World 'wild' web: video calling for parrots?

Georgina Mills discusses a recent study that investigated whether video calling might be an option to tackle loneliness in parrots.

Something in the air: does smelling stress affect dogs?

Georgina Mills discusses research into the effects of human stress on dogs, and how this might lead to them being more pessimistic.

How touch helps hummingbirds hover.

Georgina Mills discusses new research looking at how hummingbirds use somatosensation to adjust their flight.

Avian flu causes concerning falls in seabird numbers.

Georgina Mills discusses a new report from the RSPB describing how seabird populations have been affected by avian influenza.

Creating PRRS-resistant pigs for the supermarket.

Georgina Mills reports on a bid from a UK-based company to have pigs that are bred to be resistant to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome approved for sale in the USA.

How sea otters are preventing coastal erosion.

Georgina Mills discusses research showing how the return of a top-level predator to a salt marsh in California has had impressive effects on reducing vegetation loss.

Using remote technology to count dogs.

Georgina Mills discusses how Google Street View could help in counting dogs in Peru to support approaches to rabies management.

Ensuring good welfare is promoted in advertising.

Georgina Mills discusses new guidance advising against using dog breeds with extreme conformation in advertising.

Going above and beyond for happy workplaces.

At the end of 2023, BVA unveiled the winners of its first wellbeing awards. Here, Emma Dahm and Georgina Mills find out more about why they won.

A systematic review of pharmacogenetic testing to guide antipsychotic treatment.

Pharmacogenomics could optimize antipsychotic treatment by preventing adverse drug reactions, improving treatment efficacy or relieving the cost burden on the healthcare system. Here we conducted a systematic review to investigate whether pharmacogenetic testing in individuals undergoing antipsychotic treatment influences clinical or economic outcomes. On 12 January 2024, we searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and Cochrane Centrale Register of Controlled Trials. The results were summarized using a narrative approach and summary tables. In total, 13 studies were eligible for inclusion in the systematic review. The current evidence base is either in favor of pharmacogenetics-guided prescribing or showed no difference between pharmacogenetics and treatment as usual for clinical and economic outcomes. In the future, we require randomized controlled trials with sufficient sample sizes that provide recommendations for patients who take antipsychotics based on a broad, multigene panel, with consistent and comparable clinical outcomes.

Plastic entanglement causing hedgehog deaths.

Georgina Mills discusses research looking at the issue of plastic waste and how it affects hedgehogs in Great Britain.

Protecting the USA's rarest wild birds.

Georgina Mills reports on news that the USA has approved the vaccination of California condors against avian influenza.

'A part of me': the value of dogs to homeless owners.

Georgina Mills discusses new research that looks into the relationship between homeless people and the dogs they keep.

How eyesight helps elephants move steadily.

Georgina Mills discusses new research looking at how visual feedback helps the world's largest quadrupeds stay stable.

Are AI-written articles the future?

Georgina Mills discusses the use of artificial intelligence tools in scientific research and literature.

Understanding how cats purr.

Georgina Mills discusses new research that investigated how cats purr and whether neural input is needed.

Do female chimpanzees experience menopause?

Georgina Mills discusses new research that investigates if the hormonal changes seen in women in later life are reflected in chimpanzees.

Enriching the lives of captive giraffes.

Georgina Mills discusses new work from the University of Glasgow examining how sounds might keep giraffes entertained.

Mass wolf cull in Sweden sparks debate.

Georgina Mills reports on a controversial cull of wolves in Sweden, which has been criticised by environmental groups in the country.

Helping the animals that protect all our lives.

Georgina Mills sits down with Lady Bathurst, the founder of the National Foundation for Retired Service Animals, to discuss the charity's aims and the reasons behind its inception.