Veterinary Voices

RVC head to stay at UK school amid US accreditation woes

The principal of the Royal Veterinary College will not lead the main veterinary education association in the United States as planned amid a deepening accreditation crisis at the prestigious British school that has compelled him to stay there for an extra three years.

The RVC is on the brink of losing its accreditation in the United States and Canada because its students who elect to take a key exam required to practice in those North American countries keep falling short of a minimum pass rate.

This story was published on May 12, 2025.

State animal chiropractic bills net mixed results

Chiropractors in Tennessee may treat animal patients without having to coordinate care with a veterinarian under a law signed this month. New Hampshire is poised to take a similar approach.

Legislation seeking similar arrangements failed in Mississippi, while bills in California and Maine are on pause following vigorous campaigns against them by veterinary organizations. 

This story was published on May 7, 2025.

UK considers veterinary price controls and transparency

Authorities in the United Kingdom are considering controlling what veterinary practices charge for medications and requiring upfront disclosures of service prices as part of a raft of proposals intended to lower the cost of care.

The country's Competition and Markets Authority did not, however, press for large corporate consolidators to sell practices, only stating a reminder that it "has the ability to scrutinize future mergers."

This story was published on May 5, 2025.

Mexico veterinary school withdraws from US accreditation

The voluntary action by the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, home to the only veterinary school in the country ever accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education, has sparked the ire of some students and alumni.

This story was published on April 30, 2025.

First drug OK'd for most common heart condition in cats

Shmitty the cat had been a patient of Dr. Kourtney Morrissette for three years by the time his owner saw him fall onto his side for more than a minute, breathing through his mouth — which is unusual for a cat — and paddling the air with his paws. What Morrissette detected years earlier as a faint heart murmur was the first hint that Shmitty had a condition known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

This story was published on April 24, 2025.

For dairy veterinarians, is bird flu a work hazard?

When Dr. David Hernke attended a conference for bovine practitioners in Ohio last year, he was asked to roll up his sleeve for science.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was collecting samples of blood from veterinarians who work with cattle to determine the prevalence of a highly virulent form of avian influenza that's been infecting a wide variety of animals besides birds — including dairy cows, seals, sheep and cats.

This story was published on April 22, 2025.

Colorado lawmakers fall short in effort to limit midlevel role

An effort by Colorado lawmakers to limit the scope of practice for what will be the country's first-ever midlevel veterinary practitioner has met with mixed results.

While the veterinary workforce bill cleared both chambers in the General Assembly and is on its way to the governor's desk for a promised signature, many of its most restrictive provisions were watered down or eliminated along the way.

This story was published on April 17, 2025.

Royal Veterinary College faces US accreditation challenge

England's Royal Veterinary College is warning prospective students from the United States and Canada that they could face additional hurdles if they wish to practice in their home countries because the school could lose its accreditation in North America.

This story was published on April 14, 2025.

Pet owners turn to veterinary tourism as costs rise at home

Thomas and Loralee Kitts faced an excruciating decision. Their wire-haired dachshund, Gus, needed surgery for intervertebral disk disease, a painful and crippling spinal condition. Unable to afford the $12,000 quoted by a veterinarian in Portland, Oregon, where they live, the couple considered euthanasia.

"We were at a loss," Thomas Kitts said. "My wife and I were sitting there wondering, what the hell should we do? This is our little guy."

This story was published on April 10, 2025.

Utah State veterinary school hurries to select its first class

Having just a matter of weeks to decide admissions to its new veterinary college opening Aug. 11, Utah State University began accepting applications in late March, drawing more than 100 in the first week or so, according to the dean.

The school in Logan, Utah, is running nearly one year behind the standard timeline to accept veterinary school applications because it was waiting for a "letter of reasonable assurance" indicating that it's on target for accreditation by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education.

This story was published on April 8, 2025.