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Petplan Veterinary Awards cancelled
Petplan says the decision was made "to help to minimise risk to the profession."

Decision made following growing concerns over COVID-19

The Petplan Veterinary Awards, scheduled to take place on 2 April in Birmingham alongside BSAVA Congress, have been cancelled as a result of concerns over the COVID-19 outbreak.

Petplan joins a number of other businesses and organisations that are cancelling or postponing large-scale public events in an attempt to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

In a statement, the pet insurance company said: “At Petplan we take the welfare of all of our employees, partners and customers very seriously and in response to the wider COVID-19 situation have decided not to go ahead with the Petplan Veterinary Awards ceremony.

“This aligns with feedback from some of our valued veterinary partners on the increased steps being taken to help minimise risk to the profession.”

“We would like to congratulate all of the finalists for this year’s awards and are looking forward to celebrating their achievements and announcing the winners by the end of April.”

This year marks the 21st anniversary of the Petplan Veterinary Awards, with more than 37,000 nominations received across the year for categories including Practice of the Year and Vet of the Year.

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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. 

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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.