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Guinea Pig Awareness Week to return in October
The theme for this year's GPAW will focus on guinea pig stress management.
This year’s theme is ‘Comfort, Care and Companionship’.

Guinea Pig Awareness Week (GPAW) is to return for its fifth run in 2025, this year taking place in October.

The welfare initiative, which usually takes place in September, will return from Monday 20 October 2025 to Friday 24 October 2025.

Throughout the week, GPAW will be on the theme of ‘Comfort, Care and Companionship’. It will seek to highlight the importance of stress management in maintaining guinea pig welfare.

The initiative will see content shared by leading veterinary professionals and behaviourists to address the significance of stress to guinea pig welfare. It will also provide guidance for how owners can improve their health outcomes and longevity.

It will again be hosted by Burgess Excel, in collaboration with the RSPCA, Blue Cross, Woodgreen and Raystede.

Suzanne Moyes, in-house veterinary surgeon for Burgess, said: “Guinea Pig Awareness Week has grown from strength to strength each year and is a much-needed opportunity to support guinea pig owners in better understanding their pets.

“This year, we’ve zeroed in on stress and we want to support people to recognise the signs of stress in their guinea pigs, create a peaceful, enriching home environment, handle their guinea pigs safely and ensure they have the companionship they need.”

On 10 September 2025, Burgess Excel is also hosting its second Guinea Pig Welfare Forum (GPWF). Held at the Crowne Plaza in Birmingham City Centre, the event will gather expert speakers to discuss guinea pig health, behaviour and welfare.

The event will be chaired by John Chitty, an RCVS advanced practitioner in zoological medicine, who will also speak at the event. 

Other confirmed speakers include:

    • Abi Edis (registered veterinary nurse)
    • Alison Wills (lecturer, University of Central Lancashire)
    • Mary Coles (PhD researcher, University of Liverpool)
    • Lauren Fenton (registered veterinary nurse)
    • Paul Betchley (head of zoological and park operations, Beale Park)
    • David Griffiths (senior animal welfare officer, Winchester City Council)
    • Rik Cridland (founder, HayPigs!)

Image © Shutterstock

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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 members invited to question Council candidates

RCVS members have been invited to submit questions to candidates for this year's RCVS Council election.

With 15 candidates standing for three available positions, vets have been invited to submit a question of their choosing before voting starts. These questions will be collated, with each candidate answering one question of their choice.

It is recommended that members read the candidates' biographies and statements before submitting questions. One question per member can be submitted to vetvote26@rcvs.org.uk before Wednesday, 25 February 2026.

The RCVS Council election is due to start in March.

With only two candidates for two positions on the VN Council, there will be no VN Council elections this year. Meghan Conroy RVN and Lauren Hargrave RVN will begin their three year terms at RCVS' AGM in July.