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High-chair helps pup survive life-threatening illness
Pluto
Pluto sitting in his specially constructed Bailey Chair.

Pluto suffers from rare condition called mega-oesophagus
 
An unlikely item of furniture has been used by vets at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home to help a puppy survive a life threatening illness.

Labrador Pluto arrived at Battersea Brands Hatch in February as a severely underweight puppy. Vets were concerned when Pluto continuously brought back up his food, and tests revealed that he had a rare condition called mega-oesophagus.

This congenital condition meant the muscles in his oesophagus did not work, so anything Pluto chewed could get stuck in his throat and be fatal.

To solve the problem, vets decided to construct a Bailey Chair - a special high chair for dogs - that allowed Pluto to be fed upright, allowing the food to reach his stomach. He then has to stay upright for 10 minutes after eating so that his food does not come back up.

Veterinary surgeon Shaun Opperman explains:  "It’s all about gravity when you feed Pluto, he needs to be fed upright and have all his food in one go. At Battersea we put water in the food to hydrate him because he couldn’t even have a drink – it’s a fairly long process.

"Anything can get stuck in his oesophagus and people need to be really vigilant – even if he eats a small piece of food or fluff off the floor it would put back his progress.”
 
Pluto has now found a loving home with Alan and Deborah Scoones in Oxfordshire.  Alan said:  “Our daughter Chloe works at Battersea Brands Hatch and fostered Pluto and we had the chance to meet him. We fell in love with him and wanted to re-home him, so Chloe taught us all we needed to know about his condition.

"Now we have a good routine at home with feeding and we all take turns four times a day to give him a meal. Pluto knows to get straight into his chair and backs in to it all on his own – he sits there waiting for his food to be brought over! He scoffs it down and seems very happy.

"It’s a small price to pay to have such a perfect dog in our lives. It’s great that Chloe can still see Pluto when she visits us, especially after she cared for him and did so much work with him at Battersea.”

Image (C) Battersea Dogs and Cats Home

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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...
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UK's BSE risk status downgraded

The WOAH has downgraded the UK's international risk status for BSE to 'negligible'.

Defra says that the UK's improved risk status recognises the reputation for having the highest standards for biosecurity. It adds that it demonstrates decades of rigorous animal control.

Outbreaks of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, also known as mad cow disease, have previously resulted in bans on Britain's beef exports.

The UK's new status could lead to expanded trade and better confidence in British beef.

Christine Middlemiss, the UK's chief veterinary officer, said: "WOAH's recognition of the UK as negligible risk for BSE is a significant milestone and is a testament to the UK's strong biosecurity measures and the hard work and vigilance of farmers and livestock keepers across the country who have all played their part in managing the spread of this disease.