Companion Care Vets, Aylesbury

05/08/2024

Dipstick came into us a couple of weeks ago for his second vaccination.💜💚 He will soon be ready to go out and explore the big wide world.🌍

02/08/2024

Here's little Jasper showing us how he keeps cool in this heat. ☀️🏖🍦

30/07/2024

With temperatures of 30 degrees and higher today 🌡️ It is important to keep our pets as cool as possible.

🐶 Avoid walking your dogs during the day and opt to walk them early in the morning or late at night.

🐱 Keep cats in or make sure they can access shade all day.

🐰🐹 Small furries that live outside must be kept in the shade and try providing them with a pet friendly ice pack wrapped in a towel.

💦Make sure fresh water is always available.

☎️ And if you are worried about your pet at any point, call you vet!

27/06/2024

Adapting rabbit housing for the changing seasons ☀️🌧❄️

The RSPCA recommend a temperature of between 10-20 degrees for pet rabbits.

Keeping cool in the summer ☀️ :
🐰 They can stay outside they just need help to cope with the hot weather.
🐰 Rabbits can get sunburnt so make sure they are in shade during the day. This can be done by moving their run or putting a parasol up for them.
🐰 You can add a fan but make sure it is out of the way of nibbling mouths and blowing into their general space.
🐰 Top up their water everyday.

Keeping warm in the winter ⛄️ :
🐰 Before winter comes MOT their housing. Check for holes, leaks and damp and fix where needed.
🐰 Extra newspaper to the floor can add extra insulation. This needs to be changed everyday.
🐰 Extra bedding in their sleeping area.
🐰 Pet safe heated pads.
🐰 Do not use things like blankets as bunnies like to chew them and they could cause an intestinal blockage.
🐰 In extreme weathers it may be best to bring your bunny inside.

27/06/2024

Things to have in your rabbits enclosure:

🐰 Places to hide like boxes and tunnels - rabbits are prey animals so need somewhere to hide to keep them feeling safe.
🐰 Rabbit friendly toys; willow balls, puzzle feeders, dig boxes and snuffle mats for a few. They are very clever creatures so need to keep their brains 🧠 working! They don't need to be expensive toys you can make toys for them.
🐰 Constant excess to high quality feeding hay or fresh grass.🥕
🐰 Rabbits love to poo 💩and chew. They like a clean environment so will be thankful for separate areas for each, most bunnies will litter train themselves if you offer a litter tray.
🐰 Cosy sleeping area - pet rabbits typically sleep for about 8 hours a day. Their sleeping area should be warm, dry and have bedding like paper bedding or dust extracted straw bedding.

27/06/2024

Day four is all about environment!
There will be a couple of posts today as environment is very important for rabbits.

In the wild rabbit warrens can have 150 entrances and an amazing 517 meters of tunnels! They love having space to roam and explore.

Domestic rabbits can leave indoors 🏠 or outdoors 🌳 as long as they have everything that they need to be happy and healthy bunnies! 🐰

🥕 Follow the link below to find out more about indoor and outdoor setups:
https://rabbitawarenessactiongroup.co.uk/rabbit-welfare/environment/the-guide-to-rabbit-housing/

The Rabbit Welfare Association of Fund recommend a minimum enclosure for two bonded rabbits be 3m x 2m x 1m high. They also need to have access to their sleeping area, toilet area and sleeping area at all times.

26/06/2024

You can play games with your rabbit to help prevent boredom and encourage them to exercise 🏃‍♀️. There are lots of rabbit friendly toys on the market, if you have any questions just drop us a message!

A game you could play with them is the hopping challenge!💪 Build a low wall out of boxes and encourage them to hop over them with a tasty treat🥕.

You can also train your rabbit!🐰 Clicker training is an excellent way to do this. They can fetch and come to their name (this is helpful when you have free roaming bunnies in your garden, so you don't have to find them).

26/06/2024

Day three is learning your rabbits behaviour!

Here are some of the most common behaviours:
🐰 Binky - when your rabbit jumps in the air and twists - sign of a vey happy and playful bunny.
🐰 Biting - a small nip could be a sign that your rabbit wants your attention. A harder bite could be a sign of fear or stress.
🐰 Ears on alert - ears that are up means that something has got their attention.
🐰 Grinding teeth - if it is a soft grind (like purring) it is a sign of contentment. If they are grinding teeth loudly they are in pain and need to see a vet as soon as possible.
🐰 Licking companions or us - sign of affection and that they are happy.
🐰 Thumping - there is danger around or they are annoyed and need to stop what you are doing.

25/06/2024

Make your own paper bunny following the instructions below!
⬇️⬇️⬇️

25/06/2024

Day 2 of Rabbit awareness week!
Today we are looking at how diet is important to keeping your bunnies happy.
🐰 Rabbits need lots of fibre to stay healthy and happy. You may have noticed that your rabbits eat their own poo 💩 This is perfectly normal and really healthy for them to do. They can't get all the essential nutrients from their food the first time round and will produce soft dropping called caecotrophs. They will then eat these and get the rest of the nutrients and will produce the hard droppings.
🐰 Feeding nuggets over muesli helps prevent selective feeding. Rabbits will tend to choose the higher sugar elements and leave the fibre behind, This is an unbalanced diet and can lead to dental disease and obesity.

24/06/2024

Day 1 is all about Diet!
🐰 85-90% of your rabbits diet should be high quality feeding hay.
🐰 Just a tablespoon of rabbit nuggets once daily (or twice if your rabbit is over 3.5kg)
🐰 A handful of suitable fresh greens twice daily
🐰 Constant supply of fresh, clean water
🐰 A healthy treat

✅ Some rabbit friendly fresh greens are: basil, broccoli, celery, coriander, curly kale, dandelion leaves, mint, parsley, thyme and watercress.

❌ Some poisonous plants for rabbits are: buttercups, carnations, cowslip, daffodil, foxgloves, hemlock, holly, primrose and poppy. (This is not the full list, but always best to avoid house plants.)

24/06/2024

It's Rabbit Awareness week! 🐰
This year's theme is all about diet! 🥕🍎🥦
This week we will be sharing helpful tips and advice for bunny owners. If you want to get a head start on bunny nutrition click on this link - https://rabbitawarenessactiongroup.co.uk/

18/06/2024

The beautiful Disney came in for a dental clean last week 🦷. She was so well behaved, a proper little lady 👑.
Below you can see a before and after of Disney's teeth. They weren't the worst we have seen but it will help with her dental health in the long run.

13/06/2024

These gorgeous two came in for their microchips today! 💚💜 Little Katniss and Katrina where very well behaved for our RVN Lianne and our student nurse Hannah-Rose!

07/06/2024

With the weather warming up ☀ it's important to make sure that our furry friends big and small are being kept safe.

Below are some signs of heatstroke to keep an eye on. If you are concerned at all that you think your pet may have signs of heatstroke please call us on 01296 487977 📞.

04/06/2024

Today is National Hug your Cat day! 🐱
Here are some of our cats getting cuddles. 🫂
Not all cats like to be cuddled and that's ok! Here is a link to help you be able to read your cats body language - https://www.cats.org.uk/cats-blog/6-signs-your-cat-doesnt-want-a-hug .
Show us your cuddly and not so cuddly cats below! 💜💚

03/06/2024

Happy 12th Birthday Moriarty! (for yesterday) 🥳🐰
Moriarty is somewhat of a celebrity amongst the staff here at Companion Care Aylesbury. He has just celebrated his 12th birthday and his lovely parents made him a cake to celebrate. 🎂

03/06/2024

June is National Microchipping Month!

It is important to make sure that your pets microchip is always up to date with your address and contact details. This way if they ever going missing and get handed into a vets they can be reunited with you 🏡.

The best way to update them is with the microchip company. If you're unsure what microchip company it is then please give us a call and we can tell you 📞.

31/05/2024

By the 10th June 2024 it will be a legal requirement for all cats to be microchipped. Why not take care of it now at Companion Care Vets?
It’s a quick and painless procedure that keeps them safe. 🫂
To get your furry friend booked in give us a call on 01296 487977 today.📞

27/05/2024

Hello, my name is Lesley and I have been working at Companion Care for 3 years. In my spare I spend time competing in flyball with my dog Thea. I have another spaniel called Lexi.

24/05/2024

Its a bank holiday this weekend!
Hopefully the weather is better than last time! 🌧☀️We are open Saturday and Sunday for emergencies and closed Monday.
Our Out Of Hours provider Vets Now Hemel Hempstead will be open to cover for our team while they are relaxing.
📞Their number is: 01442 767028📞

23/05/2024

Hi, I’m Lauren.
I qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2011 and have been working here at companion care for nearly 4 years. I love my job and wouldn’t want to do anything else.
I love all aspects of nursing but mostly enjoy being on the ward looking after all your animals post operation and nursing the poorly ones back to health.
When not at work I’m kept busy at home with my dog and 2 cats.
I’m also a mum to two beautiful girls.

20/05/2024

Hi I'm Amy, I qualified as Veterinary Nurse in 2013.
I joined the Companion care team in 2019 after a short break to have a baby. I have since had another child and I am a proud mum of two cheeky girls. We have a Collie cross dog called Tilly and a sengal parrot called Pesto.
I enjoy spending time with my family, our favorite days out are the zoo and national trust sites.
I love being a Veterinary Nurse and am proud to be one, no day is the same. It can be a hard job at times but it is very rewarding. My favourite part of my job is Anaesthesia. I also like helping with the more unusual exotic patients we get in sometimes as its something a bit different.
But I don't have a favorite animal, I can honestly say I love them all!

16/05/2024

Hi I’m Lianne, I qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2016 and have been with companion care vets for 3 years. My main interests are anaesthesia and diagnostics. In Veterinary nursing no day is the same and Is extremely rewarding, I can honestly say I wouldn’t want to do anything else. At home I’m kept busy my my two boys and fur babies hugo the cat 🐱 and poppy the tortoise 🐢.

13/05/2024

Hi, I'm Carol, I qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2012.
I have worked at Companion Care vets for over a year now.
I really enjoy working here and love being a vet nurse it's a very rewarding job. I enjoy emergency work and wound management.
Outside of work I enjoy going on adventures with my daughter and caring for our 2 cheeky guinea pigs Buttons and Mello.

09/05/2024

Hi I'm Devan, I've been a qualified veterinary nurse for two years and have been working at Aylesbury Companion Care for six. I'm currently studying the Advanced Veterinary Nursing Certificate specialising in Medical Nursing as I enjoy working in inpatient care. I have two cats at home, Jasper and Percy and a dog called Lola. I love reading and have interests in fashion and travelling. I have a soft spot for our more nervous patients and always try to give them extra cuddles! 🐾

06/05/2024

Hi my name is Hannah-Rose and I’m a final year student veterinary nurse at Companion Care Aylesbury. My favourite part of nursing is Theatre, I enjoy all things surgical and monitoring patients under anaesthesia. When I’m not at work I’m looking after my motley crew of 7 cats, 4 dogs and 2 horses!! I look forward to meeting you and all your lovely pets when they visit the practice! ❤️

03/05/2024

Our Registered Veterinary Nurses are able to do all sorts of wonderful things 🤩. From nail clippings to assisting in procedures they really can do it all! 💪
Take a look below to see some of the things they can do!

02/05/2024

Hello my name is Robyn and I am the Head Nurse👩‍⚕️ here at Companion Care Aylesbury. I have been here for 7 years and and qualified as a RVN 3 years ago. I am a clinical coach and am helping to train the next generation of RVN's. I have three dogs at home Ziva, Norman and Winnie. My favourite part of nursing is emergency and critical care. 😄

01/05/2024

25/02/2024

When Kelly from our Colton store's Pets Grooming salon discovered a lump on the tail of nine-year-old Rufus she suspected something wasn't right, so alerted his owners Les and Andrea so they could get it checked out. They brought him to Vets for Pets Leeds Colton where it was confirmed he had a cancerous tumour which needed surgery.

Les, who adopted Rufus from Dogs Trust in Leeds as a puppy, said: “Rufus is such a big part of our life; we’re absolutely besotted with him. We probably wouldn’t have noticed the lump if not at the groomers as the tail isn’t somewhere you would usually stroke and feel. Kelly loves Rufus and really looks after him, so we want to say a big thanks for spotting it. Who'd have known what would have happened if she hadn’t noticed.”

Rufus had to have his tail removed, but is now making a good recovery. He's been visiting Kelly for a groom every six weeks for the last three years. She said: “You get to know everything about a dog as you groom them. I’ve discovered similar things before on other dogs so I mentioned it to the owners so they could get it checked out. Dogs are my life and you do worry; I’m so pleased they caught it. Now he’s got a fully docked tail like a little bunny rabbit. It’s lovely and suits him – when he gets washed he wiggles his bum.”

21/02/2024

Arthur's owner Louise says he "looked like a brand-new tortoise" after having his beak filed at Sutton in Ashfield Vets4Pets.

Louise adopted the four-year-old Horsefield Tortoise from a family member in October. Although she has had other pets, Arthur is her first tortoise, so she has been doing some research on how to best care for him.

Louise said: "I noticed Arthur's beak was unusually long, so I brought him in to Vets for Pets; I bring all my pets there. When he came out, I thought 'you beautiful boy, look at you – you look so handsome!"

Vet Steph, who looked after Arthur, says that tortoise beaks continuously grow and normally grind down themselves while they're eating. She said: "Arthur needed a little help as his jaw isn't perfectly aligned; his lower jaw is further out than his top jaw, so I filed it around half a centimetre. He was really good; a real cutie."

18/02/2024

Owner Claire says she couldn't be more grateful to Vets4Pets Hamilton after their quick diagnosis saved the sight of six-year-old Alba.

Claire knew there was something terribly wrong with her miniature dachshund cross when she called her in from the back garden last summer and Alba ran headfirst into a closed patio door. She rushed her to the vets, where investigations led the team to diagnose her with uveitis – an eye condition which causes inflammation of the middle layer of the eye.

Claire said: "It all happened so suddenly; Alba must have heard my voice and guessed where to go. It was quite scary seeing how bad she was. We couldn't be more grateful for the team in Hamilton spotting the uveitis as quickly as they did, otherwise Alba would have gone blind within a matter of days. Their knowledge saved Alba's sight. I still can't believe it happened. It's taken months of treatments, but it's such a relief to have our girl back to being her funny, bossy self."

Vet Neil, one of the team who treated Alba, said: "Alba's pupil was really narrow and wouldn't respond to light properly, which can be a sign of uveitis. Once we had ruled out other conditions, we were able to get her to an eye specialist for ongoing treatment. She's now doing really well."

16/02/2024

Ducky's owner Antonia was in a state of panic when she saw a fox had dug its way into the field where she keeps him – killing two of her other ducks and chickens.

Antonia was about to move her brood into their pen for the evening when she saw what had happened and noticed that Ducky had severe bite wounds under his wing. She rushed him to Vets4Pets Vets Milton Keynes for emergency surgery – and after having his wound stitched up the one-year-old duck is now making a good recovery.

Antonia said: "I was so worried. You don’t often hear of ducks recovering from fox attacks, but there is something about Ducky and the way he was so brave. I'm sure he was protecting a lady duck, as he's a bit of a romantic. It's the first time we've gone to Vets for Pets, and the team were amazing; they've done an incredible job."

Vet Becca, who treated Ducky, said: "He's a really lucky duck, as it was quite a big wound. When he first came in, he was understandably subdued and quiet but when he came back for his stitches to be taken out, he wanted to explore and tuck his head into everyone’s shoulders."

07/02/2024

Well done to the team at Vets4Pets Guildford who've been awarded a silver level certificate for being a rabbit-friendly clinic.

After head veterinary nurse Ella noticed that more customers were bringing in rabbits the practice took a series of steps to give them as stress-free an experience as possible. Ella, who also fosters rescue dogs in her spare time, said: "There was a long list of things that we needed to prove that we did from making sure the rabbits are kept separate from other animals and not booked in at the same time as barking dogs, to providing heated kennels for those who need to stay in, and using special equipment made especially for rabbits."

Practice manager Kevin said: "All of our vets have plenty of experience with rabbits we have some real rabbit geeks here, so it was a big thing to us. There are so many good people in this world and I'm so proud to be around them."

28/01/2024

Beautiful Bear was born deaf, so he's learned to follow his owner Lisa's visual commands.

Lisa, who shops at our Tamworth store – "it's my second home!" – got two-year-old Bear as a kitten and suspected he was deaf when he didn't respond to her voice. She had it confirmed by her vet soon after. She said: "He was very scatty, and scared of people he didn’t recognise. He wasn’t bothered by loud noises like my other cat Emily and when I came home from work he wouldn’t hear the door open.

"He's doing really well though. I try to do some sign language with him – I point at him and do a solid hand sign at him to stop. He picks up on vibrations and scents too. He meows, making a really loud chirping sound which I’ve never heard a cat do before, and he’s always rubbing his head against my legs and following me everywhere. I was advised not to let him out because he wouldn’t hear cars or other dangers, so he comes outside with me every morning to have a sniff around the garden and always comes straight back in." Bear and Lisa's other cat Emily are on Instagram as

27/01/2024

Ten-year-old Dutch rabbit Alfie has been visiting vet Kate at Vets4pets Wolverhampton for dental treatment for the last eight years – and she says he's such a loveable character that he's become "part of the family".

He's one of the oldest rabbits treated by Kate and the team, and she says his longevity is down to the care and love he gets from his owner Tracy and her family. Kate said: "Alfie is famous in this practice – everyone knows him. We and his family are dedicated to making sure her little old man is happy. The beautiful thing about being a vet or vet nurse is you build these relationships with the owners and their pets – they become your surrogate pets."

Tracy's been keeping rabbits all her life, and says that having space and routine is key. She said: "Alfie is an old man now and has a routine. He goes into a hutch at night and is let out in the morning. He's out all day and has his favourite spots in the house. We clean him out every day and give him a lot of attention. When he was younger he would follow us around; if I was clearing a cupboard out he would be in the cupboard to help. Now he's old and wants to be warm and watch instead. I can't thank Kate and the practice enough. Kate's been fantastic with him."

26/01/2024

Eight-year-old Winnie the Schnauzer cross is running around like a puppy again thanks to laser treatment and physiotherapy after two successful knee operations at Vets for Pets Basildon.

Worried owner Tracy brought Winnie in to the practice after she collapsed on a walk last year – and the team discovered the cruciate ligament in a knee had ruptured. She’s since had ops on two knees and is on a recovery plan led by vet physiotherapist Izzy.

Tracy said: "Winnie has had a tough year with 15 teeth removed, two cruciate ligament operations and two bouts of pancreatitis but thankfully she's hardy. She’s treated fabulously at the Basildon practice. Izzy is great with her – she totally relaxes in her hands and does little snores with her eyes open. Winnie has a new lease of life again and is running around like a puppy."

Izzy said: "When pets have surgery or injure themselves they move differently which causes them to be sore in other places. Winnie has laser therapy then a massage to help the healing process. Laser treatment is a specialist service that not enough people know about – it can help in so many ways after an operation.”

19/01/2024

The team at Vets4Pets Cramlington say greyhound Frank was "an absolute gentleman" when he came in for some dental work.

Seven-year-old Frank was brought in by owner Harriet to get rid of some plaque which had built up and to treat a gum inflammation. Veterinary nurse Vicki said: "Frank was a very good boy and left with clean, fresh and sparkly teeth. It's so very important to get your dog's teeth checked and we advise pets to have an annual dental check. Eighty per cent of dogs over the age of three have dental disease. Prevention is much better than cure and regular checks and routine cleaning keep your pet's mouth healthier for longer and can help to prevent extensive extractions later in life. We are always happy to offer advice on maintenance and dental care at home such as teeth brushing or dental supplements."

18/01/2024

Veterinary nurse Mel from Vets4Pets Bristol Longwell Green loves cats so much she's helped the practice make a number of improvements to give cats as stress-free an experience as possible when they're brought in.

Mel, who has an Advanced Certificate in Feline Behaviour for Veterinary Professionals, helped introduce facilities like a separate feline waiting area and cattery and the use of quiet clippers – and the practice now has a silver level certificate for being a cat-friendly clinic. She said: "I love dogs but I'm really a cat person. Cats can be misunderstood which can lead to them having quite a stressful life, so if we can make things easier for them and help people understand what cats need then everyone will be happier.

"As animal lovers there's always more to learn and understand about what makes them happy. Enrichment at the home is important for a happy cat – and as cats are naturally solitary animals if you live in a multi-cat household it's important to understand what they need. The rule is to have a resource per cat, plus one spare. So if you have two cats you should have three feeding stations, three litter trays and three scratch posts spread around the house so they have the opportunity to move around to wherever they want to go. Scratching is as natural a thing for cats to do as going out hunting is, so if they're unable to go out it's about providing the chance for them to behave as naturally as possible."