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Goldfish receives rare surgery to save eyesight
Pictured: Dorothy (Dotty) the goldfish.

The surgery took place at McDonald Vets in Glasgow.

The sight of a beloved 12 year old goldfish named Dotty has been saved after a team of veterinary professionals from Glasgow operated to remove a tumour from her eye, as reported by Scottish news outlet STV.

Dotty's owner, a veterinary nurse named Caroline McHugh, became concerned for her pet after noticing a large red growth covering Dotty's eye and took the goldfish to McDonald Vets in Glasgow, where she works. 

The veterinary team operated on Dotty, in the first operation of its kind to be carried out at the practice. After adding anaesthetic powder to Dotty's tank, the team began to work on her.

Dotty's gills were kept hydrated by squirting her with a syringe filled with water, whilst veterinary surgeon Lee Shrigley cut around the eye and tied off the blood vessels.

As reported by STV, veterinary surgeon Lee Shrigley commented: “The biggest challenge was getting Dotty to sleep, but once she was the surgery went very smoothly.

“We added an anaesthetic powder to Dotty’s tank to make her sleepy, before laying her on a table and periodically soaking her gills to keep her hydrated.

“The tumour itself was fairly big, so we used the smallest kit that we have to cut around the eye and tie off the blood vessels.

“The tumour was pulling on Dotty’s optic nerve and would have been uncomfortable for her.

“We had to be careful not to pull on it any more as it could have caused her to go blind in her other eye.

“We put her back in her own tank water after the operation and she woke up within five minutes.

“Three days after the operation, she was back to eating and causing trouble in her aquarium.”

 

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VMD invites students to apply for EMS placement

News Story 1
 The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is inviting applications from veterinary students to attend a one-week extramural studies (EMS) placement in July 2026.

Students in their clinical years of study have until 28 February to apply for the placement, which takes place at the VMD's offices in Addlestone, Surrey, from 6-10 July 2026.

Through a mixture of lectures and workshops, the placement will explore how veterinary medicines are authorised, non-clinical career opportunities, and other important aspects of the VMD's work.  

Click here for more...
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RCVS members invited to question Council candidates

RCVS members have been invited to submit questions to candidates for this year's RCVS Council election.

With 15 candidates standing for three available positions, vets have been invited to submit a question of their choosing before voting starts. These questions will be collated, with each candidate answering one question of their choice.

It is recommended that members read the candidates' biographies and statements before submitting questions. One question per member can be submitted to vetvote26@rcvs.org.uk before Wednesday, 25 February 2026.

The RCVS Council election is due to start in March.

With only two candidates for two positions on the VN Council, there will be no VN Council elections this year. Meghan Conroy RVN and Lauren Hargrave RVN will begin their three year terms at RCVS' AGM in July.