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Guinea pig awareness week postponed
This years' GPAW will take place from 26 - 30 September.

New dates have been announced.

The organisers of Guinea Pig Awareness Week (GPAW) have declared new dates for the campaign, following the announcement that Queen Elizabeth II's funeral will take place on Monday 19 September, when the campaign was originally due to start.

As a mark of respect to the Queen and her family, GPAW has been postponed to the following week, starting Monday 26 September.

Charlotte Varley, communications manager for Burgess Pet Care, who organises GPAW, explained: “Given this time of national sorrow following the death of Her Majesty The Queen, as a show of respect we felt it appropriate to postpone the launch of GPAW until 26 September.

“We’re delighted that some vets’ practices have already downloaded their digital GPAW packs and are getting behind this year’s important campaign. 

“With GPAW less than two weeks away, we’d love to see even more practices helping us to throw the spotlight on these adorable creatures and their specific welfare needs, including their housing, through our national campaign dedicated to improving guinea pigs’ lives.

“GPAW is a fantastic opportunity to educate owners about how they can give their guinea pigs the best possible care, and to highlight the responsibility that comes with ownership.”

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Equine Disease Surveillance report released for Q4 2025

News Story 1
 The latest Equine Disease Surveillance report has been released, with details on equine disease from Q4 of 2025.

The report, produced by Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance, includes advice on rule changes for equine influenza vaccination.

Statistics and maps detail recent outbreaks of equine herpes virus, equine influenza, equine strangles and equine grass sickness. A series of laboratory reports provides data on virology, bacteriology, parasitology and toxicosis.

This issue also features a case study of orthoflavivus-associated neurological disease in a horse in the UK. 

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News Shorts
NSA webinar explores sheep tailing and castration

The National Sheep Association (NSA) is to host a free webinar on the castration and tail docking of lambs.

The webinar, 'Understanding the tailing and castration consultation: A guide for sheep farmers', will be hosted online on Monday, 2 March 2026 at 7.30pm.

It comes during a government consultation into the methods used for these procedures. Farmers are encouraged to engage before the consultation period closes on Monday, 9 March 2026.

The webinar offers clear and actionable guidance to support farmers to contribute meaningfully to the consultation and prepare for potential changes.

On the panel will be former SVS president Kate Hovers, farmer and vet Ann Van Eetvelt and SRUC professor in Animal Health and Veterinary Sciences Cathy Dwyer. Each panel member will utilise their own specialism and expertise to evaluate risks and outcomes to sheep farming.

Find out more about the webinar on the NSA website.