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Pet vaccinations fall by 18 per cent
“It’s very worrying for vets and vet nurses to see a consistent decline in the number of pets receiving their primary vaccinations."

PAW report raises concerns about anti-vax movement

The number of UK pets receiving primary vaccinations has fallen by 18 per cent in just three years, according to new figures.

Findings from the 2019 PDSA Animal Wellbeing (PAW) report have fuelled concerns that the ‘anti-vax’ movement in humans may also be affecting pets.

Primary vaccinations for dogs, cats and rabbits fell dramatically from 84 per cent in 2016, to 66 per cent in 2019, potentially leaving millions of pets at risk from deadly diseases.

Furthermore, a third of pets (32 per cent) are not receiving regular booster vaccinations.

Pet owners who did not vaccinate their pets said they chose not to because they felt it was ‘too expensive’ (17 per cent), their pet does not come into contact with other animals (17 per cent), vaccination is ‘unnecessary’ (16 per cent) or their pet ‘finds going to the vet very stressful’ (13 per cent).

PDSA senior vet Sean Wensley said: “It’s very worrying for vets and vet nurses to see a consistent decline in the number of pets receiving their primary vaccinations, as well as a third (32%) not receiving regular boosters. A resulting loss of herd immunity could see a resurgence in preventable diseases that can cause considerable suffering and death.”

Other key findings:

  • 1.9 million dogs (19 per cent) are left alone for five or more hours a day
  • 1.3 million dogs (13 er cent) are not walked everyday
  • 31 per cent of dog owners and 56 per cent of cat owners are not aware of their pet’s weight or body condition score
  • 43 per cent of cats live in a multi-cat household and 67 per cent of owners do not provide enough litter trays
  • 25 per cent of rabbits live in small hutches
  • 26 per cent of rabbit owners fail to feed hay as part of the main diet, while 21 per cent feed inappropriate muesli-style diets
  • Half of rabbits live alone (49 per cent).

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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. 

Click here for more...
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.