BVZS British Veterinary Zoological Society

15/09/2025

🎉 The early bird deadline for BVZS Conference 2025 is the 19th September - get your tickets now! 🎉

📅 7th–9th November 2025
📍 Conference Aston, Birmingham
🔗 Book now: https://bvzs.co.uk/conferences/conference-2025/

Join us for three days of exciting CPD, debate, networking, and entertainment! We’re thrilled to welcome this year’s plenary speakers: Jon Haycock, Matt Brash covering the VMD in exotic, zoo & wildlife practice and a Q and A session as well as Navigating the New Standards: what every vet working with zoos needs to know.

This year’s programme includes:

🦓 Plenary talks, roundtables, masterclasses and case studies, across zoo, wildlife, exotic pet, nursing and student/ new graduate streams
📊 A lively poster session
📣 The annual BVZS AGM and Vic Simpson Memorial Awards
❓ The ever-popular IZVG pathology quiz (with a twist!)
🎉 A Gala Dinner with live music and entertainment (tickets limited!)
🧠 The return of the Saturday night quiz
💥 And great news: ticket prices remain frozen for the third year in a row!
🎫 Also this year: for those who face financial barriers attending Conference, there will also be a number of Free Places - see the members area of the website.

Discounted rooms at the Conference Aston Hotel can be purchased through the link on the BVZS website.

We hope to see you there!

14/09/2025

🦉BVZS is pleased to announce that our plenary speakers will both be accepting questions in advance of their sessions. We hope that this will encourage more people to ask questions and allow delegates to get more involved.

💉Jon Haycock – VMD
Jon Haycock from the Veterinary Medicines Directorate will be speaking on both Friday and Saturday. On Saturday he will be hosting a dedicated interactive Q&A session titled: “From dart guns to data sheets – a VMD Q&A – what do you want to know?” and would encourage people to send him questions beforehand

🦓Matt Brash – New Standards of Modern Zoo Practice 2027
Matt Brash from the UK Zoo Experts Committee (ZEC) will have limited time for questions at the end of his Friday plenary session titled: “Navigating the New Standards: what every vet working with zoos needs to know”. Matt will address as many of the questions as he can.

🙋‍♀️How to submit questions
Please use the linkbelow to submit your questions. You can submit as many questions as you want, to either or both speakers. The deadline for submissions is 23:59 on the 17th of October. (Please note you must be a member)

https://bvzs.co.uk/members-area/bvzs-conference-2025-submit-plenary-speaker-questions/

🐦Don't forget the conference early bird deadline is the 19th of September!

10/09/2025

Part of our council Sonya, Abi, Agata, Molly and Natalie are in Birmingham today attending the Guinea Pig Welfare Forum for the second annual meeting. It has been a fantastic day of engaging talks concerning welfare of these wonderful animals and we're thrilled to be involved! 🐹

09/09/2025

🎉 The early bird deadline for BVZS Conference 2025 is the 19th September - get your tickets now! 🎉

📅 7th–9th November 2025
📍 Conference Aston, Birmingham
🔗 Book now: https://bvzs.co.uk/conferences/conference-2025/

Join us for three days of exciting CPD, debate, networking, and entertainment! We’re thrilled to welcome this year’s plenary speakers: Jon Haycock, Matt Brash covering the VMD in exotic, zoo & wildlife practice and a Q and A session as well as Navigating the New Standards: what every vet working with zoos needs to know.

This year’s programme includes:

🦓 Plenary talks, roundtables, masterclasses and case studies, across zoo, wildlife, exotic pet, nursing and student/ new graduate streams
📊 A lively poster session
📣 The annual BVZS AGM and Vic Simpson Memorial Awards
❓ The ever-popular IZVG pathology quiz (with a twist!)
🎉 A Gala Dinner with live music and entertainment (tickets limited!)
🧠 The return of the Saturday night quiz
💥 And great news: ticket prices remain frozen for the third year in a row!
🎫 Also this year: for those who face financial barriers attending Conference, there will also be a number of Free Places - see the members area of the website.

Discounted rooms at the Conference Aston Hotel can be purchased through the link on the BVZS website.

We hope to see you there!

25/08/2025

A massive thank you to all of the applicants for this year's student stewards!

We had an amazing number submitted, and have appointed the six students that will be joining us to help with the conference. Thank you to all who applied. If you weren't successful this year, please do try again in subsequent years.

19/08/2025

We are pleased to announce a limited number of free places for BVZS Conference 2025! These provide free registration to all 3 days of the conference!

Priority will be given to those who face financial barriers, that would otherwise prevent them from attending Conference.

There will be five eligible categories:
🦎 veterinary students
🦉 veterinary nursing students
🐸 full-time postgraduate students
🦢 qualified veterinary nurses
🐍 qualified veterinary surgeons

The deadline is 23:59 on the 26th September 2025

🕸️ Apply online at: https://bvzs.co.uk/members-area/bvzs-conference-free-places/

🦓 Not a member yet? Join at: https://bvzs.co.uk/membership/

17/08/2025

🎉 The programme has now been announced for BVZS Conference 2025! 🎉
📅 7th–9th November 2025
📍 Conference Aston, Birmingham
🔗 Book now: https://bvzs.co.uk/conferences/conference-2025/

Join us for three days of exciting CPD, debate, networking, and entertainment! We’re thrilled to welcome this year’s plenary speakers: Jon Haycock, Matt Brash covering the VMD in exotic, zoo & wildlife practice and a Q and A session as well as Navigating the New Standards: what every vet working with zoos needs to know.

This year’s programme includes:
🦓 Plenary talks, roundtables, masterclasses and case studies, across zoo, wildlife, exotic pet, nursing and student/ new graduate streams
📊 A lively poster session
📣 The annual BVZS AGM and Vic Simpson Memorial Awards
❓ The ever-popular IZVG pathology quiz (with a twist!)
🎉 A Gala Dinner with live music and entertainment (tickets limited!)
🧠 The return of the Saturday night quiz
💥 And great news: ticket prices remain frozen for the third year in a row!
🎫 Also this year: for those who face financial barriers attending Conference, there will also be a number of Free Places - details will be posted soon!

Discounted rooms at the Conference Aston Hotel can be purchased through the link on the BVZS website.

We hope to see you there!

31/07/2025

"This is a true One-Health problem of immense complexity, with potential conflict between the needs of animal health, human health, food security and the health of the wider ecosystem."

BVA today releases the Position Statement on parasiticide use in grazing animals, available here:

There is increasing concern amongst veterinary professionals about resistance to treatment in common parasites, posing health and welfare risks for livestock. The is also a growing body of evidence to show the impact of parasiticides on invertebrate species in the environment, many of which are vita...

30/07/2025

🎉 Tickets are now LIVE for the BVZS Conference 2025! 🎉
📅 7th–9th November 2025
📍 Conference Aston, Birmingham
🔗 Book now: https://bvzs.co.uk/conferences/conference-2025/

Join us for three days of exciting CPD, debate, networking, and entertainment! We’re thrilled to welcome this year’s plenary speakers: Jon Haycock, Matt Brash covering the VMD in exotic, zoo & wildlife practice and a Q and A session as well as Navigating the New Standards: what every vet working with zoos needs to know.

This year’s programme includes:
🦓 Plenary talks, roundtables, masterclasses and case studies, across zoo, wildlife, exotic pet, nursing and student/ new graduate streams
📊 A lively poster session
📣 The annual BVZS AGM and Vic Simpson Memorial Awards
❓ The ever-popular IZVG pathology quiz (with a twist!)
🎉 A Gala Dinner with live music and entertainment (tickets limited!)
🧠 The return of the Saturday night quiz

💥 And great news: ticket prices remain frozen for the third year in a row!

Discounted rooms at the Conference Aston Hotel can be purchased through the link on the BVZS website

Full programme to be released soon—watch this space and we’ll see you there!

26/07/2025

UPDATE 25/8: ALL PLACES HAVE NOW BEEN FILLED

🦉Are you a vet or vet nursing student? Do you want free registration to attend BVZS Conference from the 7th to 9th November 2025? If so, this is the perfect opportunity for you!

🐰We are now taking applications for our six student steward positions at our 2025 conference in Birmingham, where you will help our BVZS conference team ensure the smooth running of this exciting event - and in return receive free conference registration!

🦓Open to veterinary student and veterinary nursing student members.

🐸Please apply with your CV and the name of your academic institution to [email protected]

🐍Not a member? Student membership is only £10 a year and gives loads of benefits. Click here for more info: https://bvzs.co.uk/membership/

21/07/2025

Calling all UK Wildlife Rehabilitators! Help Us Shape the Future of Wildlife Partnerships! 🤝🦊

We're incredibly excited to launch a crucial survey designed to better understand the UK wildlife rehabilitation sector.

The RSPCA Kindness Index has revealed something profound: protecting wildlife has become the UK public's top priority. To truly meet this surging public concern and make a significant, lasting impact for animals, we know that closer collaboration with our partners is absolutely essential. We believe that by working together, we can achieve so much more.

This survey is a vital step in helping us understand the incredible work you do. If you're involved in wildlife rehabilitation, your insights are invaluable. Your responses will directly help us map the landscape of wildlife rehabilitation across the UK and the challenges you are facing.

We know that summer is the busiest time of year, so it should take approximately 10 minutes to complete.

🔗 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfbipIpXE4v4wd_Xjx7D2Tmrmx3z2zXnRCHSxq8UsVLG9N9zQ/viewform

Please complete the survey by Friday, 12th September.
We kindly ask you to share this post with all your networks of wildlife rehabilitators across the UK. The more voices we hear, the more comprehensive and impactful our understanding will be.

Thank you for your dedication to wildlife. Together, we can build a better future for every animal.

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The latest findings of The RSPCA Kindness Index show that protecting wildlife has become the UK public's top priority. We know that to have a significant impact for animals, we need to work more closely with partners so collectively we can achieve more. We are asking for those involved in rescue and...

15/07/2025

The following paper, while excellent, is not eligible for the BVZS Best Scientific Paper in the Field of Zoological Medicine Award 2025, as it was not published within the last year and the authors are not current BVZS members.

🦢The deadline for Best Scientific Paper Award nominations is Friday 1st August 2025. For more information on the award, and to nominate a paper, please visit:

https://bvzs.co.uk/about-us/awards-honorary-members/