and unwrapped instruments to meet the needs of any practice. It’s 23-litre chamber accommodates up to 5 long trays of 5kg instruments, with a pre-heat functionality offering shorter cycle time

A UK-BASED charity has launched an urgent campaign to replace specialist equipment and support that underpins crucial conservation work to help critically endangered Sumatran orangutan. Orangutan Veterinary Aid (OVAID) says the species, which is already on the brink of extinction with fewer than 15,000 individuals remaining in the wild, has been hugely impacted by the devastating recent floods and landslides in Sumatra.

MORE than 100 charities and worthy causes that help people, animals and the environment have benefited from a donation of £376,453 from VetPartners. Teams from the group’s veterinary practices and associated animal healthcare businesses, across the UK and Ireland, ran marathons, climbed mountains, baked cakes and organised dog shows, quizzes and raffles to generate money last year. Colleagues raised £214,300 during 2025 and VetPartners donated £162,153 through its charity fu

VETS Now has hailed the outstanding clinical commitment and leadership skills of Alice Cheney after awarding her the 2025 Louise O’Dwyer Bursary. Alice, a member of the group’s Hemel Hempstead emergency clinical team, said she was ‘truly honoured’ to receive the award.

A ROMANIAN animal shelter is calling on UK dog lovers to help support its work tackling the country’s stray dog crisis. Speranta Shelter, based in Bucharest, is expanding its mission of rescuing, re-homing and rehabilitating strays with a sterilisation campaign and education programmes for children and adults. And it is also appealing for dog lovers in the UK to support its remote-adoption scheme, which helps fund care for dogs in Romania.

AN award-winning new technology is offering dairy farmers a practical way to reduce ammonia emissions by up to a third. The CowToilet, which is being launched in the UK, is also designed to help improve nutrient use and enhance on-farm sustainability. Developed by Dutch agri-tech company Hanskamp, the device separates cow urine and faeces which, when combined, produce ammonia.

SPONSORED CONTENT Get your team up to speed with excellent instrument decontamination protocols – and keep their knowledge fresh – with intuitive guidance posters from Eschmann. Free to download from the website, these resources are valuable tools for the whole practice team, facilitating and optimising quality and efficiency of infection control processes. This is just one of the ways that Eschmann – the experts in decontamination – support practice compliance. With exte