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FECAVA AND ESCCAP unite to tackle vector-borne diseases
A dog with leishmaniasis.

Organisations working to better inform companion animal vets

Two leading companion animal organisations are set to collaborate in the fight against vector-borne diseases in cats and dogs.

The Federation of Companion Animal Veterinary Associations (FECAVA) and the European Scientific Counsel for Companion Animal Parasites (ESCCAP) will meet at the WSAVA/FECAVA Congress in September.

The organisations will convene at the second meeting of the FECAVA working group on canine vector-borne diseases (CVBD). The group is working to better inform companion animal vets about emerging infectious diseases, such as heart worm, babesiosis and leishmaniasis.

Tools currently under development for veterinary practitioners by the group include algorithms, tables and travel advice for clients.

“Most companion animal veterinarians are insufficiently informed about these emerging diseases, and FECAVA has great potential to spread information on the distribution, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of these diseases to practitioners in all parts of Europe,” commented Nenad Milojkovic, chair of the FECAVA working group on canine vector-borne diseases.

Ian Wright, ESCCAP’s guidelines director, added: “It is vital that veterinary professionals have easy access to the latest detained consistent advice from experts to help them make informed treatment decisions.”

Researchers hope that the tools under development will help raise awareness of vector-borne diseases and assist in the clinical approach in endemic areas.

FECAVA and ESCCAP will also co-author a paper on drug resistance which, according to Ian Wright, is "one of the defining issues in livestock, equine and human parasite control.” 

“While resistance has been much slower to emerge in parasites of cats and dog, there are huge data gaps in our knowledge as to how widespread it might be currently, and how likely it might be to develop in the future,” he said.

Image (C) © Filipe Dantas-Torres / Wikimedia

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Applications open for MMI research grants

News Story 1
 RCVS' Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has launched round two of its veterinary mental health research grants.

Researchers have until 11.59pm on Wednesday, 28 May 2025 to apply for a grant for research which reflects MMI's 2025 focus areas.

Only one Impact Grant was awarded last year, and so this year there are two Discovery Grants and one Impact Grants available. Each Discovery Grant is worth £5,000 and the Impact Grant is worth £15,000.

For more information or to apply, email researchgrants@rcvs.org.uk to contact the MMI team.

 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
BBC Radio 4 documentary addresses corporate fees

BBC Radio 4's File on 4 Investigates has released a documentary exploring how corporate-owned veterinary practices may be inflating bills to increase profit.

Released on 15 April, 'What's Happening To Your Vet Bills?' revealed the policies which many corporate groups have in place to increase their profits. This included targets and upgrades which veterinary teams are tasked with meeting on a regular basis.

It also features Anrich Vets, an independently-owned practice based in Wigan. Following the case of Staffordshire terrier Benjy, who is diagnosed with a tumour, the documentary shares how the team were able to offer contextualised care and advice to make the procedure as affordable as possible for his owners.

The documentary can be heard on demand on BBC iPlayer.