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Suffolk road named after respected vet
Donald Mackintosh Way sign
Donald Mackintosh Way leads up to Ipswich Veterinary Centre, a new, state-of-the-art hospital.
New veterinary centre built on 'Donald Mackintosh Way'

A new road in Ipswich has been named after the highly regarded veterinary surgeon, Donald Callendar Mackintosh, who sadly passed away in 2013 at the age of 81.

Affectionately known as 'Mr Mac', Donald was one of the early partners of the Stowe Veterinary Group in Suffolk. Now, 'Donald Mackintosh Way' leads up to the group's newest addition, Ipswich Veterinary Centre, which is a purpose-built, state-of-the-art hospital.

Upon hearing of the decision to name the new road 'Donald Mackintosh Way', his family said: “We are so pleased to learn that the road to Ipswich Veterinary Centre is being named after Don.

It is a lovely way to remember his contribution to the veterinary profession 
“He would have been very honoured, as he very much enjoyed his long career with the Stowe Veterinary Group, its staff and clients.”

Donald was well known and respected in Suffolk's farming community and amongst his peers. He spent the majority of his working life caring for animals in East Anglia, though such was his renown in the pig farming industry, his skills were required all over the country.

Born in Glasgow in 1931, Donald's decision to study veterinary medicine was perhaps a surprising one. At the time, it was not a popular career choice and, in fact, many of the places on the veterinary course had to be filled by students from Norway and Denmark.

Donald Mackintosh in the army
After graduating in 1954, Donald spent two years in the army – mostly in Kenya – then as a small animal vet in Surrey.
After graduating in 1954, Donald spent two years in the army – mostly in Kenya – then as a small animal vet in Surrey. He also worked towards the eradication of Brucellosis in cattle during his time with the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. Although he enjoyed the travelling and hard work, his aversion to paperwork put paid to his career as a government vet.

After getting married in October 1960 and fathering his first child, Donald and family found themselves in Suffolk, where the 'Shorter and Mackintosh' veterinary practice was launched.

Through sheer hard work and competence, the practice expanded, moving to Crowe Street in Stowmarket, before being renamed the Stowe Veterinary Group – which remains a trusted network of practices today.

Roger Harvey, a friend and colleague of Donald's and a partner at the Stowe group, said of the new road name: “It is a lovely way to remember his contribution to the veterinary profession, during a career that spanned over 50 years.”

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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.