Hill's Pet Nutrition has been awarded “The Pet Food Company Most Trusted By Vets” at the Vet Trust Awards 2025.

Presented by The Webinar Vet and Vet Dynamics, the Vet Trust Awards celebrate notable contributions to veterinary advancement.

Claire Towers, General Manager of Hill’s Pet Nutrition UK and Ireland said: “Our recognition as the most trusted pet food brand is a testament to the unwavering dedication of the Hill’s team, ensuring vets remain integral to our mission.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo: www.depositphotos.com

Petplan has been voted Best Insurance Provider in the seventh annual Your Cat and Your Dog Product Awards.

This is the sixth consecutive year Your Cat and Your Dog readers have voted Petplan number one, in response to a survey completed by thousands of pet owners.

Isabella von Mesterhazy, Head of Marketing at Petplan said: "To be independently voted number one provider by pet owners means so much, particularly as this is the sixth time we have been awarded this honour.

"Petplan's Covered for Life policy is the original lifetime policy - we were the first insurer to offer this type of policy and cover. This, combined with over 36 years' experience in the pet insurance marketplace means Petplan truly understands what pet owners need and want from their pet insurance. We settle 97% of claims successfully and 90% of customers renew each year. Moreover, we paid out over £180 million in claims in 2013, the majority directly with the vet, which leaves owners able to concentrate on supporting their pet back to full health rather than worrying about vet bills."

Data from the Surveillance of Equine Strangles (SES) network confirms that over 370 cases of equine strangles have already been diagnosed in 2025, surpassing the UK’s annual average of around 300.

The increase has prompted a call by Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance (EIDS) for equine professionals and owners to strengthen biosecurity and consider vaccination to help reduce disease spread.

EIDS has been monitoring diagnoses reported to SES and says the data indicates a genuine increase rather than normal year-to-year variation.

With the number of confirmed cases climbing, EIDS and the SES network are urging veterinary professionals and horse owners to revisit their yard management practices, saying that simple but consistent actions, such as isolating new arrivals, disinfecting shared equipment, and post-outbreak screening can make a substantial difference in controlling the disease.

In addition, they recommend the Strangvac vaccine, saying that when combined with good hygiene and daily temperature checking, can help reduce both the risk of infection and onward spread.

Dr Richard Newton of EIDS said, “These findings are a clear reminder that strangles remains an ever-present risk to the UK horse population.

"The increase in diagnoses underlines the importance of continued vigilance, prompt reporting, and proactive prevention measures.”

https://equinesurveillance.org/ses/ 

Petplan, the largest animal health insurance provider in the world, has announced the first of three winners for their ‘Get Noticed' waiting room notice board competition, which runs till the end of July.

The staff at Ayers Vets in Tyne and Wear were the winners but Petplan says it wasn't an easy decision. Their submission was up against some other very informative and educational notice boards but, as a result of their research and creative ideas, they were the proud winners of a fantastic hamper filled with white and red wine, organic chocolates, coffee, fruit cake and other delectable snacks.

Joy Cook, receptionist at Ayers Vets commented, "We're delighted to have won the competition. We always promote the benefits of pet insurance to as many pet owners as possible so it is great to be recognised for this. The notice board has certainly caught the interest of our clients and we've had lots of comments about how great it looks!"

Practices have the opportunity to create their own notice board using a kit provided by Petplan with a remit to educate their clients about the benefits of taking out pet insurance.

The competition challenged vet receptionists and vet nurses to create an interesting notice board on the theme of insurance and send in a photo of it to Petplan. The competition was open to all practices, regardless of their regulatory status.

The second winner will be chosen at the end of June and the final winner at the end of July.

The Queen’s Veterinary School Hospital (QVSH) at the University of Cambridge has joined forces with the Wellcome Sanger Institute to conduct research into osteosarcoma (OSA) in dogs, and is looking for research participants.

The new study will examine the genetic changes that occur in osteosarcoma tumours.

By understanding which genes drive the disease, researchers hope to identify biomarkers – genetic clues that could help diagnose the cancer earlier, predict prognosis for individual patients, and ultimately lead to new treatment options.

The study is looking for dogs with a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of osteosarcoma, whose treatment plan includes surgical removal of the tumour at the QVSH.

With the owner’s permission, tissue samples will be collected from the amputated limb after surgery, as well as from nearby healthy tissue for comparison.

The researchers say participation involves no additional procedures, discomfort, or hospital visits for dogs, and there is no cost to owners for the research elements of the study.

Dr Louise Van Der Weyden, study co-lead at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said: “Our new study aims to apply genomic sequencing techniques, which have benefited humans, to canine osteosarcoma to uncover what drives these bone tumours and gain a deeper understanding of why they happen.

"We hope that by doing so, we can pave the way for the development of potential biomarkers to help early diagnosis and possibly provide future treatment options for dogs who currently have no cure.”

https://www.hospital.vet.cam.ac.uk/news/new-research-improve-diagnosis-and-treatment-canine-osteosarcoma 

oncology@vet.cam.ac.uk

The British Veterinary Association has responded to the Competition and Markets Authority provisional decision, broadly welcoming measures to improve transparency but denouncing the watchdog's veterinary medicines proposals.

The CMA proposed that veterinary practices should be compelled to: 

• provide price lists for specific services
• provide itemised bills
• provide written estimates for treatments over £500
• tell owners they can get their medicines elsewhere
• cap the prescription fee
• provide info for the RCVS 'Find a Vet' page
• make it clear if the practice is part of a group
• have a complaints process that meets certain criteria
• confirm every year to the RCVS that it is doing these things

Most of these, along with the CMA's support for reform of the Veterinary Surgeons Act, have been welcomed not just by the BVA, but by the RCVS and the BVNA which also issued their responses on Friday. 

The big sticking points, however, are the proposal that veterinary practices should cap prescription fees at £16, and that all practices should inform clients that they may buy medicines cheaper online. 

The BVA argued that the proposed prescription price cap would be unlikely to reduce costs, and that 65% of vets who took part in its Voice of the Profession Survey said it would risk practice viability.

The proposal that vets should tell clients they can buy medicines cheaper online was more controversial, because of course two of the largest veterinary pharmacies are owned by corporate groups, and it is hard to think of any other area of business where small companies are legally required to direct customers to their corporate competitors.

BVA President Dr. Rob Williams MRCVS (pictured) said: “The measures outlined in the CMA’s provisional decision report are much more measured and proportionate compared to earlier proposals and that clearly shows they have listened to our concerns. 

"As vets, we welcome the measures that increase transparency and help us to better support our clients. 

"However, it’s vital that the CMA gets the detail right or it risks unintended negative consequences. 

“BVA particularly welcomes the CMA backing our calls for reform of the outdated Veterinary Surgeons Act, including the need for practice regulation.

"Vets have been pressing for reform of this woefully outdated legislation for many years, and reform will go a long way to addressing many of the concerns raised throughout the CMA investigation and will help build trust with our clients.  

“We do, however, have serious concerns about the medicines proposals – it is simply unreasonable to expect vet practices to actively promote online pharmacies, which are in direct competition for customers and some of which are run by large veterinary groups.

"In addition, the proposed £16 price cap for prescriptions will be ineffective and is unlikely to lead to lower vet bills for consumers.”

https://www.bva.co.uk/media/6641/bva-bsava-bvna-spvs-vmg-joint-response-to-cma-provisional-decision-report-final.pdf 

Supreme Petfoods has launched Science Selective Joint Care - a supplement developed to support mobility and comfort in rabbits, guinea pigs, and chinchillas.

Joint Care contains glucosamine, rosehip, echinacea, and vitamin C, and Supreme Petfoods says it's been developed in response to growing awareness of osteoarthritis (OA) as a significant yet under-diagnosed condition in small mammals.

Supreme points to a retrospective study which identified osteoarthritic lesions in 40% of domestic rabbits, with prevalence strongly correlated with age and body weight.¹

The company says that while definitive prevalence data in guinea pigs is lacking, OA is considered to be common in this species as well.²

Molly Varga, RCVS recognised exotics specialist, said: “Signs of joint pain are often subtle or masked in prey species.

"Proactive use of nutritional supplements like Science Selective Joint Care can help maintain mobility and may delay progression.

"Nutritional support, combined with appropriate husbandry and veterinary care, can make a real difference to long-term quality of life.”

As well as glucosamine, Science Selective Joint Care also contains rosehip, a botanical with claimed anti-inflammatory and chondroprotective properties and echinacea, which has claimed anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immunomodulatory activity.^3,4

Supreme says Vitamin C is an essential nutrient for guinea pigs and beneficial for rabbits, and contributes to normal collagen formation and may help protect joint tissues from oxidative stress.

Claire Hamblion, Marketing Director at Supreme Petfoods, said: “With 45% of pet owners now regularly purchasing supplements for their animals,⁵ the demand for clinically relevant, species-appropriate products is growing.

"We work closely with veterinary and nutrition experts to ensure our formulations meet emerging needs and Joint Care reflects that commitment.”

Available in 100g packs, Joint Care has a recommended retail price (RRP) of £6.99 and is suitable for rabbits, guinea pigs, and chinchillas.

https://supremepetfoods.com/products/science-selective-care-supplements

References

1. Arzi, B. et al. (2011). A proposed model of naturally occurring osteoarthritis in the domestic rabbit. Lab animal, 41(1), 20–25. https://doi.org/10.1038/laban0112-20
2. Keeble, E. (2021) Osteoarthritis in pet guinea pigs: an update on diagnosis, treatment and management. Companion Animal. Vol 26:6 https://doi.org/10.12968/coan.2021.0010
3. Schwager, J. et al. (2014) A novel rose hip preparation with enhanced anti-inflammatory and chondroprotective effects. Mediators of Inflammation, 2014, Article ID 105710. https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/105710
4. Johnson, A. et al. (2022) Protective effect of ethanolic extract of Echinacea purpurea contained nanoparticles on meniscal/ligamentous injury induced osteoarthritis in obese male rats. Scientific Reports, 12. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-09380-w
5. Supreme Survey of small pet owners, 2024

BBraun Vetcare is hosting a Confident Chemotherapy webinar covering the latest thinking on the use of chemotherapy in practice on Thursday 15th July at 5:00pm. 

Presenters at the webinar will include: Professor Melissa McDermid MD, MPH, division head, Occupational & Environmental Medicine, University of Maryland, Prof. Clare Knottenbelt BVSC MSC DSAM MRCVS, owner and founder of specialist referral service, Hawk and Dove, and previously clinical director of the Small Animal Hospital at the University of Glasgow Veterinary School, Sam Fontaine MSc, lecturer and director of the MSc Advanced Practice in Veterinary Nursing and module leader within the BVMS programme at The Glasgow School of Veterinary Medicine. There will also be a video from the oncology centre at The Queen’s Veterinary School, Cambridge University.

The webinar will also look at the use of Closed System Transfer Devices, such as Tevadaptor, to improve safety and break down barriers to treatment across all practices.

Clare Knottenbelt (pictured right) said: “Pets with cancer need to be able to access chemotherapy treatments locally. The advent of new closed administration systems mean that practices can now safely administer chemotherapeutics in house without the need for large investment, but still protecting the health of their staff."

Delegates will be able to to submit questions to the speakers and will receive a certificate for one hour of CPD.  The session will be recorded so it can be watched again.

For the full programme or to register, visit: https://aesculap-academia.eventbritestudio.com/160802290981

HT Vista has published the results of a survey which suggests that 62% of masses presented in practice are going untested.

This, says the company, highlights a missed opportunity for earlier cancer detection, which in turn limits the ability of veterinary teams to improve medical outcomes for their patients.

243 veterinary professionals took part in the survey, most of whom HT Vista says were general practitioners.

On average, they reported seeing 13.5 dermal and subcutaneous masses per vet per week, less than six of which lead to a diagnosis.

HT Vista says around 15% of these lumps will be malignant.

Veterinary oncologist Gillian Dank said: “Every week, thousands of dogs leave practices with undiagnosed masses.

"While many are benign, others are malignant, and delaying diagnosis can mean lost treatment opportunities and poorer prognoses.”

The number one reason why respondents said they don't test more widely is the assumption that a mass is benign by its gross characteristics, followed by owner concerns around cost, time constraints during consultations, and limited access to in-house cytology.

Vista HT Chief Commercial Officer Asher Fink and Managing Director Liron Levy-Hirsch will be presenting “20 dogs in your waiting room with lumps and bumps – how do you spot the 3 with cancer?" at the London Vet Show on 20th November from 1–1:50pm in Exhibitor Showcase Theatre 2

https://info.ht-vet.com/lump-and-bump-survey-results

https://www.cliniciansbrief.com/continuing-education/syllabus/lesson/cracking-code-lumps-bumps-fast-efficient-diagnosis-everyday-practice

https://london.vetshow.com/conference-programme-2025/session-title-coming-soon-38

Photo: www.depositphotos.com

Peripatetic veterinary ultrasonographer Camilla Edwards DVM CertAVP MRCVS, founder of First Opinion Veterinary Ultrasound (FOVU), has launched a guided ultrasound reporting tool she developed to help those who find ultrasound report-writing a daunting task.

Camilla, who was shortlisted as a finalist for Innovator of the Year at the 2025 Digital Women Awards, says her mission has always been to give first-opinion vets the tools and confidence to get the most from ultrasound in everyday practice – and the new tool is a big step forward in that vision.

The tool:

• gives prompts to ensure a thorough scan (with measurement fields that automatically compare kidney size, for example, against species- and weight-specific norms — no need to look anything up.
• links directly to quick refresher videos on scanning technique for each organ section.
• Offers a ready-made “normal” summary when a structure looks fine, unlocking a step-by-step framework if something looks abnormal or uncertain.
• Expands questions dynamically (e.g. asking about lesion distribution) so nothing important is overlooked.
• Builds a clear, structured summary of findings organ by organ, flagging abnormalities, and automatically generating a conclusion with likely differentials and suggested next steps.

Camilla says the final report is fully editable, but much of the “heavy lifting” is done — saving time, reducing second-guessing, and producing reports that are more useful for colleagues, clients, and patient care.

https://www.fovu.co.uk/ 

https://www.fovu.co.uk/fovu-report-video 

WellVet, the not-for-profit organisation which gathers, curates and hosts evidence-based wellbeing resources for veterinary teams, is calling on practices to run a menopause awareness day this month, which happens to be Menopause Awareness Month (not to mention World Menopause Day on the 18th).

WellVet suggests a variety of activities that practices might like to run, including coffee and chat sessions where everyone can sit together, have an informal chat and share experiences about the menopause.

That might provide a perfect opportunity for everyone to watch the WellVet animation which summarises the impact of the menopause on veterinary teams.

In addition, practices can use the free educational videos on the WellVet website to learn how the symptoms of perimenopause can be managed through lifestyle adjustments.

Alternatively you might like to just share the link to the WellVet Menopause Resources page with your team, allowing individuals to explore the information at their own pace.

Liz Barton, Director of WellVet, said: “Creating an open and understanding environment around health topics like perimenopause is crucial for the well-being of our teams.

“While perimenopause is a natural life stage, symptoms and long-term effects of hormonal changes adversely affect a significant portion of the workforce, yet it is a topic that is rarely discussed.

"There is growing interest from veterinary teams about how to start this conversation and provide peer support.

"We hope that by highlighting World Menopause Awareness Day, we can encourage colleagues in the veterinary community to take a moment to explore these resources to help individuals and foster a more supportive culture.”

https://www.wellvet.co.uk/resources/menopause-resources-for-veterinary-teams/