BSAVA Companion - 2018, 7, July

New Head of BSAVA Education announced; Petsavers grant applications closing soon!; Brexit and the Big Issues debate.

If there truly ever was a face that only a mother could love, then it probably belonged to a vulture. Yet although these birds may defy conventional notions of beauty, people who know them well have learned to admire their grace and intelligence. And some of them are working hard to reverse a catastrophic collapse in the population of a group that plays a vital ecological role as nature’s waste disposal operatives. John Bonner reports.

A veterinary career is losing its lustre for the nation’s talented teenagers, contributing to the profession’s growing manpower crisis, BSAVA members were told at their annual Congress in Birmingham on 6 April.

Even though BSAVA Congress closed its doors for another year back in April, the learning and experiences continue long after the last lecture on the final Sunday. Congress lives on in discussions and sharing with colleagues back in practice, meeting up with new friends, and exciting conversations with new suppliers plus, with the Congress Podcasts accessible from anywhere in the world your learning experiences really can continue all-year-round.

“The visit to the BSAVA Congress 2018 was probably one of the most important events in my professional life”. Certainly a bold statement, but one made with feeling by Ukrainian BSAVA travel scholar, Denis Seleznev after attending the annual BSAVA Congress in Birmingham.

The WSAVA Continuing Education Program aims to deliver CE for first-opinion companion animal practitioners in countries where access to high quality CE is limited. Zoe Belshaw, Chair of the WSAVA Continuing Education Committee, reports on 2017 successes.

The message for Scotland’s veterinary profession at the forthcoming BSAVA Scottish Congress in September will be that all members can play a big part in tackling an illegal trade that causes not only significant animal welfare abuses but also emotional distress and financial losses to innocent pet owners. Hannah Medley, an inspector for the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will bring delegates up-to-date on the charity’s ‘war on puppy farming’ and explain how vets and VNs can help the campaign.

Alexander Campbell received the Blaine Award and Honorary Associate Membership of the BSAVA in 2013 for his work in founding and developing the Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS). Over the past 4 years he has been a member of the PetSavers Grant Awards Committee and here he talks about his experiences volunteering for PetSavers.

Natalia Pérez Ramos has carved out a career for herself translating veterinary literature from English into her native Spanish. She explains how she found her way into such a niche area, how she spends her working days and how Brexit may affect her work.

News and events from the BSAVA’s regions.

A calendar of forthcoming central and regional CPD events July – November 2018.

Anna Threlfall of Davies Veterinary Specialists presents notes on cobalamin.