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Supplementary guidance on veterinary certification
The BVA will be monitoring developments closely
BVA responds to plans in case of a no-deal Brexit

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has responded following the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons’ (RCVS) announcement that it has prepared time-limited supplementary guidance on export health certification in case of a no-deal Brexit.
 
The RCVS prepared the guidance following an urgent request from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to outline interim measures to ease pressures in case of a no-deal scenario and help to cope with certification demand for substantial volumes of product exports.  The guidance relates to low-risk products of animal origin in single consignments for export to or transit through the EU – including composite products such as pizzas, ready meals and processed milk.
 
Under APHA’s proposed Trusted Suppliers Scheme, an Official Veterinarian (OV) would rely on a ‘support attestation’ to certify low-risk products for export and transit, comprising a supplier declaration made by a representative of the company supplying the products, alongside a declaration by a registered veterinary surgeon (or Certification Support Officer working under direction of an OV) carrying out relevant checks in relation to the supplier.
 
Daniella Dos Santos, BVA president, said: “When the APHA first outlined these proposals we raised concerns about the impacts that they might have, and we are grateful that some changes have been made in response.  As stated, this is a temporary measure that will only come into play in the event of a no-deal scenario; but we will be monitoring developments closely.
 
“Depending on how things play out in Parliament, it will be important to use any extra time to feed into the proposals and ensure that there are further opportunities for engagement across the veterinary community as they take shape.”

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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.