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Equine practice 'must adapt to family life'
equine vet
"Choosing to be an equine vet shouldn't go hand in hand with giving up the rest of your life."
Majority of voters want better work-life balance

Equine practice needs to become more compatible with family life, according to BEVA members who took part in a 'moral maze' debate.

During the recent BEVA Congress, 92 per cent of members said the profession should adapt to offer better work-life balance.

BEVA believes this shift in attitudes could be due in part to the changing demographics of the profession - female vets now account for 76 per cent of new graduate intakes.

New president Mark Bowen said: "I'm not surprised that 92 per cent of voters supported the motion, given the fact that the recent VetFutures survey has shown a high rate of job dissatisfaction in equine practice.

"It reiterates the importance of moving with the times to evaluate the needs of working parents and make the equine veterinary workplace more adaptable to family life."

Delegates contended that by working smarter rather than harder, it is possible to have good work-life balance and be an effective vet in a successful equine practice.

Carolyne Crowe, a veterinary coach and mentor, said: "Choosing to be an equine vet shouldn't go hand in hand with giving up the rest of your life. Allowing flexibility within job roles should result in more engagement, productivity and thus economic benefit for the practice."

Job share was cited as a possible solution. In order to meet the level of consistency demanded by clients, it was suggested two vets of equal calibre could be introduced to the client from the outset.

Members of the audience offered examples of successful job sharing, concluding that the turnover generated by part time, job share employees is often higher than their full time equivalents.

BEVA says it is working on various projects to help address the needs of members seeking a better work-life balance. Further information on other initiatives will be announced towards the end of the year.

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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. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
New guidance for antibiotic use in rabbits

New best practice guidance on the responsible use of antibiotics in rabbits has been published by the BSAVA in collaboration with the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund (RWA&F).

The guidance is free and has been produced to help veterinary practitioners select the most appropriate antibiotic for rabbits. It covers active substance, dose and route of administration all of which are crucial factors when treating rabbits owing to the risk of enterotoxaemia.

For more information and to access the guide, visit the BSAVALibrary.