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Well, I’ll be Darned!
Marley the cat.
A curious cat had a lucky escape when she accidentally pounced on a two and a half inch darning needle. 

Seven-month-old kitten, Marley, was taken to The Blue Cross animal hospital in Victoria when her concerned owners noticed she was coughing and felt something protruding from under the skin in her neck.

Blue Cross veterinary staff carried out x-rays to pin point the problem and were amazed to discover the long needle, which had pierced through the roof of the kitten’s mouth right through the back of her neck, narrowly missing her jugular vein and windpipe. Staff quickly operated to carefully pull out the needle under anaesthetic and Marley has now made a full recovery.

An x-ray showing the location of the needle.
Blue Cross vet, Julia Smith, who carried out the operation, said: “You can see on the x-ray that the needle had travelled right through the neck muscle, so she must have pounced on the needle with some force. The needle was close to her spine so she’s very lucky to have escaped without any permanent damage."

Marley’s owner, Thomas Ward, said: “We were very surprised to see how big the needle was and we have no idea where she got it from. We’re so pleased that she’s doing fine now and she's back to her cheeky self."

Julia added: “Occasionally we see cases where cats have swallowed thread attached to needles, but not where a kitten has impaled itself with such a large needle in this way. Kittens can easily get themselves into mischief because they are naturally inquisitive and love to pounce on objects, so it’s always worth scouring your home to check for any hazards."

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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.