Christmas and New Year can be an unsettling time for your pet.  With perhaps more visitors to the house, a slightly different routine, noisy toys and the dreaded firework displays, they might just wonder what has happened to their world!

Take a look at our Top Ten Tips HERE to help provide your pet with some much needed respite.  You can also watch a short film HERE on our YouTube channel.  If you do have a concerns about how your pet might cope, speak to the team and book in for a complimentary consultation with one of our RVN’s and they will be happy to advise.

With the holiday period looming, the practice will be closed on the following dates:

1. Tuesday 25th December 2018
2. Wednesday 26th December 2018
3. Tuesday 1st January 2019.

As always, there is 24/7 emergency cover.  Just call 01772 639800 and you will be put in contact with a vet.

If you require medication for your pet for the holiday period, please place your orders at least 48 hours beforehand.

We went to visit Carly and Abi at Willow’s Hydrotherpay Centre back in November to see what happens there and how the facilities and services that are available help our furry patients with various conditions.

Take a look at our short film HERE to see what happens.  If you have any questions regarding your pet’s health or feel hydrotherapy or other complimentary therapies might help, please get in contact.

The festive season is almost upon us.  A time for relaxation, family gatherings , food, drink and general merriment.  We don’t want anything to spoil this important time for the humans or our furry friends, so keeping our pets safe over the Christmas and New Year period is something to consider.

Download information HERE on some common Christmas poisons and if you suspect your pet may have ingested a poison, you can contact the Veterinary Poisons Line on 01202 509 000 or visit the website at  https://vpisglobal.com/2016/08/23/vpis-public-helpline/

Part of owning a pet is the inevitability of their passing.  This is the part of ownership that can be the most difficult for owners to discuss and address; “When is the right time?”  “How will I know?” ” I don’t want to make that decision!”

This is a topic that our staff deal with every day and we’re here to help.  We provide support and information to help owners with the decision but we also have a great leaflet which we hope helps owners prepare for this very difficult time and can be downloaded HERE

There are also some great support providers out there that owners can access such as:

• “Paws to Listen” – telephone 0800 0249494.  https://www.cats.org.uk/what-we-do/grief-and-loss/grief-resources-support   This service is provided by The Cats Protection League which is staffed by volunteers ready to listen and provide help and support after the death of a pet.
• The Blue Cross – 0800 0966606.  https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-bereavement-and-pet-loss   You can also email them at pbssmail@bluecross.org.uk.  They provide support if you have lost your pet through death, parting or enforced separation.

Winter is coming and the thought of snuggling up on the sofa with our furry friends, under a blanket with a nice hot cup of coco seems like bliss!

But spare a thought for those pets who might live outdoors, and what you can do to make sure that they are safe, warm and cosy during the Winter months.

There’s some great information available to download HERE provided by the RSPCA on how to keep your rabbit cosy.  Guinea pigs are also susceptible to harm during the colder months, so here are some tips on how you can take some small steps to help:

• Ideally it’s best to move hutches into a shed, garage or other outbuilding. Alternatively, it’s an option to bring them into the house for the duration.
• If this isn’t possible, position hutches so that wind, rain, snow or sleet can’t blow in.
• Elevate the hutch off the ground and undertake maintenance on your hutch to ensure that it’s water tight.
• Cover the front of the hutch with an old blanket or sacking.
• Add extra bedding to keep your pet warm.
• You may need to change their bedding and sawdust more regularly so that your pet stays warm AND dry. A cold, wet pet is more susceptible to becoming unwell during the winter months.
• Check their water bottle regularly – water freezes very quickly and easily so press the ball every few hours to keep the water flowing.
• Your rabbit or guinea pig will still need access to their run during the day so that they can get exercise.
• Predators, such as foxes and badgers, might be more bold in their attempts to secure a meal during the winter months so make sure your hutch is sturdy enough to survive any potential attention from these predators.

If you are concerned about your small outdoor pet during the Winter months, get in contact.

A regular condition that affects our pets is one relating to the heart.  Heart murmurs can be present for many reasons and understanding how it may or may not affect your pet will depend on the type of murmur, its severity and any condition it might be linked to.

In kittens and puppies, for example, an “innocent” heart murmur may be heard at their first health check but is usually no longer present when they get to around 6 months old.

Murmurs are graded according to certain criteria;  Grade 1 being the most mild and Grade 6 the most severe.  However, the grade of murmur may not necessarily relate to the severity of any underlying heart problem.  Other factors are considered such as where in the heart the murmur is heard and  any other clinical signs that might suggest an underlying problem.

In cats, a murmur can be a sign of high blood pressure (hypertension) and in dogs is can be associated with illness such as anaemia.

Symptoms to watch for in cats include:

• lethargy
• abnormal breathing, pattern or effort
• pale gums.

Symptoms to watch for in dogs include:

• coughing
• difficult or rapid breathing
• noisy breathing
• exercise intolerance
• fainting episodes

Further investigations may also be needed such as x-rays or a cardiac ultrasound (echogardiography).  If you have any concerns that your pet might be displaying any symptoms of a murmur, contact us for further advice.

As with cats, dogs develop diabetes due to the pancreas not producing enough or any insulin, or their body has an inadequate response to the hormone.  This leads to the dog’s body being unable to control the levels of sugar in their blood.

Many dogs can cope with this situation for a while.  However, diabetic dogs are prone to suffer from other health issues so can often become seriously unwell if they then acquire another illness. 

The symptoms of diabetes in a dog are the same as they are in cats:

• an increase in urination.
• an increased thirst.
• increased hunger.
• weight loss

Diagnosis of the disease is from a blood test.  Elevated levels of glucose , which is a sign of diabetes, can also be as a result of stress so testing might be repeated over a number of weeks to detect if levels are persistent or just a one of problem.

Again, diet plays a massive part in the overall control of the disease but a treatment programme will be recommended by your vet.  In addition, support, guidance and advice are important for owners to help them manage their dog’s diabetes.  your dog will require regular check-ups to monitor the condition and adjustments to treatment might be needed in the early days to get their sugar levels under control.

If you are concerned about any aspects of your dog’s health, contact us for further advice.

Did you know that cats and dogs can suffer from diabetes?  Today we are going to look at the condition in cats, but stay tuned for information on how the condition affects dogs later in the week.

So, what is “diabetes mellitus”?  How do you know your cat might have it and how do you look after a cat with the condition?

It is a complicated condition and is caused by either a very, very low or complete lack of the hormone “insulin”.  Insulin is produced in the pancreas and is released into the blood in response to increasing levels of glucose(sugar) in the blood.  It helps to maintain normal levels of glucose in the blood.

This condition is very common in cats, and although once diagnosed management options can be quite complex and specific to an individual cat, overall it is a condition that is quite easy to manage.

Although the condition mainly develops in middle-aged and older cats, diabetes may develop as a result of another disease or from certain forms of drug therapy.  It is more common in male cats, neutered cats and overweight cats.  Some cat breeds are more genetically predisposed to developing this condition.

The signs that can be seen in a diabetic cat are:

• an increase in urination.
• an increase thirst.
• weight loss.
• an increase in appetite.
• a predisposition to bacterial bladder infections (straining to urinate, passing blood in the urine).
• weakness of the back legs
• poor coat

The condition is diagnosed by taking urine and blood samples for testing so if you have concerns about your cat’s health, contact us for further advice.