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Pig starts fire after eating pedometer
The fire spread through four pig pens before being contained.

Yorkshire fire crews extinguish blaze on farm

Fire crews were called to a farm near Bramham, Leeds on Saturday, after a pig accidentally caused a fire which spread through four pig pens.

According to the North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, the fire was started by a battery-powered pedometer which had been swallowed and then excreted by one of the farm’s pigs.

It is believed that the copper from the batteries had reacted with the pig’s excrement and dry bedding, igniting and burning approximately 75 square metres of hay. No animals or people were harmed.

The pedometers were being used to prove that the pigs were free-range.

Teams from nearby Tadcaster and Knaresborough attended the scene at approximately 2pm. In a tweet summarising the incident firefighters said: “A hose reel was used to extinguish the fire and save the bacon.”

Image (c) North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service.

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
New guidance for antibiotic use in rabbits

New best practice guidance on the responsible use of antibiotics in rabbits has been published by the BSAVA in collaboration with the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund (RWA&F).

The guidance is free and has been produced to help veterinary practitioners select the most appropriate antibiotic for rabbits. It covers active substance, dose and route of administration all of which are crucial factors when treating rabbits owing to the risk of enterotoxaemia.

For more information and to access the guide, visit the BSAVALibrary.