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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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Equine Disease Surveillance report released for Q4 2025

News Story 1
 The latest Equine Disease Surveillance report has been released, with details on equine disease from Q4 of 2025.

The report, produced by Equine Infectious Disease Surveillance, includes advice on rule changes for equine influenza vaccination.

Statistics and maps detail recent outbreaks of equine herpes virus, equine influenza, equine strangles and equine grass sickness. A series of laboratory reports provides data on virology, bacteriology, parasitology and toxicosis.

This issue also features a case study of orthoflavivus-associated neurological disease in a horse in the UK. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
NSA webinar explores sheep tailing and castration

The National Sheep Association (NSA) is to host a free webinar on the castration and tail docking of lambs.

The webinar, 'Understanding the tailing and castration consultation: A guide for sheep farmers', will be hosted online on Monday, 2 March 2026 at 7.30pm.

It comes during a government consultation into the methods used for these procedures. Farmers are encouraged to engage before the consultation period closes on Monday, 9 March 2026.

The webinar offers clear and actionable guidance to support farmers to contribute meaningfully to the consultation and prepare for potential changes.

On the panel will be former SVS president Kate Hovers, farmer and vet Ann Van Eetvelt and SRUC professor in Animal Health and Veterinary Sciences Cathy Dwyer. Each panel member will utilise their own specialism and expertise to evaluate risks and outcomes to sheep farming.

Find out more about the webinar on the NSA website.