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BVNA launches mental health toolkit
Veterinary nurses are invited to share their own mental health stories as part of the toolkit. 
Resources for vet nurses include webinars and personal stories.

The British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) has launched a free mental health toolkit for veterinary nurses.

The toolkit features a range of materials which promote mental wellbeing, including webinars, personal mental health stories, and signposting towards sources of help and support. Topics covered include the importance of sleep, practising self-compassion, and resilience.

The development of the toolkit has been led by the BVNA council’s mental health and wellbeing working group. It plans to add additional resources over time and would welcome content from any veterinary nurses, employers and groups who want to share their stories, case studies, or mental health and wellbeing policies.

Rebecca Winter, BVNA council member and mental health and wellbeing team co-ordinator, said: “I am delighted that BVNA has led the development of this toolkit, as an easy-to-access resource available to the entire veterinary nursing profession.

“Whilst we know that a career as a veterinary nurse is incredibly rewarding, we also know that the veterinary workplace can be demanding and can result in challenges to our mental health. Not only will the resources presented in this toolkit be of benefit to individuals, it will also provide guidance to employers and colleagues of those affected by their mental health.

“We hope that this toolkit will help those individuals to feel as though they are not alone, and to feel confident to ask for any support they may need to help them to thrive in our profession.”

The toolkit can be accessed here.

Image © Shutterstock

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Strangles survey seeks views of horse owners

News Story 1
 With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.

The survey, which has been designed by Dechra, aims to raise awareness of Strangles and promote best practices to prevent its transmission. It includes questions about horse owners' experiences of strangles, together with preventative measures and vaccination.

Respondents to the survey will be entered into a prize draw to win two VIP tickets to Your Horse Live 2025. To access the survey, click here 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
DAERA to reduce BVD 'grace period'

DAERA has reminded herd keepers of an upcoming reduction to the 'grace period' to avoid BVD herd restrictions.

From 1 May 2025, herd keepers will have seven days to cull any BVD positive or inconclusive animals to avoid restrictions being applied to their herd.

It follows legislation introduced on 1 February, as DAERA introduces herd movement restrictions through a phased approach. Herd keepers originally had 28 days to cull BVD positive or inconclusive animals.

DAERA says that, providing herd keepers use the seven-day grace period, no herds should be restricted within the first year of these measures.

Additional measures, which will target herds with animals over 30 days old that haven't been tested for BVD, will be introduced from 1 June 2025.

More information is available on the DAERA website.