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Poultry diagnostics guide for vets launched
The guide includes photographs and videos.
It’s hoped the guide will help improve hen health and welfare.

A new digital guide for veterinary surgeons treating poultry has been launched following a transatlantic collaboration between the British Hen Welfare Trust (BHWT) and US-based PoultryDVM.

The Poultry Vet Guide has been designed to provide veterinary surgeons with access to detailed information about common poultry diseases and health problems, including photographs, videos, factsheets, and peer-reviewed articles.

Although there is an annual subscription fee of £240 (or the dollar equivalent) to access the guide, the creators say they have kept the costs low to allow it to be accessible for veterinary professionals around the world.

The guide began as a Masters project by PoultryDVM’s Kelly Rutkowski, as she saw a gap in the advice about poultry available to veterinary professionals.

The BHWT had been considering creating a similar guide to help improve poultry welfare and when the charity heard about the project, they got in touch with Ms Rutkowski.

The two organisations worked together on the guide, with specialist input from Sharon Evans MRCVS and Rebecca Gounaris DVM.

Jane Howorth MBE, founder of the BHWT, said: “This online guide is the result of a wonderful team effort, including vets with years of poultry experience, resulting in an outcome that will support veterinary professionals by making it easier to treat pet poultry.

“Spreading knowledge is the key priority to better equip vets everywhere to diagnose and treat the growing numbers of pet poultry, which is why we’ve made this information as affordable and accessible as possible. I’d like to encourage vets to sign up to access the guide, I have no doubt it will become an invaluable tool when faced with a poorly bird.”

The Poultry Vet Guide is available online.

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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.