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Constipated goldfish has £300 surgery
goldfish
The owner made the decision to pay £300 for the life-saving surgery.
Owner pays Norfolk vet hundreds of pounds to save his fishy friend

A goldfish owner from Norfolk has paid vets £300 to perform life-saving surgery on his constipated pet.

After taking the goldfish to the Toll Barn Veterinary Centre in North Walsham, he was told his pet would need surgery to remove the blockages.

Vet Faye Bethell, who performed the surgery, told the Telegraph: "I have never done a procedure like that on a goldfish, although I have done it before on more valuable fish like a carp.

"The actual surgery is quite straightforward but administering the anaesthetic is quite complicated. The issue was the fish couldn't poo and it would have eventually become toxic and it would have died.

"There was nothing special about the fish. He just liked it a lot. People love their pets - but that was an expensive little goldfish."

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Applications open for MMI research grants

News Story 1
 RCVS' Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has launched round two of its veterinary mental health research grants.

Researchers have until 11.59pm on Wednesday, 28 May 2025 to apply for a grant for research which reflects MMI's 2025 focus areas.

Only one Impact Grant was awarded last year, and so this year there are two Discovery Grants and one Impact Grants available. Each Discovery Grant is worth £5,000 and the Impact Grant is worth £15,000.

For more information or to apply, email researchgrants@rcvs.org.uk to contact the MMI team.

 

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News Shorts
BBC Radio 4 documentary addresses corporate fees

BBC Radio 4's File on 4 Investigates has released a documentary exploring how corporate-owned veterinary practices may be inflating bills to increase profit.

Released on 15 April, 'What's Happening To Your Vet Bills?' revealed the policies which many corporate groups have in place to increase their profits. This included targets and upgrades which veterinary teams are tasked with meeting on a regular basis.

It also features Anrich Vets, an independently-owned practice based in Wigan. Following the case of Staffordshire terrier Benjy, who is diagnosed with a tumour, the documentary shares how the team were able to offer contextualised care and advice to make the procedure as affordable as possible for his owners.

The documentary can be heard on demand on BBC iPlayer.