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Puppy on road to recovery after life-saving surgery
Gizzy has started a course of hydrotherapy and is said to be growing stronger every day. 

Five-month-old Gizzy broke two legs in a road traffic accident. 

A puppy left with two broken legs after a road traffic accident is on the mend, thanks to a life-saving operation by the RSPCA.

Five-month-old Gizzy, a staffie-cross, was rescued by RSPCA inspector Jess Pierce in September. Gizzy’s owner was unable to afford her treatment and no longer wanted to keep her.

Jess rushed Gizzy to RSPCA’s Greater Manchester Hospital for treatment, where she underwent a five-hour operation to pin together broken bones in two of her legs.

Veterinary surgeon Christine Pye and her team carried out the painstaking procedure, inserting metal rods and plates into Gizzy’s legs to enable the bones to fuse together.

Christine said it was the first time she had carried out the surgery on two legs, adding: “It was a complex operation but without it Gizzy would not have been able to walk and this bouncy five-month-old pup with whole life ahead of her needed to be able to be saved so we were determined to give her the best possible chance of a normal life.”

Following her treatment, Gizzy spent 10 days recovering in hospital until X-rays revealed that her surgery was a success. She was then taken into foster care by animal care assistant Anne Mitchell and is growing stronger every day.

Anne said: “Having fostered dogs previously with broken legs I knew what was involved and how long the rehabilitation would be so of course I was happy to help and she came home with me at the beginning of October. I knew she would have great difficulty walking and we would need to gently build this up and support her confidence building.

“We have started a course of hydrotherapy which she took in her stride and it is helping get her movement back in her legs and strengthening them.”

Image (C) RSPCA.

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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.