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Unneutered pets risk fuelling pregnancy crisis, vets warn
An estimated 2.7 million dogs and one million cats in the UK have not been neutered.
Report finds 70 per cent of kitten litters unplanned

PDSA vets are warning of a ‘pregnancy crisis’ as new figures show millions of cats and dogs across the UK have not been spayed or neutered.

The warning comes on the 24th annual World Spay Day - an event that gives organisations an opportunity to highlight the power of accessible, affordable spay and neuter programmes.

According to the PDSA, an estimated 2.7 million dogs and one million cats in the UK have not been neutered. As well as putting them at risk of unwanted litters, this also puts them at risk of major health problems such as cancer and infectious diseases.

“One unneutered female cat can be responsible for up to 20,000 kittens in just five years. Clearly, with one million unneutered cats in the country, this poses a major animal welfare problem if left unchecked,” said PDSA Senior Vet, Sean Wensley.

“Owners may not be willing or able to care for a litter of kittens, either financially or in terms of time needed to ensure they remain fit and healthy.”

The 2017 PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) Report found that a shocking 70 per cent of kitten litters were unplanned. Many owners believe that cats should have one litter before being neutered. Another common myth is that cats won’t mate with their siblings.

In the last three years, vets and nurses at PDSA’s Pet Hospitals across the UK have successfully neutered more than 72,000 cats, microchipped over 92,000 and given health and wellbeing advice to more than 100,000.

Sean Wensley concluded: “This vital work by our PDSA veterinary teams means that, as these cats age, they’ll be at reduced risk of potentially fatal diseases, won’t have contributed to the problem of stray and unwanted animals and their wellbeing will have been improved thanks to tailored veterinary advice on each of their five welfare needs.”

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.