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Toddler stashes deadly snake eggs in wardrobe
Mother finds hatched eastern brown snakes in container

A toddler in Australia had a lucky escape after stashing eastern brown snake eggs in a plastic container tucked away in his wardrobe.

Kyle Cummings aged three found the eggs near his home in Townsville, Queensland, before storing them in a safe place. A few days later his mother found the seven deadly snakes after they had hatched. The reptiles were 12-15cm long.

Eastern brown snakes are highly venomous and are second only to the Inland Taipan when it comes to venom. Fortunately, in this instance they caused no harm to any of the Cummings family.

The snakes have since been released into the wild.

Trish Prendergast of North Queensland Wildlife Care, who released the snakes, said: "Their fangs are only a few millimetres long at that age, so they probably couldn't break the skin, but they're just as venomous as full-grown snakes.”

In September a Sydney teenager survived a bite on the hand from an Inland Taipan. He was rushed to hospital and given anti-venom.


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Greyhound Board announces change to vaccination guidance

News Story 1
 The Greyhound Board of Great Britain has published new vaccination guidance, with all greyhounds registered from 1 January, 2027 required to have the L4 leptospirosis vaccination, rather than L2.

The change comes in response to the reduced availability of the 'L2' Leptospirosis vaccine across the UK, and aims to support best biosecurity practice across the racing greyhound population.

GBGB veterinary director Simon Gower, said "While rare, Leptospirosis is a serious infectious disease that can affect both dogs and humans, so it is vital that we offer our greyhounds the broadest possible protection.  

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News Shorts
Free webinar explores congenital heart disease in dogs

A free webinar is to provide veterinary professionals, dog breeders and pet owners an new insights into congenital heart disease.

Chris Linney, a cardiology specialist and Veterinary Cardiovascular Society (VSC) member, will present the webinar from 7.00pm to 8.30pm on Wednesday, 12 November.

Dr Linney will explore the types, causes and clinical presentation of congenital heart conditions. This will include diagnostic approaches, treatment pathways and emerging research opportunities.

The session is the third to be organised by The Kennel Club, with the VCS, following an introductory webinar and a talk on acquired heart disease. Dr Linney's webinar consists of a one-hour presentation, followed by a 30-minute question and answer session.

Dr Linney said: "This webinar will be an opportunity to deepen understanding - not just of the diseases themselves, but of how breeders, vets and owners can work together to support affected dogs and improve outcomes for future generations."

Click here to register for the webinar.