BVZS British Veterinary Zoological Society

04/11/2025

It has been a pleasure for BVZS to assist in getting this co-produced document published with BVA and BSAVA! An important step in increasing awareness, and conversation, on such a fundamentally important issue facing our native wildlife and UK environment as a whole.

Parasiticide products are commonly used on cats and dogs to prevent and treat for various parasites, including fleas, ticks and worms. As well as preventing many animal health and welfare problems, these treatments help to prevent human health risks from associated zoonotic threats, and these concer...

28/10/2025

10/10/2025

🦉REMINDER: 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!

08/10/2025

The Papyrus of Kahun was the world's first veterinary text, written by the ancient Egyptians in 1900BC. This ground-breaking document covered a range of topics from veterinary obstetrics and ophthalmology to how to treat malignant catarrhal fever in a bull. (If you’re wondering, and should ever find yourself in ancient Egypt and presented with a malignant catarrhal fever-ridden bull, then you’ll need to lie it on its side, sprinkle it with cold water, rub its eyes and hooves with melons, make a small cut on its tail and recite an incantation). In addition to veterinary medicine, the ancient Egyptians also excelled at organisation, with various councils from local level to vizier overseen grand councils.

While proud of our ancient Egyptian colleagues, BVZS Council has moved away from using papyrus, and our members rarely employ bovine trans-oculo-pedal melon therapy.

Council elections are approaching and we need vets and nurses with all sorts of skills, talents, levels of experience and viewpoints -we’ll find you a role that suits you and fits around your schedule. BVZS Council meets four times a year – twice online and twice in-person. Councillors are also expected to feed back on policy and reply to requests for comments via email.

In addition to general council roles, we are currently looking for someone to coordinate sponsorship and one or two people to run the monthly journal club. An initial term on Council is 2 years, with the option to then be re-elected for 2 subsequent years.

Not sure if it is right for you? Get in touch with any of us on council via hieroglyphics on a stela, or alternatively, message via Facebook or email [email protected].

To apply and for more info about council elections, click the link below. The deadline for applications is 23:59 on Friday 17th October 2025.

https://bvzs.co.uk/members-area/apply-for-bvzs-council/

29/09/2025

Not long to go! Ticket sales close THIS FRIDAY!!!!!!

24/09/2025

🎉 The ticket sales deadline for BVZS Conference 2025 is the 3rd of October - 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!

23/09/2025

The Pullari were ancient Roman priests in charge of the sacred chickens used in councils to determine whether or not elections or important decisions should go ahead. The chickens would be offered grain – should they eat enthusiastically, the gods approved, but if they did not, council meetings could be delayed and elections declared invalid.

In 249BC, consul Publius Claudius Pulcher went against the verdict of the sacred chickens who refused to eat on his ship during the naval battle of Deprana. The Romans suffered a disastrous defeat to the Carthaginian fleet, and Pulcher was later tried for impiety.

Due to avian influenza movement restrictions, BVZS has decided against the use of sacred chickens. Instead, elections are held regardless of gallinaceous goodwill, with all full members eligible to vote as well as stand for BVZS Council.

We need vets and nurses with all sorts of skills, talents, levels of experience and viewpoints -we’ll find you a role that suits you and fits around your schedule. BVZS Council meets four times a year – twice online and twice in-person. Councillors are also expected to feedback on policy and reply to requests for comments via email.

In addition to general council roles, we are currently looking for someone to co-ordinate sponsorship and one or two people to run the monthly journal club. An initial term on Council is 2 years, with the option to then be re-elected for 2 subsequent years.

Not sure if it is right for you? Get in touch with any of us on council via the Cursus Publicus, or alternatively, message via Facebook or email [email protected].

To apply and for more info about council elections, click the link below. The deadline for applications is 23:59 on Friday 17th October 2025.

https://bvzs.co.uk/members-area/apply-for-bvzs-council/

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.