Your data on MRCVSonline
The nature of the services provided by Vision Media means that we might obtain certain information about you.
Please read our Data Protection and Privacy Policy for details.

In addition, (with your consent) some parts of our website may store a 'cookie' in your browser for the purposes of
functionality or performance monitoring.
Click here to manage your settings.
Return to BSAVA Home page
Search Our Jobs
MRCVSonline on Twitter

BSAVA Congress News Archive
Senior politicians back 'A Dog's Life' manifesto
29th February 2016
A group of senior politicians in Scotland joined the Kennel Club on Thursday (25 February) for the launch of the 'A Dog's Life' Manifesto.

Richard Lochhead MSP, Sarah Boyack MSP, Christine Grahame MSP and Sir Jamie McGrigor MSP all spoke at the joint Kennel Club and Scottish Kennel Club event, held in Scottish Parliament.

The Manifesto sets out the Kennel Club and Scottish Kennel Club's vision for legislative changes that may help to protect dogs. Its launch follows the success of the first ever dog-specific manifesto in the lead up to the 2015 UK general election.
Zoo welcomes arrival of critically-endangered monkey
22nd February 2016
Keepers at ZSL London Zoo have welcomed the arrival of a critically endangered baby monkey.

The three-week-old Sulawesi crested macaque was born to 17-year-old Winoo after a gestation period of 174 days.

Yet to be named, the infant is expected to triple his weight before the end of 2016. He will be nursed by his mother for another six months, before moving on to a diet of leaves, fruit and insects. (Image: ZSL London Zoo)
New home for endangered Sumatran tigers
17th February 2016
A new tiger enclosure costing in the region of half a million pounds is to be developed at RZSS Edinburgh Zoo.

"Tiger Tracks" will house a pair of critically endangered Sumatran tigers and will launch in June 2016. It will be three times the size of the existing Sumatran tiger enclosure, boasting heated rocks, ponds, and a new indoor house.

Experts hope that the pair will eventually go on to have cubs and increase numbers of this extremely rare species.

Image (C) RZSS Edinburgh Zoo
One Live concert line up revealed
16th February 2016
The One Live concert, hosted by Professor Noel Fitzpatrick, will return on Saturday, 4 June this year. The music festival is held in support of the Humanimal Trust and aims to raise awareness of one medicine.

Prof Fitzpatrick says: "I truly believe that ONE MEDICINE is the only rational solution to finding cures for diseases like cancer and the only rational thought process to look after all animals too, both domestic and wild, in our ever shrinking planet. I have committed my entire life and everything I stand for to this goal. The future of our children and the planet they inherit depends on what we do right now."

This year's line up consists of headliners Reef, who will be joined at Loseley Park by The Feeling, Scouting for Girls, Sound of the Sirens and Sunshine Underground. The concert will start at 6.30pm. Tickets are available from Ticketmaster: ticketmaster.co.uk/event/3500504999C64EC2
RCVS recruiting for new Fellowship Board
15th February 2016
The RCVS is looking to recruit experienced veterinary surgeons to take the next stage of its Fellowship forward.

Filling the roles of chair and vice chair, the successful applicants will be responsible for leading the development of the Fellowship.

In addition, the College is also looking to recruit three credentials panel chairs. Successful applicants will be responsible for coordinating panel members in the assessment of applications and will also serve on the Fellowship Board.

For more information about these roles and details on how to apply visit: www.rcvs.org.uk
Glasgow given &pound300K funding for Zika research
11th February 2016
Researchers at the University of Glasgow's MRC Centre for Virus Research have been awarded a £300,000 grant to study the Zika virus alongside a research centre at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Brazil.

Zika has been declared a global emergency by the World Health Organisation. It has spread to more than 20 countries in Central and South America and has been linked with microcephaly (abnormal smallness of the head) in newborns.

The research teams will study the presence and epidemiology of the virus in Brazil and hope to improve understanding of how the immune system responds to infection. Their work will be used to support vaccine development studies.
DNA test approved for dalmatians
10th February 2016
The Kennel Club has approved a new health programme for dalmatians, which supports a DNA test for the SLC2A9 gene associated with hyperuricosuria. The test sample must be taken by a veterinary surgeon or veterinary nurse, who must comply with certain protocols to ensure the test results will be accepted.

To find out more about the requirements, log into VetCommunity.com
Shedding light on laminitis
5th February 2016
A new awareness day has been launched to help find out the frequency of laminitis in Britain, as well as possible prevention methods. Horse owners are being asked to share data about this debilitating condition as part of National CARE Month (10 February).

The CARE study is being carried out at the Animal Health Trust and Royal Veterinary College. To date, it is the largest web-based project of its kind. So far, it has 1,500 members who are asked to submit regular information about their horse or pony's health and management.

A further 1,000 members are needed for the study. Participation is open to all types, ages, sizes and breeds of horse or pony, whether they have had laminitis or not. See www.careaboutlaminitis.org.uk for more information.
'The man behind the image'
3rd February 2016
Irish vet Noel Fitzpatrick is widely recognised and revered for his innovative surgeries, seen by millions on his Channel 4 series, The Supervet.

But an interview session at VPMA/SPVS Congress last week gave fresh insights into the man behind the notoriety and sparked fascinating debates on innovation and ethics in the veterinary profession.

Well known for his world-first surgery attaching two prosthetic feet to a cat, Professor Fitzpatrick's work often divides opinion among the veterinary profession.

During the session, he was interviewed by veterinary surgeon and RVC lecturer in ethics and law, Martin Whiting. As well as generating discussions on wider veterinary issues, the interview also brought some of the professional struggles facing Fitzpatrick, and indeed many vets, to the surface.

To read the full article log in or sign up for free on VetCommunity.com
RSPCA reports huge rise in cruelty and neglect calls about exotics
2nd February 2016
Figures released by the RSPCA show that the number of cruelty and neglect calls recieved about exotic pets has increased by a staggering 50 per cent in just seven years.

In 2015 the charity investigated 2,772 calls received about reptiles, including bearded dragons, corn snakes, royal pythons, terrapins and leopard geckos. The figure is a huge rise from the figure of 1,840 reported in 2008.

Experts believe the issue stems from the sale of exotic pets on the internet as in many cases owners are not advised on how to care for their animals.
HealthforAnimals launch antimicrobial resistance animation
29th January 2016
Following the landmark declaration made at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, global medicines association HealthforAnimals has created an animation acknowledging the current issue of antimicrobial resistance.

The short film advises the promotion of the responsible use of antibiotics in both animal and human health as the greatest way to 'future proof' them for next generations.

A new guide which aims to dispel inaccurate or misleading information can also be found at www.healthforanimals.org.
Hen charity sets new world record
26th January 2016
The British Hen Welfare Trust has set a new world record by rehoming its 500,000th hen.

Affectionately named 'Dee', because 'D' represents 500 in Roman numerals, the hen was taken from a commercial egg farm in the West Midlands and adopted by the Elliot family from Rugby.

Julie Elliott and her daughter Rosie (aged five) remarked that re-homing the charity's 500,000th hen would be a day they would always remember.

Julie commented: "She is beautiful and such a sweet girl, we had completely fallen in love with her long before we even got her home."