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Vets call for extension of XL bully neutering deadlines
Defra is recommending that owners neuter XL bully dogs as soon as possible.
BVA writes to Government outlining concerns about rules.

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has called on the Government to extend the deadlines for neutering XL bully dogs.

In a letter to the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), BVA states that the move would help ‘to ease the likely pressure on the veterinary profession’, following concerns about whether the sector will have the capacity to deal with the impact of the ban.

Under the current rules, XL bully dogs younger than one year old on 31 January 2024 must be neutered by 31 December 2024 and those older than one year on 31 January 2024 must be neutered by 30 June 2024.

In the letter, BVA warns that these rules would lead to some dogs being neutered before they reach the recommended age of 18 months. As there are health and welfare concerns about large breeds being neutered early, BVA has called for the deadline for dogs under seven months old on 31 January 2024 to be extended until the end of June 2025.

The letter also asks the Government to adjust the neutering confirmation form to remove the requirement for veterinary surgeons to confirm that prior neutering has happened based on veterinary records. BVA states that it is already aware of one veterinary organisation that has advised its staff not to sign the form in this situation.

Instead, BVA asks that the wording is changed so that veterinary surgeons only have to confirm that a dog has previously been neutered ‘to the best of their knowledge’.

Concerns about a lack of adequate information to help owners identify whether or not their dog is an XL bully and the movement of dogs to Scotland and Northern Ireland to avoid the ban were also raised in the letter.

BVA has requested a meeting with the chief veterinary officer to discuss the issues further.

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BEVA gives RVNs right to vote

News Story 1
 The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) is to allow its registered veterinary nurse (RVN) members the right to vote.

RVN members will now be able to take part in key decision-making processes and stand for BEVA council.

Marie Rippingale, chair of BEVA's Nurse Committee, said: "I am very proud to be a part of BEVA.

"This change will help to empower nurses to speak up and contribute, but more importantly, it will give them an opportunity to collaborate with other members of the equine veterinary profession to bring about change that is positive for all." 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
Farmer survey to reveal on-farm impact of bluetongue

A nationwide survey has been launched to better understand how the bluetongue virus is affecting UK farms.

Results will inform the support that farmers receive for bluetongue, as well as preparing the livestock industry for the future.

The short online survey is open to all livestock farmers, regardless of whether they've had a confirmed case of bluetongue on their farm. It asks how many animals have been affected, the severity of their clinical signs and how it has impacted farm business.

The survey takes five minutes to complete and is fully anonymous.

It is led by Fiona Lovatt, of Flock Health Limited, and the Ruminant Health & Welfare bluetongue working group, in collaboration with AHDB and the University of Nottingham.

Dr Lovatt says: "We need to find out what level of clinical signs farmers are seeing in their animals, whether they are experiencing mortality with BTV-3 cases, and what their appetite is to vaccinate in future for bluetongue serotype 3."

The survey can be found here.