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VMD shares details of equine stakeholder workshop
A follow up meeting will be convened by the VMD to discuss the next steps to forming a pan-industry equine working group.
The workshop considered equine anthelmintic resistance. 

The VMD has shared details from its online Equine Anthelmintic Resistance Stakeholder Workshop, describing a “consensus and enthusiasm” amongst stakeholders for involvement in initiatives.

In the workshop, which took place on 11 November 2021, 45 external stakeholders were given the opportunity to share their views and expertise on the core problems associated with anthelmintic resistance in equine parasites. 

After a series of brief presentations from people with expertise on the subject, both internal and external, delegates were split into small groups for discussion. 

In the released summary notes of the workshop, the VMD said: “There was consensus and enthusiasm amongst delegates to adopt a pro-active joined up approach to address the problems associated with anthelmintic resistance in the equine sector.”

Agreement was formed in discussions on the key principles that underpin best practice for sustainable control of equine parasites, and the necessity of a coordinated approach with a pan-industry equine anthelmintic resistance working group was acknowledged, in order to provide a single source of truth to develop best practice guidelines. 

Stakeholders also explored the benefits of introducing standardisation of faecal egg count (FEC) techniques, as well as the importance of better utilisation of existing data and diagnostic tools. 

As acknowledged in the summary notes, the VMD has agreed to assimilate these key themes for further exploration. 

A follow up Equine Anthelmintic Resistance Stakeholder Meeting will be convened by the VMD to discuss the formation of a pan-industry equine working group, and anyone interested in attending the meeting and being involved in the process should email anthelmintic.resistance@vmd.gov.uk 

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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.