BSAVA Companion - 2025, 3, March

A PDF of the full March Companion

Congress+EXPO 25 – the Congress reinvented experience; New JSAP Editor appointed; The BSAVA PetSavers grant call is now open!

The Personal Development sessions at this year’s Congress and EXPO are designed to deliver a transformative experience, taking a deep dive into topics such as civility in practice, career progression for vets and vet nurses, how to manage your time and energy, and how to master difficult conversations.

BSAVA PetSavers, and its previous manifestation the Clinical Studies Trust Fund, is celebrating 50 years of providing funding for veterinary clinical research across a wide range of topics, including dermatological conditions.

  Qualifying as a vet in 1973, Nigel Hicks embarked on a career in mixed first-opinion practice establishing and running his own practice in Devon for 24 years. In 2009 when, as he puts it, he was ‘ready to slip quietly into retirement and an easier life’, the opportunity arose to re-invent and embark on a new career as a wildlife veterinarian.

 Frederik Volz is the recipient of the BSAVA Melton Award 2025 in recognition of his research article ‘Effect of intra-articular platelet-rich plasma or hyaluronic acid on limb function recovery in dogs with TPL for cranial cruciate ligament rupture: a randomized controlled trial’, which was published in the Journal of Small Animal Practice (JSAP). He is a resident of the European College of Veterinary Surgery (Small Animal) at the newly merged Small Animal Clinic at LMU Munich.

  March is Endometriosis Awareness Month and is the perfect opportunity to raise awareness of this long-term, chronic pain condition which affects one in ten women and those assigned female at birth – a similar number to those affected by diabetes.1 Despite this, it is a condition that most people have never heard of and those affected by it often suffer in silence. BSAVA Scientific Editor Lizzie Croose takes a closer look at the evidence.

It’s that uplifting time of year when the BSAVA awards are presented as a celebration of excellence and dedication, recognizing sustained contributions to the veterinary profession across a wide range of areas. BSAVA Honorary Secretary, Adam Gow, said: “We had many outstanding nominations this year, and the awards have gone to some exceptional individuals. Huge congratulations to all our well-deserved winners and we look forward to presenting and celebrating the awards at Congress and EXPO in March, at Manchester Central (20–22 March).”

BSAVA collaborates with its affiliate groups to offer even more CPD to those with special interests. Many of these courses take place on the Wednesday before the start of the full Congress and EXPO programme. For full details and registration of affiliate courses, please contact the organization directly.

 Maggie Roberts, the former Director of Veterinary Services with Cats Protection, explained to John Bonner how she is looking to support those charities devoted to the welfare and conservation of animals.

Article abstracts from the latest issue of JSAP.

A calendar of forthcoming online and in-person events.