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In pictures: veterinary teaching hospital opens in Suffolk
Centre gets overwhelming support from animal owners

Jimmy Doherty with the Ipswich Veterinary Centre team
Jimmy Doherty shakes hands with practice partner and veterinary surgeon Roger Harvey. Left and centre: partner Martin Barrow and Denise Wright, practice manager.

 
Television presenter and Suffolk-based farmer Jimmy Doherty officially opened the Ipswich Veterinary Centre on Sunday 8th November.

Over 2000 members of the public and their pets, as well as local veterinary practices, turned out for the special open day event which also included a commemoration of animals in war.

Ipswich Veterinary Centre is a purpose-built, modern practice that incorporates training facilities for veterinary nurses, receptionists and managers, companion animal trainers and behaviourists as well as postgraduate courses for veterinary surgeons.

The partnership with Central College of Animal Studies ensures that students are able to train in a professional environment while practicing vets and nurses lecturers are able to share their collective expertise.


Sarah Kidby with Jimmy Doherty in the animals in war room
Jimmy meets PetFocus editor Sarah Kidby who set-up and run a workshop to commemorate the role of animals in war.


Thirty-five veterinary surgeons and nurses gave presentations on a wide range of farm, equine and pet-related topics, including exotics, ultrasound, imaging and dentistry.


Visitors were able to test their surgery skills in a game of 'hunt the foreign body'.


Staff pets helped to demonstrate the ultrasound equipment.


The hydrotherapy pool and treadmill were fully operational, and people were able to watch the dog groomers at work in the new grooming lounge. 


A family works out a nursing plan for a chinchilla patient that had a wound in one ear.


Children took part in an 'around-the-bases' quiz and there were lots of animals to meet and learn about, including some more unusual pets such as snakes, tortoises and miniature donkeys.

 

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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.