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First ever Guinea Pig Awareness Week announced
Vets are encourage to get involved and share their knowledge and experience as part of Guinea Pig Awareness Week.

Week-long 'festival of events' to be held online.

Burgess Pet Care has partnered with multiple animal charities to launched the first ever Guinea Pig Awareness Week to highlight the welfare needs of these pets.

Guinea Pig Awareness Week (GPAW) will take place online from 22-28 March this year. It has been created by Burgess Pet Care along with the RSPCA, Woodgreen The Animals Charity, Blue Cross and PDSA – the same partnership behind Rabbit Awareness Week (RAW), which has been running for 15 years this year.

A series of surveys of guinea pig owners and veterinary professionals conducted by Burgess Pet Care found that 94 per cent of veterinary professionals feel that the most common mistake owners of small animals make is feeding them the wrong diet.

GPAW organisers will seek to address this issue in the campaign’s programme, and encourages veterinary professionals to share their knowledge and experiences online in order to help educate and inform guinea pig owners on a large scale.

Dr Suzanne Moyes MVB MRCVS, operations and technical director at Burgess Pet Care, said: “Guinea pigs are always a popular choice of pet, particularly for families, but the survey results show a clear lack of understanding around their particular welfare needs.

“GPAW is a fantastic opportunity for vets to get involved, raise the profile of their practices, showcase their guinea pig expertise and to actively engage with their clients, communities and fellow practitioners online.”

More information on GPAW and a new website will be launched soon. Meanwhile, the GPAW team is urging veterinary professionals, retailers and charities to support the campaign by liking and sharing the GPAW official Facebook page.

Image (c) Burgess Pet Care.

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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
RCVS annual renewal fee for vets due

RCVS' annual renewal fee for veterinary surgeons is now due. Vets must pay their renewal fee before Wednesday, 1 April 2026.

This year's standard annual fee has increased to 431 from last year's 418. This is an approximately three per cent increase, as approved by RCVS Council and the Privy Council.

Tshidi Gardner, RCVS treasurer, said: "The small fee increase will be used to help deliver both our everyday activities and our new ambitious Strategic Plan, which includes aims such as achieving new legislation, reviewing the Codes of Professional Conduct and supporting guidance, and continuing to support the professions through activities such as the Mind Matters Initiative, RCVS Academy and career development."

A full breakdown of the new fees is on the RCVS website. Information about tax relief is available on the UK government website.