Industry News

Mar- 2020 -

4 March

Mental health webinar for vets launches

The RCVS Mind Matters Initiative has organised a series of three webinars that will aim to look at issues such as cyber-bullying, eating disorders, and self-harm amongst veterinarians. Each of the three episodes in the free webinar series will be one-hour long, and are scheduled to be held over the…

4 March

Dogs Trust fostering programme enjoys ‘best year ever’

The Dogs Trust’s Home From Home fostering programme in Darlington said it has enjoyed its “best year ever” in 2019, providing 167 dogs with temporary foster homes while they waited on owners for permanent rehoming. This figure was up 15% from the year prior, after the group helped to foster…

3 March

BSAVA issues Coronavirus update

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) said that its 2020 congress will go ahead as planned amid Coronavirus fears, “unless anything changes and the World Health Organization or government advise otherwise”. While the association is “closely monitoring” the situation, the event is still scheduled to take place between Thursday…

3 March

UK’s first specialist veterinary heart clinic opens

Willows Veterinary Centre and Referral Service has launched the UK’s first congenital heart disease referral clinic for puppies and kittens. The Solihull clinic will assess pets who have recently had a heart murmur detected, and are younger than six months old. It will then recommend a course of action to…

3 March

Brits spending more on pets than ever, research reveals

Brits are spending more on their pets than ever, according to Argos Petcare. Petcare sales at Argos soared by 70% in just five years, with sales this January up an extraordinary 19% on the same month in 2019. Argos attributed the rise of the ‘petfluencer’ for the rise in the…

3 March

Pet snakes pile on the pounds due to diet and lack of space, says BVA

Obesity in snakes is a growing issue which has been attributed to over feeding and a lack of exercise, the president of the British Veterinary Association (BVA) has said. Daniella Dos Santos said she has seen a large number of pet snakes with obesity issues whilst working as a small…

2 March

Kirkintilloch pet shop closes after 20 years

A pet store in Kirkintilloch has closed its doors after more than twenty years in business. In a statement released on the shop’s Facebook page today, the owners of Wagtail Pet Suppliers said: “As of the end of March 2020 we will be closing the shop. We are giving up…

2 March

Utility Bidder announces partnership with PIF

Business switching advice service Utility Bidder has announced its new partnership with the Pet Industry Federation (PIF). In teaming up with Utility Bidder, PIF’s 2,000 members will benefit from “competitive rates” on gas and electricity as well as being able to take advantage of a personal account manager who will…

2 March

11% of cat owners take their pets to the vet once a year

Some 23% of cat owners and 11% of dog owners take their pets to the vets once a year, with some pets never been taken to the vets. According to a new research conducted by MSD Animal Health, surveying over 5,000 pet owners from France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the…

2 March

Government launches ‘Petfished’ campaign

The government has today (2 March) launched a new campaign aimed at raising awareness of puppy and kitten farming, with the aim of encouraging the public to be aware of illegal, low-welfare breeders. The ‘Petfished’ campaign warns potential owners that they may be “more likely to come across deceitful sellers…