BSAVA Companion - 2025, 8, August

A PDF of the full August Companion

A calendar of forthcoming online and in-person events.

Thank you Julian and welcome David!; BSAVA PetSavers master’s degree by research applications now open; A new look for JSAP.

BSAVA Policy has produced an updated resource for small animal veterinary professionals, consolidating microchipping advice on dogs, cats, ferrets, and other companion animals into a single, comprehensive document.

PetSavers is the clinical research arm of the BSAVA. We have been funding clinical research into companion animal diseases for 50 years and were the first UK charity set up to focus exclusively on supporting clinical research into pet diseases. Our mission is to give vets and nurses the knowledge they need to counter the distress and pain caused by the diseases and health conditions that affect our pets.

The increasing number of dogs imported from Eastern European countries over recent years has led to Brucella canis becoming a cause for concern for small animal veterinary professionals. As part of BSAVA Policy’s One Health: One Team stream at BSAVA Congress 2025, delegates were given insights from Government and BSAVA into how the risks have been assessed and managed for both animal and human populations.

Veterinary professionals in small animal practice may wish to be aware of new Guidance on Risks and Control Measures in Veterinary Practices for Brucella canis jointly produced by BSAVA Policy in collaboration with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), APHA and the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) Brucella Reference Unit. The guidance has also been reviewed and agreed by Public Health Scotland, Public Health Wales, Defra and the Welsh and Scottish Governments.

  New research has provided further evidence of the environmental risks of dogs swimming after treatment with spot-on parasiticides. Lizzie Croose reports…

As part of BSAVA’s ongoing commitment to the One Health initiative, BSAVA Policy coordinated the ‘One Health: One Team’ stream at Congress 2025, bringing together experts from across human, animal and environmental health sectors. Building on this collaborative theme, the Infection Prevention Society (IPS) similarly recognizes that an interdisciplinary team-based approach is essential to effectively address the complex interactions between human, animal and environmental health that define the One Health concept.

  Pet owners will often face a painful dilemma when their beloved animal is diagnosed with cancer. Should they ask to have the animal euthanased? or seek a referral to a specialist oncology centre for treatment that they may be unable to afford? Vicki Adams of the Animal Cancer Trust (ACT) told John Bonner how she is working to provide veterinary clients with a third option.

Article abstracts from the latest issue of JSAP.

During the summer months bat activity levels peak and veterinary professionals may find themselves presented with injured or unwell bats. With the recent report of a bat detected with European Bat Lyssavirus-1 (EBLV-1) on the Isle of Wight, BSAVA has collated relevant resources as a reminder about the public health risks and the precautions which should be taken when handling bats, particularly with regard to the potential for rabies transmission.