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UK vets can now use the title 'Dr'
vet neutering
Of those to respond, 81 per cent said they were in favour of using the Dr title.
Move approved after overwhelming support from the profession

As of today, vets in the UK will be able to use the courtesy title "Dr" if they wish. The move brings UK vets into line with international colleagues.

Most international veterinary surgeons already use this title and in the UK, veterinary surgeons are the only profession of the three main clinical degrees (medical, dentistry and veterinary medicine) who do not use it.

In Australia and New Zealand, the title is linked with registration and professional standing.

Aligning the UK with international practice hopes to provide vets with greater clarity, whilst reassuring clients and the pet-owning public that registered vets have veterinary degrees of a suitable standard.

The issue has received much support among members of the profession. A consultation launched officially on January 6, 2015 received 11,202 responses to a consultation on the issue - the majority of which came via the online survey. This is largest ever number of responses to an RCVS consultation.

Of those to respond, the majority (81 per cent) said they were in favour of using the Dr title, while 13 per cent were against it and 6 per cent did not mind either way.

The move was approved by the RCVS Council at a meeting yesterday (March 5).

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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. 

Click here for more...
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.