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BVA Live session planned on reptile emergencies
The session will be held on 11 May.
The session will look at common reptile emergency presentations.

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has announced details of a forthcoming training session on reptile emergencies as part of this year’s BVA Live.

'Handling reptile emergencies in practice' will inform delegates on how to provide emergency care to reptiles, covering areas such as fluid therapy, analgesia, and nutritional support.

The lecture will be delivered by Tom Dutton, clinical lead exotics at Great Western Exotics, and will be held in Clinical Theatre One at 10.15am on 11 May.

The treatment of exotic pets has been receiving renewed attention after the BVA launched a new policy position on non-traditional companion animals (NTCAs) in February of this year.

One of the key recommendations of the policy position is that all veterinary surgeons, at time of graduation, should be able to confidently handle the most commonly seen NTCAs, advise on basic husbandry, conduct a clinical examination, use the medicines Cascade appropriately, identify what is normal for the species, and provide first aid, pain relief and euthanasia.

BVA senior vice-president Justine Shotton said: “This is a really important session for every member of Team Vet. All vets will have been through training at vet school so they are able to confidently handle common species of reptiles and provide the emergency care and first aid they may need. But, with some vets seeing increasing numbers of non-traditional companion animals like reptiles in practice, this session is a good reminder of the best ways to do so in an emergency.”  

BVA Live 2023 is taking place at the Birmingham NEC from 11-12 May. The full programme of events for this year’s BVA Live can be accessed online.

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Reporting service for dead wild birds updated

News Story 1
 The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) has updated its online reporting service for dead wild birds.

The new version allows those reporting a dead bird to drop a pin on a map when reporting the location. It also includes a wider range of wild bird species groups to select from when describing the bird.

The online service, which helps APHA to monitor the spread of diseases such as avian influenza, can be accessed here

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NI chief vet urges bluetongue vigilance

Northern Ireland's chief veterinary officer (CVO) has urged farmers to be vigilant for signs of bluetongue, after the Animal and Plant Health Agency warned there was a very high probability of further cases in Great Britain.

There have been 126 confirmed cases of bluetongue virus serotype 3 in England since November 2023, with no cases reported in Northern Ireland. The movement of live ruminants from Great Britain to Northern Ireland is currently suspended.

According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), the virus is most likely to enter Northern Ireland through infected animals or germplasm (semen or ova) being imported.

Brian Dooher, Northern Ireland's CVO, said: "Surveillance for this disease within Northern Ireland has been increased to assist with detection at the earliest opportunity which will facilitate more effective control measures."

Farmers should report any suspicions of the disease to their private veterinary practitioner, the DAERA Helpline on 0300 200 7840 or their local DAERA Direct Veterinary Office.