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Melissa Donald elected RCVS junior vice-president
Melissa Donald.

Past BVA Scottish branch president will take up the role in July.

RCVS Council member Melissa Donald has been voted in as junior vice-president for 2021-2022. 

Melissa, who will take up the post during RCVS Day in July, succeeds Professor David Argyle, who announced his decision to resign from Council earlier this week.

Announcing the news on Twitter, Melissa wrote: “Delighted and humbled to have been voted in as Junior VP from July. Thank you, and as with everything I have done in my career, you the profession will see me put all my energy and commitment into the role.”

Melissa is chair of the RCVS Standards Committee and a past-president of BVA’s Scottish branch. A graduate of Glasgow University, she undertook a food animal internship at Iowa State University, USA, before joining a two-person traditional mixed practice on the Ayrshire coast. 

Over 25 years Melissa and her husband developed the business into a 4.5 vet 100 per cent small animal practice. She became the clinical coach for nurse training in 2004 and later RCVS practical OSCE examiner for the VN exams.

She is also a past president of the Ayrshire Veterinary Association.

Image (C) RCVS.

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Annual submission deadline small pet animal exemptions

News Story 1
 Companies marketing medicines for small pets exempt from authorisation must submit their annual return to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) by 30 November 2026.

Submitting this annual return ensures continued compliance with regulatory requirements for products marketed without a full Marketing Authorisation. The exemption specifically applies to products intended for animals, cage birds, terrarium animals, small rodents, ferrets and rabbits.

For further details and submission guidelines, visit the gov.uk website.  

Click here for more...
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BVA urges 'continued vigilance' over bluetongue

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has urged vigilance following a concerning rise in Bluetongue (BTV) cases in sheep and cattle.

In a recent statement, the BVA noted that members are reporting more severe clinical signs and higher mortality rates than in previous years.

'We know that farm vets are working hard to support farmers and animals affected by this outbreak, during what is an extremely difficult time for all involved,' they stated. 'Continued vigilance to identify disease early is vital and vaccination remains the best way of protecting animals from this disease.'