CVS has co-presented a Vet Ed workshop with the University of Bristol to explore the teaching of contextualised care during student placements in practice.

Senior educators came from both UK and international veterinary and nursing schools to discuss and agree approaches to teaching contextualised care in first opinion practice for the first time. 

The workshop aimed to give delegates an understanding of what contextualised care is and why it is important.

It also covered the types of clinical training settings that are conducive to supporting contextualised care learning.

Delegates then discussed the challenges associated with contextualised care learning in community-based clinical training settings.

They included: perceived conflicts between educational and commercial interests, a lack of previous formal teaching of contextualised care (during education), and the absence of established culture (and experience) of undergraduate teaching in clinical practice.

Workshop co-presenter and CVS’ Equine Development Lead Charlotte Sinclair, said: “Most veterinary graduates will enter primary care practice upon graduation and we know the majority of new graduates and employers agree that graduates are not prepared to practice contextualised care. The consequences of not being prepared include a tension between presumed ‘gold standard’ and the realities of practice, stress and moral distress.

“We hope that our landmark workshop will go some way towards helping trainers to support graduates in developing authentic communication skills, building client rapport, creating shared decision making, and being outcome focused. As true contextualised care relies on all of these skills.”

Vet Dynamics, the business consultancy for independent practices set up by Alan and Vicky Robinson, has raised a staggering £40,712 for Vetlife at its annual conference.

The money, which was raised from the annual raffle and auction was nearly 50% more than last year's total, which was an already impressive £27,800.

When the total was announced, former Vetlife President and auctioneer for the evening, Graham Dick was visibly moved and rendered temporarily speechless.

Once he's had a chance to recompose himself, he said “Your continued selection of Vetlife as the nominated charity for your now legendary fundraising at your annual conference not only raises much needed funds to enable it to continue to fulfil its mission, but also provides an excellent opportunity to re-enforce its contribution to the wellbeing of so many fellow veterinary professionals.” \

“This amazing sum raised could not have been possible without the provision by so many of such a wide range of raffle prizes and high value lots for auction and the generosity of those who bid unstintingly for them.

"On behalf of those in our veterinary community  for whom such generosity may have made a substantial difference Vetlife is extremely grateful.”

Vet Dynamics Director Vicky Robinson said: “Both Graham and I were virtually speechless to see the amazing generosity from our delegates and exhibitors and, of course, the kindness of the donors.

"It's such a pleasure to be able to contribute to a charity who work tirelessly to help our wonderful profession.”

Photo: Vicky Robinson and Graham Dick

The eminent equine vet, Dr Sue Dyson FRCVS, has been struck off for a series of dishonest statements and actions, including fabricating a letter from a fictitious Home Office Inspector, in order to have her research project published in an international publication.

The Disciplinary Committee heard that in 2018, when Dr Dyson was employed as Head of Clinical Orthopaedics at the Animal Health Trust (AHT), she completed a research project: ‘Influence of rider: horse body weight ratios on equine welfare and performance – a pilot study’, for which she had previously been given the go-ahead by the AHT’s Clinical Research Ethics Committee. The results of the study were then submitted to the Journal of Veterinary Behaviour: Clinical Applications and Research for publication.

After peer-reviewing the project paper at the request of Journal Editor Karen Overall, Dr Matthew Parker, a Senior Lecturer in Behavioural Pharmacology at the University of Portsmouth, was concerned by the lack of a Home Office licence and asked for details of the licence or an explanation of why the project didn’t need one, and for the paper to be re-submitted.

In reply, Dr Dyson then emailed Ms Overall saying: “We have a former Home Office Inspector on our AHT Ethical Committee and two current licence holders (Named Veterinary Surgeons) who are fully conversant with the current legislation ... I also sought informal advice from a current Inspector. All were fully aware of the protocols to be employed and gave me assurance that in their opinion Home Office approval would not be required”.

Ms Overall then asked Dr Dyson to obtain a letter from the Home Office to support this position.

On 24 December 2018, Dr Dyson sent Ms Overall a letter purportedly from a Home Office Inspector called Dr Butler who, she explained, had advised her during the planning phase of the project. In the letter, the fictitious Dr Butler confirmed that their advice was sought for the project and that in their opinion, a Home Office Licence was not required.

Ms Overall then sent the letter to Dr Parker for further review, who decided to contact Dr Martin Whiting, Head of Operations at the Home Office Animals in Science Regulation Unit (ASRU) to ask if he knew of Dr Butler.

Dr Whiting confirmed that the Home Office had no record of employing a Dr Butler as an Inspector and that they were in the process of making further inquiries into the matter.

After Dr Whiting’s reply was forwarded to Dr Dyson, she replied to him saying that she thought the studies’ procedures did not meet the criteria for the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA), but that this was questioned by peer reviewers.

She said that her decision to send Dr Butler’s letter was one that she would ‘eternally regret’ and that she was ‘an inherently honest person’.

She explained that she was under a huge amount of pressure in her personal and professional life and that she was ‘fully aware that [she] acted completely inappropriately and she requested the incident be overlooked’.

In March 2019, Dr Dyson sent a letter to William Reynolds, Head of the Home Office ASRU, in which she expressed remorse for writing the letter. Mr Reynolds subsequently raised a concern with the RCVS about Dr Dyson’s alleged behaviour. 

Dr Jane Downes, who chaired the Disciplinary Committee, and spoke on its behalf, said: “The Committee heard from Dr Dyson that she had no recollection of several events detailed in the charge, including writing the letter from Dr Butler and sending the email to Ms Overall which contained Dr Butler’s letter. She accepted that the letter was dishonest and that it should not have been sent. However, she also claimed that, as she could not remember writing the letter, she did not act dishonestly.

The Committee heard testimonials from several witnesses who held Dr Dyson in high regard, including colleagues from the AHT, who attested to her integrity.

However, there were many dubious claims made by Dr Dyson throughout the hearing, including that the Home Office Inspector that she referenced as ‘my friendly inspector’ was someone who could have given informed consent to a project as Dr Dyson confirmed that she had met the individual briefly, around two and a half years ago at a drinks reception.

In reaching its decisions, the Committee considered Dr Dyson’s previously impeccable character, the written and verbal testimonies from witnesses. They also considered that during the hearing, Dr Dyson explained that at the time she fabricated the letter, she was under a lot of work and personal pressures, including managing a workload amidst colleagues’ resigning or going on maternity leave and it being the anniversary of her dog having to be humanely destroyed.

However, it did not accept Dr Dyson’s claims that she had amnesia at this time, and considered that she had not owned up to her wrongdoing until it was discovered. Although Dr Dyson maintained her actions were not pre-meditated, the Committee considered that, in the case of the forged letter, a certain amount of planning and careful thought was involved. The Committee believed that Dr Dyson knew what she was doing at the time, but acknowledged she may subsequently have blanked out what she did.

The Committee found all but one of the allegations proved and confirmed that it “was satisfied that the writing and sending of that letter was the culmination of a course of dishonest conduct.”

Committee Chair Dr Downes said: “In assessing [the evidence of] Dr Dyson the Committee took into account the difficulty faced by any Respondent appearing before their Regulator and also the various interruptions occasioned by issues which had to be dealt with during her evidence. Whilst [Dr Dyson is] undoubtedly highly qualified and highly respected, the Committee nevertheless considered her evidence lacked credibility and was not reliable.”

The Committee found that Dr Dyson’s conduct had breached parts of the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct for Veterinary Surgeons and amounted to serious professional misconduct.

Dr Downes continued: “The Committee determined that it was important that a clear message be sent that this sort of behaviour is wholly inappropriate and [was] not to be tolerated. It brings discredit upon Dr Dyson and discredit upon the profession.

"For whatever reason, Dr Dyson chose not to respond to Ms Overall’s email on 30th November 2018 in an honest and straightforward way. Instead, she lied about the makeup of the AHT Ethical Committee in order to cloak her response with authority.

"She also lied about having received advice from a current Inspector for the same reason. In the Committee’s view, she made a conscious decision to provide a dishonest response. She no doubt believed that would be the end of the matter.

"When that did not work, she lied further in the email to her co-author, Andrew Hemmings, claiming to have a letter from her friendly Inspector. When that too did not work, she impersonated a Home Office Inspector in creating the ‘Dr Butler letter’.

"She then added a false declaration to the manuscript, which she subsequently submitted to the Journal along with an email containing yet further lies. That was all done in a blatant and wilful attempt to deceive Ms Overall ... into believing the contents of the correspondence to be true, that confirmation a Home Office Licence was not required had been obtained and all was therefore well with the submitted manuscript.

"There was no rush, or urgency to have the paper published and the actions were not done in a moment of panic. No doubt she had not planned the entire course of events in advance, but instead reacted to each new obstacle that came her way, but her overall course of dishonest conduct spanned over three weeks.

“The Committee was well aware of the impact and ramifications for Dr Dyson of any decision to remove her from the Register but had to weigh her interests with those of the public.

"In doing so it took account of the context and circumstances of the case, all matters of personal mitigation, as detailed above, Dr Dyson’s undoubted distinguished international career and reputation and the need to act proportionally.

"However, for all the reasons given above, the Committee was of the view that the need to uphold proper standards of conduct within the veterinary profession, together with the public interest in maintaining confidence in the profession of veterinary surgeons, meant that a period of suspension would not be sufficient and that the only appropriate and proportionate sanction in all the circumstances of this case was that of removal from the Register."

Melvyn Driver, the founder of MDC Exports who dedicated his life to the design and production of humane animal handling equipment, has died of natural causes aged 80.

Melvyn was instrumental in shaping the success of the Trap, Neuter, Return, method of controlling feral cat populations. After meeting 60's supermodel Celia Hammond, scientist Dr. Jenny Remfry, and Peter Neville, a research biologist for UFAW, acted on their requests for better and more humane traps and engineered his first trap - the Eziset.

Melvyn went on to develop a dog grasper and a wide range of other handling products widely used in veterinary practice. He then developed the Mikki Muzzle, on the back of which he launched Mikki Pet Products, adding a range of grooming products. 

In 1998, Melvyn sold Mikki to focus on his real passion – developing high welfare animal handling equipment and products sold via MDC Exports.

Ian MacFarlaine RVN said: "His impact on the veterinary world is only eclipsed by how much of a contribution he's made to animal charities globally, not just in inventing stuff, but then discounting it readily (through good and bad economic times) and then if that wasn't enough, giving thousands of pounds worth of it away at the ICAWC conference every year.

"If you were privileged enough to know him well, then you'll miss the kindness, the mischievous humour and the occasional bad taste joke. But I can guarantee that a little bit of Melvyn is there in each and every one of your practices in the form of one piece of equipment or other."

The Moores Orthopaedic Clinic has got approval from the RCVS Ethics Review Panel to offer Biomedtrix third-generation TATE elbow replacement surgery for dogs with severe osteoarthritis as part of a clinical evaluation trial for the implant.

The original TATE elbow replacement was first in clinical use in the 2010s and the revised 3rd generation version is apparently a much-improved implant, something which the clinical evaluation trial should demonstrate.

Andy Moores, head of the joint replacement programme at The Moores Orthopaedic Clinic, said: “Canine elbow replacement can be a game-changer for dogs living with chronic elbow pain but up until this point the elbow replacement systems have not been as reliable as we would like.

"The third-generation TATE implant has been in use with a small number of US surgeons for several years now and the results so far have been very promising.

"We are delighted that Biomedtrix have invited us to join the evaluation trial for this implant and that the RCVS Ethics Review Panel have approved this.

"We look forward to offering this surgery as an option for some of our most painful canine patients.”

www.mooresortho.com

Endell Equine Hospital in Salisbury has launched a new equine internal medicine service led by Sonia Gonzalez-Medina, a board-certified American Specialist in Large Animal Internal Medicine, for the diagnosis, treatment and management of complex equine medical conditions.

A graduate of the University of Córdoba, Spain, Sonya trained and worked across Europe and the United States, including at the Animal Health Trust, The Royal Veterinary College, Colorado State University and Nottingham University.

Her clinical interests span neurology, ophthalmology, muscular disorders, and infectious diseases, and she is widely recognised for her contributions to equine research.

She continues to contribute to ongoing studies in exercise biomarkers, toxicology, and infectious disease management, and regularly presents her findings at national and international veterinary conferences. 

Andrew Jones, Clinical Director and Specialist Surgeon at CVS Endell Equine Hospital said: “Internal medicine specialists such as Dr. Gonzalez-Medina, with her comprehensive expertise spanning multiple body systems, will be instrumental in enhancing Endell’s existing services."

The new service will cover a broad spectrum of equine medical conditions, including:

• Respiratory disorders such as asthma, sinusitis, and pleuropneumonia;
• Weight-loss investigations with full dietary, parasitological, and gastrointestinal assessments;
• Neurological evaluations for conditions like head-shaking, wobblers, and trauma;
• Ophthalmology care, including advanced diagnostics, intensive care for complicated corneal ulcers, uveitis and immune-mediated corneal disease management;
• Muscle disease diagnostics, including genetic testing and biopsies;
• Dermatology services for chronic skin conditions and allergies including intradermal skin testing;
• Liver and kidney disease assessments with advanced imaging and biopsy capabilities;
• Endocrinology consults for metabolic syndrome and PPID;
• Poor performance evaluations, integrating internal medicine with sports medicine;
• Outbreak management for infectious diseases such as strangles and EHV;
• Critical care for foals, colic cases, trauma, and toxicities;
• Recurrent colic investigations with full gastrointestinal workups; and,
• Cardiac diagnostics, including resting and exercising ECG and echocardiography[i].

Andrew added: “Our area has lacked this type of service for patients in the past, meaning horses can now access advanced internal medicine care without traveling great distances.”

The Equine Internal Medicine Service is now accepting referrals and direct cases.

https://www.endellequinehospital.co.uk.

The Veterinary Edge has joined forces with wound management guru Georgie Hollis, to host a two-day CPD on wound management for veterinary nurses in Derby on 18th and 19th May.

The Veterinary Wound Management Conference will be taking place at the Derby County Football Club, where there'll be workshops, demonstrations and discussions on a range of topics, from burns to post-operative care, covering dressing selection and suture techniques, complications and innovations.

There will be practical sessions on bandaging and casting and delegates will be able to choose from up to seven workshops/demonstrations at a time, on subjects ranging from eye care to maggot therapy and laser treatment.

There will also be an exhibition by companies and organisations specialising in this field. 

Organisers say the venue, Pride Park Stadium, is easily accessible by road (there’s masses of free parking) and rail (it’s little more than a 10-minute well-signposted walk from the station); and there’s plenty of accommodation very close by in a Travelodge, Premier Inn, Holiday Inn Express or Penta Hotel.

For veterinary nurses, tickets cost £125 (plus VAT) for the two days or £70 (plus VAT) for one day. For vets, it's £165 for the two days or £90 (plus VAT) for one day.

The price includes a hot buffet lunch each day, morning and afternoon tea, delegate handbook and wi-fi.

Each day will provide seven hours of CPD.

To register, go to www.theveterinaryedge.com/wmc.

A new study published in Plos One by the Royal Veterinary College has revealed the most common health disorders of tortoises in the UK¹.

For the study, researchers reviewed the anonymised medical records of 2,040 chelonia on the College's VetCompass database. 

94.26% were recorded as tortoises, 3.63% terrapins and 2.11% turtles.

The most common tortoise species were Hermann’s tortoise, Horsfield’s tortoise and Mediterranean spur-thighed tortoise, while the most common terrapin species were musk turtle and yellow belly slider. 

The study found that the most common disorders in tortoises were beak abnormality (17.68%), overgrown nails (11.91%) and shell abnormality (9.67%), while the most common disorders in terrapins were top and bottom shell abnormalities (13.51%).

The researchers say that most of these disorders are externally visible making them easier to recognise and diagnose, however they also often correspond with inappropriate husbandry and can be related to internal diseases that are harder to identify and diagnose.

The average age of death in the study was found to be 7.32 years, which is below the expected lifespan of most species of tortoise, suggesting that many are dying prematurely.

Dr Jessica May Hornby, exotic veterinary surgeon and lead author of the study, said:

“This research has provided us with a base to start to understand what veterinarians are currently seeing in practice and therefore give an insight into the health of the chelonian population.

"People are no longer only keeping the more common species of pets, such as dogs and cats, so this data is vital to understanding where and how owners and veterinarians need further support and training to ensure these brilliant little guys get the veterinary care they need, especially when many should easily be outliving us!”

Reference

• Hornby JM, Hedley J, Brodbelt DC, Church DB, O’Neill DG (2025) Demography, commonly recorded disorders and mortality in chelonia under UK primary veterinary care: A VetCompass study. PLOS ONE 20(4): e0321038. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0321038 

Photo: www.depositphotos.com

The RCVS Mind Matters Initiative is to host its fifth biennial mental health research symposium to highlight current contributions to veterinary mental health research from around the globe on Friday 10th October from 9am to 5pm at The Eastside Rooms in Birmingham, UK.

The theme for the symposium this year is ‘Advancing veterinary mental health research: learning from the past, considering the present, and looking to the future’.

The day will consist of a variety of oral presentations and poster presentations, and there will be a number of exhibitors, including charitable organisations and wider animal health and welfare organisations.

The College is inviting all those interested in the field of veterinary mental health to attend the day.

RCVS Council member and Chair of the Mind Matters Initiative, Dr Louise Allum, said: “Our symposium presents a fantastic opportunity for knowledge exchange in the veterinary mental health sphere so that, together, we can continue to foster a compassionate environment and build a solid evidence-base for veterinary mental health research to grow and evolve.

“This is an inclusive event open to all with an interest in veterinary mental health including vets, nurses, students, practice managers, academics, healthcare professionals, policy makers, mental health advocates and everyone in between.”

MMI Lead Rapinder Newton added: “We have come a long way in developing our understanding of mental health in veterinary professionals over the past ten years but still have a way to go.

“Only through continued collaboration with mental health researchers, and learning from other allied professions, can we efficiently work towards our shared goal of enhancing mental health and support within the veterinary professions.

“This is why events such as our symposium are so important.

"Veterinary mental health is a small but growing field. Creating environments for open discussion and networking are key to advancing our understanding of where the challenges lie.

"By extension, this also plays an invaluable role in learning how research can be applied in a practical manner to help improve the lives of veterinary professionals which, ultimately, aids in upholding animal health and welfare too.”

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mind-matters-initiative-research-symposium-2025-tickets-1247144485729 

WellVet and Boehringer Ingelheim have partnered to host ‘Spring into Spring', a series of online wellbeing events for veterinary professionals

The series will start on Sunday February 27th when Katie Ford MRCVS, who is also a life coach, will discuss the benefits of 'gratitude practice' in a 'Facebook Live' session starting at 8:00pm.

Thereafter, there will be a further seven 30-minute sessions: 

• 8pm on Thursday 4^th March – Spring flower paper craft – Hannah Perrin (this event will be on Zoom via registration only)
• 8pm on Thursday 11^th March – Leading your team through troubled waters – Christina Youell
• 8pm on Thursday 18^th March – Is perfectionism ideal? – Dr Elinor O’Connor
• 8pm on Thursday 25^th March – Forest bathing. Say what? – Adrian Nelson-Pratt
• 8pm on Thursday 1^st April – Rewiring your brain for pandemic survival – Libby Kemkaran
• 8pm on Thursday 8^th April – Sleep cycles – vicious or virtuous – Dr Claire Gillvray
• 8pm on Thursday 15^th April - Mindset minefield – Paul Horwood

Liz Barton, co-founder of WellVet, said: "We were blown away by the positive response to the Winter Wellbeing series and want to continue to build more tools and content to help people through what has already been a tough start to 2021. Our emphasis is on simple, practical, accessible tips to improve personal and team wellbeing.”

Emma McAnally, territory manager at Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health said: “Spring is the ideal time to hit refresh on your mental and physical wellbeing. So we felt that this series will help to shed the winter blues, re-energise the team and offer an opportunity for the veterinary community to come together and take forward positive wellbeing practices. We’re delighted to support WellVet again in bringing this Spring series to life.”

For further information on the WellVet Winter Wellbeing series and for details on how to join visit www.wellvet.co.uk.

The Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance (EIDS) group at the University of Cambridge has published a study in the Equine Veterinary Journal that reveals a significant rise in the proportion of positive faecal worm egg counts (FWECs) among UK horses over a 17-year period (2007–2023).

"Reasons to be fearful? Rising proportions of positive faecal worm egg counts among UK horses (2007–2023)¹" which was conducted in collaboration with Animal Health Vision International, the University of Liverpool and jDATA Pty (Ltd), analysed quarterly surveillance data summaries of FWEC test results that were submitted to the Equine Quarterly Disease Surveillance report (EQDSR) by 36 UK laboratories.

Of these, 18 laboratories provided additional details through a survey on the testing methods adopted.

The researchers say there was considerable variation between laboratories in both the FWEC test methods used and the FWEC positivity thresholds applied to designate a test result as positive for either surveillance reporting or for treatment purposes.

However, the analysis revealed an increase in the proportion of positive FWECs over time, even after accounting for the time of year that testing was conducted, the FWEC positivity threshold used for reporting a sample as positive and the laboratory undertaking the testing.

Researchers say these findings raise questions about targeted treatment strategies, where anthelmintics are administered if FWECs exceed a certain threshold.

If this threshold remains low, the increasing proportion of positive FWECs that were identified would lead to increased use of wormers, potentially accelerating the development of anthelmintic resistance.

This highlights the need to better understand the factors driving rising FWEC positivity rates and if they are a cause for concern.

For example, is this trend leading to increased numbers of horses exceeding the treatment threshold and therefore being recommended for treatment?

The study authors say that the continuation of coordinated efforts to enhance parasite control strategies across the UK equine industry is essential.

The recently available guidelines from the British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) and CANTER provide essential resources for vets, pharmacists and RAMAs/SQPs who prescribe equine anthelmintics to optimise parasite control^2,3. 

References

1. Whitlock F, van Dijk J, Hodgkinson JE, Grewar JD, Newton JR. Reasons to be fearful? Rising proportions of positive faecal worm egg counts among UK horses (2007–2023). Equine Vet J. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.14478
2. British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) protectMEtoo Anthelmintic toolkit https://www.beva.org.uk/Resources/Medicines/Anthelmintic-Toolkit 
3. The CANTER Guidelines for sustainable equine parasite control https://canterforhorses.org.uk/guidelines/ 

Pennard Vets has won the Employee Ownership Association's (EOA) Rising Star award, which recognises the success of an organisation within three years of employee ownership

The judges praised the practice group for leveraging employee ownership (EO) to drive growth and staff satisfaction, protect independence, and champion EO in the veterinary sector.

Pennard Vets, which has eight practices in Kent, says its driving ambition when it took the decision to transfer the business into an employee ownership trust and make its 150-strong team business owners, was to protect its independence and core values.

Pennard Vets has also been eager to spread the word about employee ownership to other veterinary practices.

Matthew Flann, a director from Pennard Vets, said: “Winning this award is a huge coup for our entire industry, who have been searching for ways to secure the future of their independent practices.

"Set against a backdrop of increasing corporatisation of UK veterinary practices, we chose to protect our heritage by becoming an EOT.

“It hasn't been easy, but it has been massively rewarding and our team have passionately bought into their new status as owners, and the results can be seen throughout the practice – from team-led initiatives to the impact on the range of procedures we can now offer to our patients.

"It’s genuinely been transformational and since 2021 we’ve doubled turnover and grown our team by 30%.

"We’ve also welcomed Abbotsley Veterinary Group and Priory Lodge into the group with the two local Kent practices citing our EOT status as a motivating factor for their moves.

“Crucially our EOT structure provided the launchpad to becoming the first veterinary practice in Europe to achieve B-Corp status in 2022, which we see as another step towards becoming the very best practice possible, using input and ideas from our team to provide a better service, give back to our community and protect the environment.

“We’re also determined to make the journey less arduous for other veterinary practices to follow our lead and we regularly hear from practice owners who are exploring becoming EO.

"We’ve established the British Veterinary Employee Owned Association to help guide other practices through the journey of becoming an EOT by networking, attending events and presenting webinars.

"This year we have supported thriving practices to become EO in all parts of the UK, including Arrowfield Vets in Herefordshire, Animal Tails Veterinary Practice in Stirling, Shetland Vets and Cornerstone Veterinary Clinic in Belfast.

“We believe intrinsically in the value of supporting and promoting our team as the best way to grow our business and provide the best possible service to our clients and patients, and that same approach will pay dividends for other veterinary practices. Because of this we fully intend to continue to campaign for the benefits of EO.”

James de le Vingne, CEO of the EOA, said: “Congratulation to Pennard Vets on winning this award.

"The awards recognise businesses and individuals that are delivering great employee ownership. Collectively, great employee owned businesses deliver significant uplift in productivity and performance, outperforming their non-EO counterparts across multiple impacts for employees, society, the environment and the economy.”

Hill’s Pet Nutrition has published 2025 World of the Cat Report, a fascinating look at feline trends and changes going on in the feline veterinary community.

The report was put together by Hill’s new Cat Advisory Team (C.A.T.), a group of leaders from across the feline veterinary world, including private practice, academia and industry.

The report looks at cat demographics, population statistics, most common medical conditions, pet food advances, and the effect of cost on veterinary care and nutrition. 

It also considers the fact that apparently, 60% of cats don't receive annual veterinary care, often due to clinic visit stress, noting that practices designated as 'Cat Friendly' report improved client satisfaction and an 81% increase in revenue. 

It's a really interesting report, only slightly let down by the way it refers to cat owners by that awful finger-down-the-throat term: 'pet parents'.

https://na.hillsvna.com/en_US/resources-2/view/244