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Geronimo euthanised after four year legal battle
Supporters of the alpaca watched live as a webcam broadcasting Geronimo's pen captured the moment he was taken from the farm.

The now-famous alpaca was euthanised by officials on 31 August. 

Geronimo the alpaca, who was ordered to be euthanised by Defra, has been killed, as reported by BBC News.

The alpaca, who has been at the centre of a legal row with the government, tested positive for bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in two tests four years ago, after arriving in the UK from New Zealand. 

Yesterday (Tuesday 31 August), Defra officials, accompanied by police officers, forcibly removed Geronimo from Wickwar farm, and shortly after, Defra confirmed that the animal had been euthanised. 

Defra has confirmed that a postmortem examination will be carried out by veterinary pathologists from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

The alpaca's owner, Helen Macdonald, told BBC News: "We know now they have been stringing us along for the last week, fobbing us off by saying people are on holiday and would get back to us this week.

"In fact, all the time they were simply planning to murder Geronimo. This is yet another appalling demonstration of bad faith and duplicity by the secretary of state and everyone at Defra.

"Geronimo has been manhandled out of my farm. He was rounded-up and dragged into a horsebox."

Chief veterinary officer Christine Middlemiss told BBC News: "Not only is this essential to protect the livelihoods of our farming industry and rural communities, but it is also necessary to avoid more TB cases in humans.

"No-one wants to have to cull infected animals if it can be avoided."

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Two new roles on BEVA Nurse Committee

News Story 1
 The BEVA has opened two new roles on its Nurse Committee.

There is one role available for a full member (for three years) and one role for a student member (until they qualify).

Members must attend all meetings, occurring four times a year. They will assist the committee in understanding the field, identifying issues and engaging with external parties.

More details can be found here

Click here for more...
News Shorts
BSAVA publishes Guide to Nutrition in Small Animal Practice

The BSAVA has added a small animal nutrition advice booklet to its series of BSAVA guides.

The BSAVA Guide to Nutrition in Small Animal Practice offers a resource for veterinary professionals to provide appropriate nutrition for animals. As well as maintaining the wellbeing of healthy pets, the guide explores how nutritional requirements change in times of illness and disease.

The guide is divided into five sections, which explore the importance of nutritional assessment; diet types; feeding at different life stages; feeding for specific situations; and feeding for specific diseases. Online resources are also in the BSAVA Library including client handouts and videos.

It is designed to be suitable for referencing, in-depth case planning and team training sessions.

The BSAVA Guide to Nutrition in Small Animal Practice can be purchased online from the BSAVA store.