VetNurse News

New ‘advanced kidney support’ liquid for cats

Chris Ritchie — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Nutravet has launched Nutraren Advanced Kidney Support liquid, which it describes as “a highly palatable nutritional supplement designed to help support kidney function and phosphorus balance in cats”.

The formulation “enables fast and efficient absorption” of ingredients in the intestines and contains: calcium carbonate to help naturally bind phosphorus; prebiotic fibres to support digestive health; and essential nutrients to help maintain overall well-being.

Additionally, Nutravet says, it aids normal phosphorus levels, boosts appetite and encourages water intake. Each box contains 4x150ml drink.

Email info@nutravet.co.uk or visit www.nutravet.com.

Vet suspended for one month for dishonest expense claims

Chris Ritchie — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 11:00:00 GMT

The RCVS Disciplinary Committee has suspended a Lancashire-based veterinary surgeon for one month after he admitted using funds from his former practice to purchase goods for personal use.

The vet appeared before the committee in June with two charges against him. The first concerned a number of purchases he had made using a practice credit card between 1st January 2019 and 31st December 2019 which were intended for his personal use, amounting to £8,495.77. Purchases included £134.92 on timber, limestone, sand and plywood; £139.99 on aluminium; £125 on calcium propionate; £571.60 on “sheet plastics” and £233.99 on an iPhone. False invoices were produced to account for the spending. The second charge was that his conduct in relation to the first charge was dishonest.

At the outset of the hearing, the defendant admitted all the charges against him and also admitted that, in his view, the conduct amounted to serious professional misconduct. The committee noted that his conduct involved a series of dishonest actions, sustained over a number of months, and that this was not a momentary lapse of judgement but had clearly involved time and thought.

Aggravating factors included that he had been reckless towards the potential impact on fellow professionals and the reputation of the practice; that the conduct was premeditated and sustained; that he had breached the trust placed in him by his employer and that the conduct was undertaken for financial gain. Mitigating factors: he had apologised for his behaviour, had admitted the allegations, had made frank admissions to his employer and to the RCVS during their respective investigations, and had remediated the conduct by undertaking psychotherapy and counselling as well as repaying his debt to the practice.

The vet had a previous suspension for “dishonesty regarding mobility score assessments for cattle”.

Committee chair Neil Slater stated that without the mitigation available, “a much longer period of suspension would have been considered appropriate and proportionate. The committee has determined that following a period of suspension the respondent is safe to return to practice”.

https://www.rcvs.org.uk/veterinary-professionals/conduct-and-guidance/concerns-about-veterinary-professionals/disciplinary-committee-hearings

Nominations open for veterinary business awards

Chris Ritchie — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Entries for the annual SPVS Veterinary Business Excellence Awards – an initiative designed to “celebrate and honour outstanding veterinary practices that have demonstrated exceptional performance and innovation in key areas crucial to the future success of the profession” – are now open.

Awards are presented across three categories:

Leadership and management skills – recognising practices that exhibit “visionary leadership, strategic planning, resource and finance management and innovative practice development”.
Team and self-development – for practices that have “excellent morale, a culture of collaborative teamworking and effective communication, in a supportive and inclusive work environment”.
Veterinary start-ups – honouring practices that have started up in the last 2.5 years, that have grown in both quantitative and qualitative parameters and achieved a profitable and sustainable business model.

Five shortlisted practices in each category will receive a book of their choice provided by 5m Books; the three category winners will win full-day and evening tickets to SPVS Congress 2027 at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole (three team members per practice), where the overall winner will be announced, plus overnight accommodation. Pet People Vets of East Sheen was the overall winner in the 2025 awards.

The awards are supported by health and safety and employment law consultancy Citation. See spvs.org.uk/business-excellence-awards. The deadline for submissions is Friday 9th October.

Fundraisers conquer Alexandra Palace for Vetlife

Chris Ritchie — Mon, 06 Jul 2026 07:00:00 GMT

On Friday 19th June, a team of fundraisers from across the veterinary community came together to take on the UK's ‘highest roof walk’ at Alexandra Palace in support of Vetlife – raising more than £1,200.

Vetlife reports that this year is shaping up to be one of the busiest in its history, with record numbers of people contacting its confidential helpline and applying for financial assistance.

The event formed part of the Vetlife Day initiative, supported by education platform Risr/, which has also donated £7,500 to the charity. Michelle Gratton, donor relations manager at Vetlife, said: “Taking part in or holding your own Vetlife Day raises vital funds for our profession and can help spread awareness of our services. Thank you to everyone who took part and donated and a special thank you to Risr/ for their generous support of the event and continued support of Vetlife.”

Donations to support the Alexandra Palace fundraiser can still be made at https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/vetlife-alexandra-palace; Vetlife intends to return to Alexandra Palace in 2027 – email info@vetlife.org.uk if you’re interested.

Big event for small furries in September

Chris Ritchie — Fri, 03 Jul 2026 07:00:00 GMT

The Guinea Pig Welfare Forum returns for its third year on Tuesday 22nd September, bringing together veterinary professionals, rescues, welfare organisations and researchers for a day of discussion and collaboration.

Co-hosted by Burgess Excel and the Guinea Pig Welfare UK charity, the event will be held at the Crowne Plaza Birmingham City Centre.

Confirmed speakers include Mary Coles (University of Liverpool), Alison Wills (Hartpury College) and clinicians and nurses working at the forefront of small animal practice, as well as John Chitty, RCVS Advanced Practitioner in Zoological Medicine and chair of Guinea Pig Welfare UK, who will chair the event.

Sessions will cover both clinical insight and practical care challenges: the morning programme will explore key welfare issues affecting guinea pigs in both pet and rescue environments, alongside topics such as reproduction, responsible breeding and the latest research developments. Afternoon sessions will cover sector-wide challenges and opportunities, including discussions on rescue centre operations and evolving licensing proposals, providing an opportunity for delegates to contribute to wider policy conversations around animal welfare.

Tickets are priced at £10, with all proceeds donated to Guinea Pig Welfare UK to support ongoing education, research and advocacy work aimed at improving welfare standards nationwide.

For more information and to register, visit: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/guinea-pig-welfare-forum-2026-tickets-1987609178558

New neutering benchmark data gives vet practices 20-year comparison rates

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 02 Jul 2026 07:00:00 GMT

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.

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.

Among the results published for the first time are pan-UK complication rates by species and procedure for the last two decades.

For spay procedures where no abnormality was present, the benchmark outcomes were 76% in dogs, 86% in cats and 81% in rabbits.

For castrate procedures where no abnormality was present, the benchmark outcomes were 75% in dogs, 95% in cats and 78% in rabbits.

The benchmarks exclude patients lost to follow-up and are representative of 76,222 cases across all species.

The rabbit dataset is much smaller than the data for cats and dogs, so RCVS Knowledge said the rabbit benchmarks are less robust.

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.

Katie Mantell, Chief Executive Officer at RCVS Knowledge, said: "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.

"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.

"Thank you to everyone who has submitted their data over the last two decades.

"Once you've finished reading the benchmarking report, I hope you'll be inspired to start contributing your own practice's data to the NASAN."

https://www.rcvsknowledge.org/subject/audits-and-benchmarks/national-audit-for-small-animal-neutering-nasan/nasan-benchmark-reports/

www.rcvsknowledge.org/NASAN-submit

Chris Ritchie takes over as editor of VetNurse.co.uk and VetSurgeon.org

Arlo Guthrie — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 12:34:00 GMT

VetNurse.co.uk and VetSurgeon.org 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.

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 VetNurse.co.uk and VetSurgeon.org.

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.

David Kimberley will become the main point of contact for advertising across VetSurgeon.org, VetNurse.co.uk, Veterinary Edge, VetIndex and VetEdge Congress.

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.

Alongside that, I’ll be focusing my attention on a new journalism venture, reviewing and explaining consumer technology, AI and gadgets for mainstream audiences: www.arlo-guthrie.com

My resignation letter in full:
https://www.vetnurse.co.uk/p/announce

Photo: It's bye bye from me.

Susan Little takes over as BSAVA President

Arlo Guthrie — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Susan graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1992 and spent most of her career in small animal general practice.

In 2000, she founded her own practice and grew it into a three-site operation.

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.

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.

Following a short break, she returned to the association in 2024 as a Trustee and joined the Presidential ladder as Junior Vice President.

Susan also volunteers with Vetlife and has contributed to the RCVS university accreditation panel.

She said: "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.

"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."

Susan takes over from Dr Julian Hoad, who moves to Senior Vice President after two years as BSAVA President.

Niall Connell has moved into the role of Vice President, and Matt Erskine has joined the Presidential ladder as Junior Vice President.

Georgie Hollis to present free webinar on post-op wound care

Arlo Guthrie — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 07:00:00 GMT

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.

"Supporting Successful Recovery - Practical Strategies for Post-Operative Care and Wound Healing" will be available from 09:00 July 13th 2026 through The Webinar Vet.

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.

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.

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.

The session will also include practical guidance on home wound management and how to encourage owner engagement to support successful recovery outcomes.

The Recovery hub will also feature articles, blogs and a podcast focused on recovery and wound care.

The campaign will also highlight complementary recovery products including Select from NVS bandages, bandage removal spray and recovery collars, designed to help practices create a comprehensive approach to post-operative care.

https://thewebinarvet.com/webinars/supporting-successful-recovery-practical-strategies-for-post-operative-care-and-wound-healing

https://www.nvsweb.co.uk/products/recovery/

New guide offers guidance on faecal calprotectin testing in cases of feline GI disease

Arlo Guthrie — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Carus Animal Health has launched a free educational booklet for veterinary professionals on the use of faecal calprotectin in feline medicine.

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.

Carus says that while faecal calprotectin is well established in human medicine, the veterinary evidence base in cats continues to build.

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.

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.

Lucy Williams BVSc MRCVS, Marketing and Veterinary Technical Services Manager at Carus Animal Health, said: "Feline gastrointestinal disease can be particularly challenging to manage.

"Clinical signs are often non-specific, diagnostics can be limited by patient temperament or owner factors, and monitoring treatment response isn't always straightforward.

"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."

https://content.carusanimalhealth.com/feline-only-booklet-download

Disciplinary Committee takes no further action against VN with previous spent convictions

Arlo Guthrie — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 11:00:00 GMT

The RCVS Veterinary Nurse Disciplinary Committee has ruled that no further action will be taken against a veterinary nurse who declared a number of spent convictions from before she became a nurse.

The nurse faced 15 charges against her, all relating to criminal convictions dating from 2008 to 2020, for theft and public order offences, all of which are now spent and none of which resulted in an immediate custodial sentence.

The nurse had declared all of the offences to the RCVS when she joined the Register of Veterinary Nurses in 2025, and, at the outset of the hearing, admitted all the charges against her.

The Committee considered whether the admitted convictions affected Miss Town’s fitness to practise and amounted to serious professional misconduct.

The Committee heard that, although Miss Town was not required to declare spent convictions with the RCVS upon joining the Register, she had decided to do so in order to be open and honest with her regulator and take responsibility for her previous actions.

In terms of aggravating factors, the Committee took into account that her convictions involved dishonesty, financial gain and that there was a sustained pattern of criminal offending over a number of years.

In mitigation, the Committee found that there was no actual harm or risk of harm to animals evident in her previous offending, and that no concerns had been raised about her competence or the quality of her practise since joining the Register.

However, while the Committee recognised that the offending had taken place before she joined the Register of Veterinary Nurses, it found that the crimes she had committed constituted serious professional misconduct and undermined public confidence in the profession.

In considering the most appropriate sanction, the Committee took into account a number of additional mitigating factors, including: the fact that she demonstrated insight and remorse for her offending, the difficult personal circumstances at the time of the offending, efforts to avoid repeating the offending, her frank personal statement to the RCVS prior to registration, the significant lapse of time since the last offence and positive character testimonials.

Paul Morris, chairing the Committee and speaking on its behalf, said: “The Committee took into account the significant insight and remediation shown, and the minimal risk of repeating the behaviour which led to the criminal offences.

"The last criminal offence took place in 2020, there has been no repetition, and the offences are spent.

"The respondent has been open and honest with the RCVS since prior to her registration, a fact which was in fact acknowledged in a letter from the RCVS to the respondent.”

He added: “In all the circumstances, the Committee was not satisfied that the public interest required a sanction to protect it.

"The Committee decided that the demands of the public interest were adequately marked and served by the findings already made that the convictions rendered the respondent unfit to practise and that she had been guilty of disgraceful conduct in a professional respect.

“As a result, the Committee decided that it would be appropriate and proportionate to impose no further action in this case.”

https://www.rcvs.org.uk/veterinary-professionals/conduct-and-guidance/concerns-about-veterinary-professionals/disciplinary-committee-hearings

Giant dogs die younger and suffer more health problems

Arlo Guthrie — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 07:00:00 GMT

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 disorders¹, raising concerns about the welfare impacts of breeding for extreme size.

For the research, the RVC’s VetCompass Programme analysed anonymised veterinary records from 2.25 million dogs attending UK primary-care veterinary practices during 2019.

From this population, researchers identified 28,345 giant dogs and examined their demographic data, disorder frequency and lifespan records.

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.

The data showed that the average lifespan of giant dogs was 8.9 years.

This is more than three years shorter than the average lifespan previously reported within VetCompass for dogs overall in England.

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.

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.

The most common general groups of disorders overall were skin disorders, musculoskeletal disease and ear disease.

The most common specific diseases were ear infections (8.2%), overweight or obesity (8.0%) and aggression (5.6%).

The frequency of aggression in these giant breeds was more than double the 2.2% level recorded in dogs overall.

Additional findings included:

The most common giant dog breeds in the UK were the Dogue de Bordeaux, Alaskan Malamute and Akita.
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.
Some giant breeds showed extremely short average lifespans, including Tibetan Mastiffs at just 4.8 years.
Cancer was identified as the leading cause of death in giant dogs overall.
Great Danes (60.5kg), Irish Wolfhounds (64.0kg) and Saint Bernards (65.1kg) were the heaviest of the 29 giant breeds recorded.

Professor Dan O’Neill, Professor of Companion Animal Epidemiology at the RVC and lead author of the paper, said: “Humanity has reshaped the domestic dog into the most physically diverse mammalian species on earth to create over 1,200 distinct dog breeds.

"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.

“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.

"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.”

Reference

O’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

Daxocox gains UK perioperative licence for canine surgery

Arlo Guthrie — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 07:00:00 GMT

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.

Daxocox is a COX2 selective NSAID administered orally, with a dosing interval of seven days.

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.

Colin Capner, Animalcare Senior Technical Vet, said: "Administering analgesia ahead of surgery can be an important part of perioperative planning.

"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.

"That continuity of analgesia can also provide reassurance beyond discharge, supporting a smoother transition from practice to home.

"For veterinary teams, knowing analgesic cover remains in place may help provide additional confidence when patients leave the clinic.

"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."

Full prescribing information is available in the GB/NI Summary of Product Characteristics.

www.animalcare.co.uk

Supreme launches rabbit and guinea pig feeding guide developed with Molly Varga

Arlo Guthrie — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 07:00:00 GMT

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.

The web-based Selective Nutrition Guide was developed in partnership with specialist veterinary expert Molly Varga from The Exotics Animals Vets (pictured).

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 dental problems or digestive issues.

Claire Hamblion-Jennings, Supreme Marketing Director, said: "Rabbits and guinea pigs are intelligent, social, and deeply rewarding companions, and we know that most pet owners want to do the right thing."

"But our research has shown that what's been missing until now is definitive, actionable feeding guidelines.

"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's hand."

https://app.supremepetfoods.com

Free webinar on faecal testing for companion animal parasite control

Arlo Guthrie — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 07:00:00 GMT

Veterinary professionals and SQPs are being invited to a free CPD webinar hosted by Micron Agritech on 25 June 2026 at 7:00pm (BST), where Dr Ian Wright will discuss the role of faecal testing in cat and dog worm control.

The webinar, titled "Not Just a Gut Feeling: The Role of Faecal Testing in Cat and Dog Worm Control", will provide practical insights into how routine faecal testing can support more targeted, evidence-based parasite control strategies.

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&A session with Dr Wright.

The webinar will be introduced by Madeleine Bucki BVMedSci BVM BVS MRCVS, who will also provide an overview of Micron Agritech's diagnostic technology, including the launch of the company's new +Pet testing system.

The source text also states that all attendees can enter a prize draw to win a ticket to the London Vet Show 2026.

Registration is free and all attendees can enter a prize draw to win a ticket to the London Vet Show 2026.

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/6817815210276/WN_myTFq4nHST6mBdvOPOQ5-w