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Results of UK’s first major neutering audit revealed
Neutering in cats produced less abnormalities than in dogs and bitches.
Over 30,000 neutering cases produces benchmark for the veterinary profession

A major audit of the routine neutering of cats and dogs across UK veterinary practices has been completed. Veterinary practices will now be able to measure their performance against the national average.  

VetAUDIT, originally an independent project now under RCVS Knowledge, has revealed the following key data points:

  • over three-quarters of cases presented with no abnormalities
  • between 8.2 per cent and 9.1 per cent of cases required medical treatment or surgical intervention due to abnormalities
  • approximately one in ten cases were deemed abnormal but did not require further treatment
  • the fatality rate of all cases was 0.1 per cent
  • neutering in cats produced less abnormalities than in dogs and bitches
  • spays resulted in more complications than castrates in both cats and dogs.

“Benchmarking is a great way to compare how your practice is performing compared to the national average” explains Bradley Viner, chair of the Quality Improvement Advisory Board at RCVS Knowledge and part of the vetAUDIT team.

However, Viner added the caveat that the data “needs to be the first stage in a quality improvement process… We have to recognise that we work in complex systems that do not always function perfectly. Recognising that we can always do things better and discouraging defensive behaviour are the first steps in driving forward quality of care”.

Practices can read the full results and include their own data in the audit with free-of-charge analysis at https://vetaudit.rcvsk.org

 

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

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News Shorts
RCVS pays tribute to well-loved equine vet

The RCVS and the Riding Establishments Subcommittee has paid tribute to well-loved veterinary surgeon and riding establishment inspector, Rebecca Hamilton-Fletcher MRCVS.

Linda Belton MRCVS, RCVS President, said: "I, along with my colleagues on the RESC, RCVS Council, RCVS Standards Committee, as well as RCVS staff, was very saddened to hear of the sudden death of Rebecca, or Becca as we knew her, last week.

"She was a true advocate for equine welfare and in her many years on the RESC worked to continually improve the quality and consistency of riding establishment inspections, all in the interests of enhanced horse welfare and rider safety."