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UK vets can now use the title 'Dr'
vet neutering
Of those to respond, 81 per cent said they were in favour of using the Dr title.
Move approved after overwhelming support from the profession

As of today, vets in the UK will be able to use the courtesy title "Dr" if they wish. The move brings UK vets into line with international colleagues.

Most international veterinary surgeons already use this title and in the UK, veterinary surgeons are the only profession of the three main clinical degrees (medical, dentistry and veterinary medicine) who do not use it.

In Australia and New Zealand, the title is linked with registration and professional standing.

Aligning the UK with international practice hopes to provide vets with greater clarity, whilst reassuring clients and the pet-owning public that registered vets have veterinary degrees of a suitable standard.

The issue has received much support among members of the profession. A consultation launched officially on January 6, 2015 received 11,202 responses to a consultation on the issue - the majority of which came via the online survey. This is largest ever number of responses to an RCVS consultation.

Of those to respond, the majority (81 per cent) said they were in favour of using the Dr title, while 13 per cent were against it and 6 per cent did not mind either way.

The move was approved by the RCVS Council at a meeting yesterday (March 5).

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Reporting service for dead wild birds updated

News Story 1
 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has updated its online reporting service for dead wild birds.

The new version allows those reporting a dead bird to drop a pin on a map when reporting the location. It also includes a wider range of wild bird species groups to select from when describing the bird.

The online service, which helps APHA to monitor the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, can be accessed here. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NI chief vet urges bluetongue vigilance

Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue, after the Animal and Plant Health Agency warned there was a very high probability of further cases in Great Britain.

There have been 126 confirmed cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in England since November 2023, with no cases reported in Northern Ireland. The movement of live ruminants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is currently suspended.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the virus is most likely to enter Northern Ireland through infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova) being imported.

Brian Dooher, Northern Ireland's CVO, said: "Surveillance for this disease within Northern Ireland has been increased to assist with detection at the earliest opportunity which will facilitate more effective control measures."

Farmers should report any suspicions of the disease to their private veterinary practitioner, the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or their local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.