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Views sought on calves with bovine respiratory disease
Researchers are seeking views on bovine respiratory disease in cattle to inform the development of a new quality-of-life tool.
Findings will help researchers develop a new quality-of-life tool.

Researchers at Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) are seeking views from the profession on methods to ensure the quality of life in cattle.

It is hoped that the findings from the survey will inform the development of a new tool to assess the quality of life of calves with bovine respiratory disease (BRD). 

Researchers said the tool will be similar to other health-related quality-of-life tools (HRQoL), used for other species to capture how the disease 'feels' to the animal. This would be a major advancement in detecting disease and would ultimately lead to better treatments, care and outcomes for calves, they added.

SRUC researcher David Bell said: “At this time of year, respiratory disease can be an issue on farms. While there are a number of clinical methods to assess respiratory disease, to be able to fully understand the impact of disease on the animal, a method for measuring quality of life is needed. 

“We are conducting a short survey to gauge how useful and valid specific indicators are in the assessment of quality of life. Participating in this and giving your opinion will help us establish what is useful for assessing the overall well-being of calves with respiratory disease.”

Beef and dairy farmers, calf rearing units, consultants and vets are all invited to take part in the survey. Responses close on 25 January.

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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.

 

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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.