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Draught excluder mistaken for snake
Image - www.eveningexpress.co.uk
SSPCA called out over lookalike

The Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) dispatched an Animal Rescue Officer after receiving a call from a member of the public who was in some distress after coming across what she believed to be a 5ft snake in the loft of her rented home in Kingswells near Aberdeen. Upon closer investigation, Animal Rescue Officer Karen Hogg (pictured) rapidly determined that the large black and green snake was in fact a novelty draught excluder with the shape and pattern of a large snake, complete with a tongue made from red felt.

"We've rescued hundreds of snakes from properties in all sorts of unusual circumstances, so we had no reason to believe this might not be the real thing,” said Officer Hogg, who added that "This call-out really made us smile and given that we deal with cruelty and neglect day in day out, it was refreshing to go to a job where the 'animal' was completely unharmed."

The draught excluder, perhaps inevitably dubbed 'Sid', is now in the care of the SSPCA's Aberdeen Animal Rescue and Rehoming Centre. 

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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.