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Suspected tumour turns out to be shoelaces
Garry with shoelaces
Vets found shoelaces, hairbands and plastic in Garry's stomach.

Vets shocked to discover a tangle of items in cat's stomach

Brighton vets got a shock when they performed exploratory surgery on a cat with a suspected tumour, only to find an assortment of shoelaces, hair bands and plastic in his stomach.

Curious cat Garry had been taken to PDSA's pet hospital in Brighton for his annual boosters, when vets became concerned by a large mass in his stomach. Garry's worried owner, Ana Barbosa, was told to expect the worst, as a life-threatening tumour was suspected to be the cause.

During emergency surgery, however, PDSA vet Jess Maguire discovered a tangle of objects in Garry's stomach. She commented: "We often see dogs who have eaten odd things, but it is quite unusual for a cat to eat so many different items."

Garry's owner said: "Garry is a very cheeky little chap who has always preferred playing with human things instead of cat toys. But we had no idea he was actually eating them.
 
"I’d washed some laces from my trainers, which went missing. I never for one moment thought that Garry was the reason why!

"When I first heard it may be a tumour, I was devastated. My two boys and I all adore him. So although I was absolutely shocked to find out what the mass was, we were relieved to hear the good news that it wasn’t a tumour."

The items could have caused a fatal blockage if left undetected. Vets suspect they had been eaten over a period of time and said it's surprising the cat had not suffered any symptoms.

Garry's owner said the mischievous moggie will be under close scrutiny now to put a stop to his bizarre snacking.

Image courtesy of PDSA

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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.