Long may Vet lab stay open

Madam Editor, I write to warn pet and livestock owners of the little known but very grave threat posed by garden shrubs of the Pieris family. These are compact evergreen shrubs, with leathery dark green leaves, often brightly coloured when young. “Forest Flame” is perhaps the best known variety, and the young foliage is a brilliant bright red. “Lilly of the Valley Bush” is another, so- named after its flower. Every part of these plants is highly poisonous. Even a mouthful of leaves stolen by a passing curious sheep or goat is enough to cause death by heart failure. The mystery of these sudden deaths is solved by our friends in the Regional Veterinary Laboratory: long may they remain. Yours faithfully, John Robinson MVB Animal Health Care, Ballymote, Co Sligo.