Vets4Pets Bath

02/11/2024

Ditto & Mban 💕

These cute kittens joined us last week for their first vaccinations. They were very brave and enjoyed some fuss from our nurse Rebecca.

We recommend kittens are vaccinated once they have reached 9 weeks of age. A vaccination appointment is more than just a jab.
It’s a chance for your kitten to get a thorough physical health check with a veterinary surgeon, as well as the opportunity to discuss any questions or concerns you may have.

Register your new kitten today and speak to us about starting their vaccinations 💉📞

31/10/2024

28/10/2024

..And Bingo was his name-o!

Meet Bingo 💕 this little guy joined us this month for a dental. He was such a sweetie and had the majority of the nursing team singing to him throughout the day!

Wishing him a speedy recovery.

23/10/2024

21/10/2024

Olive 🫒🐱

Olive joined us this month for her routine neutering procedure. She was extremely playful after her procedure and enjoyed lots of cuddles from our nursing team. She loved her medical pet suit and seemed to preferred this over a buster collar!

17/10/2024

🏆Buster Collar Race!🏆

We challenged some of our team to see who could put together a Buster Collar the quickest! Vote below who you think our winner is, and watch to find out!👀

16/10/2024

Hyperthyroidism in cats 🐈

What is hyperthyroidism?

Hyperthyroidism occurs if your cat’s thyroid gland starts producing too much of a hormone called thyroxine, or T4. This hormone regulates the speed of your cat’s processes, speeding up your cat’s metabolism.

Because your cat is using too much energy this can lead to signs such as:

⚪️ Weight loss
⚪️ Increased appetite
⚪️ Restlessness
⚪️ Increased vocalisation
⚪️ Vomiting
⚪️ Matted coat

What is the next step?

Contact us if you think your cat has one or more signs of hyperthyroidism ☎️

There is treatment options available such as:

⚪️ Medical management with medications
⚪️ Surgical removal of the thyroid gland
⚪️ Therapy with radioactive iodine

16/10/2024

Super Relaxed Pickles 🐱

Pickles visited our nurse Michelle last week for his regular blood test. He was the perfect patient as always and even cuddled up for a cat nap after 😴

15/10/2024

15/10/2024

⚠️Client Notice ⚠️

We would like to inform our clients that there will be a delay in fulfilling repeat prescriptions. This includes medications and flea/worm treatment.

This is due to a disruption with our supplier. We have been informed that our orders should return to normal towards the end of the week into the beginning of next week.

We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause.

11/10/2024

Today we celebrate our veterinary nurses!! 💕

Big shout out to our nursing team:

Rebecca RVN
Maria RVN
Michelle RVN
Donna RVN
Lauren SRVN
Bella SRVN

Today, we celebrate the incredible contributions of our nurses and student nurses who devote themselves to improving the lives of animals with their skills, compassion, and care. They are the epitome of multitasking and have a wealth of knowledge.

Our nursing team here at Bath truly are the backbone of our company and we simply could not do it without them!

08/10/2024

Story of Moose & The Thorn 🫎

Moose belongs to our student nurse Bella and came into practice for some fuss whilst Bella caught up on some college work.

HOWEVER… after lots of fuss from the team, Bella noticed Moose had something stuck in her eye!

Turns out it was a THORN! 😱 dun dun dun!

A day of simply visiting us, turned into a full general anaesthetic and a steady hand from vet Robin to remove the foreign object.

Moose was sent home with some pain relief, eye drops and extra treats.

She has now made a full recovery and will never want to visit us with her mum again 💕

07/10/2024

The Look Of Love 💕🥹

Pip joined us last week for his routine castrate procedure, he enjoyed lots of cuddles from vet Lili and nurse Michelle.

06/10/2024

Conker Hazards ⚠️🍂

While many dogs ignore conkers, some dogs like to play with them or even try to eat them.

But what’s the problem with them?

⚠️ Blockages: although the nut is smooth and shiny, if swallowed, they can get lodged in the stomach or intestines. This can then require emergency surgical removal to clear the obstruction.

⚠️ Poisoning: Conkers contain a chemical called aesculin, which is toxic to dogs if eaten.

What are the symptoms?

🍂 Vomiting
🍂 Diarrhoea
🍂 Abdominal Pain

Speak to us today for more information regarding conkers and reducing the risks ☎️

04/10/2024

Zelda✨💛

Beautiful girl Zelda has had a few trips to see us recently, following a lump that her family noticed on her abdomen. An in depth ultrasound scan revealed a foreign body in her subcutaneous skin layer. It was retrieved successfully using ultrasound and some forceps and turned out to be a grass seed!

We’re wishing Zelda a super speedy recovery 🥰

01/10/2024

Veterinary Receptionist Appreciation Day 🤍

We not only celebrate our receptionists today but everyday we acknowledge their remarkable dedication to the practice.

From handling incoming calls to seamlessly coordinating appointments, managing repeat prescriptions, and providing compassionate care to our clients and their beloved pets, our reception team goes above and beyond.

29/09/2024

The most common heart disease in cats is Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). HCM changes the muscles in the heart. It is more common in middle to older cats, but occasionally occurs in younger cats.

In HCM, the heart muscles become thickened, resulting in the heart chambers becoming smaller. It can be inherited in some breeds of cat, caused by other disease or can happen for some unknown reason.

A cat with HCM can often live with the problem for a period of time before showing any signs of being unwell.

During a vet check, the vet may pick up a heart murmur. A heart murmur may be a sign of a problem, but some cats can live quite normally with a heart murmur and never develop heart disease.

Other signs include:
🫀Poor appetite
🫀Weight loss
🫀Cold extremities
🫀Sudden loss of use of legs or severe pain
🫀 Swollen abdomen

Speak to us today about your cats heart health ☎️

29/09/2024

Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a disease that affects the heart muscles. DCM most commonly affects medium to large breed dogs, such a Doberman’s, Boxers, Irish Setters, German Shepherds and Great Danes.

In DCM, the heart muscles gradually become weakened and floppy. The heart enlarges and stretches, and becomes very inefficient at pumping blood around the body.

A dog with DCM can often live with the problem for a period of time before showing any signs of being unwell.

Signs of heart failure can initially be quite mild and so may be difficult to pick up. During a vet check, the vet may pick up a heart murmur and this may be a sign your dogs heart may not be working well.

Other signs include:
🫀Fainting
🫀Weakness
🫀Lack of energy/depression
🫀Coughing
🫀Poor appetite
🫀Weight loss
🫀 Swollen abdomen

Speak to us today about your dogs heart health ☎️

27/09/2024

Look at these two!! 🥹

Angel & Princess joined us today for their 1st vaccinations. Our vet Lili gave them a full clinical examination and supplied them with their first month of flea and worm treatment.

We can’t wait to see how big they’ve grown at their 2nd vaccination in a few weeks time! 💕

26/09/2024

Hunter joined us recently for his vaccinations, how handsome is this chap? 🥰 Dalmatians aren’t a breed we see too often so this was a real treat to see this lovely boy!

24/09/2024

Can you spell your pets name in emoji’s?

Let’s see if we can guess your pets name!

Comment yours below ⬇️

23/09/2024

September is pain awareness month!

Let’s talk arthritis in rabbits 🐰

Arthritis is often seen in rabbits over the age of six years old, although it can affect rabbits much earlier. Interestingly, giant breeds tend to develop arthritis younger than smaller breeds.

Arthritis commonly affects the hips, elbows and knees but can invoice any joints.

Rabbits are more likely to develop severe arthritis if they are:

⚪️Overweight
⚪️Suffered a injury to a joint
⚪️Genetic predisposed to joint problems

Spotting the signs of Arthritis ✅

⚪️Stiffness when moving
⚪️Getting dirty or scruffy, especially around back end
⚪️Reduced appetite
⚪️Getting wet underneath, as cannot get into normal position to urinate
⚪️Sleeping and resting more
⚪️ Reluctance or difficulty in jumping up/down

There is no cure for arthritis. However, you can make your rabbit more comfortable and can slow down the progression of arthritis by using strategies, supplements and medications.

Speak to us today if you are worried your rabbit may be showing signs of arthritis ☎️

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.”

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."

07/01/2024

Four-year-old Sebastian the Jack Russell is back to his usual boisterous self after being treated at Vets4Pets Abingdon for a condition that was causing the knee caps on his back legs to dislocate when he walked.

The condition, known as medial patellar luxation, would cause him to hop or skip when exercising. It's quite common in terriers and small dog breeds, but Sebastian's case was quite severe and he was given surgery by orthopaedic surgeon Joe to deepen the groove his patella runs in on his right hind leg, and also to move and reattach his patellar tendon.

Sebastian is owned by practice vet Hannah who said: "After the operation he just wanted to get back to normal straight away but he couldn't ... and that's where we struggled. He wanted to be out and about, charging around and playing with his toys but he needed to rest." Hannah had to give him medication for six weeks to give his knees time to heal. She said: "He's absolutely fine now – he's fully recovered and running around like a lunatic again!"

05/01/2024

When 11-year-old lurcher Jess was brought into Vets for Pets Leeds Birstall 24/7 Small Animal Hospital on Christmas Eve feeling very poorly with pyometra – a life-threatening uterus infection – the team knew they had to act fast; so vet Emily and nurses JD and Hannah headed straight in to perform emergency surgery on her in the early hours of Christmas morning.

The operation went so well that by lunchtime nurse Krishna was able to call her owner Beth to say she was well enough to come home to recuperate – and Beth made the hour-long drive from her home in Keighley so she could bring Jess home before the family sat down for their Christmas dinner. Beth said: "It was a stressful start to Christmas, as we were worried about Jess because of her age and because she's never had anything wrong with her before. We're so grateful for everything – it was so nice of them to come in on Christmas Day to operate on her, to look after her so well and to get her home on top form. The vets were fantastic from start to finish. Jess is recovering nicely – you can see the happiness is back in her!"

Krishna said: "Our night team always do an amazing job, and performing serious surgery like that at that time of night and on Christmas Day of all days is just brilliant. Jess did amazingly well to bounce back so quickly, and it was amazing being able to call her owners to say that she could come home to spend Christmas with them. It's the sort of call we all love to make, but doing it on Christmas Day was extra nice."

03/01/2024

Six-foot-long boa constrictor Astrix was the centre of attention when he called in for a routine "top to tail" health check at Vets4Pets Penzance.

Astrix, who's four, is part of a menagerie of six snakes, bearded dragons and six dogs belonging to veterinary nurse Lowenna, who works at the practice, and her partner Mark. The team looked at Astrix's eyes and mouth and checked his breathing to rule out any respiratory infections and also checked his scales.

Lowenna said: "He got a clean bill of health, he was absolutely fine and everyone had a turn holding him. Asterix is quite reserved, a little bit shy usually. He did really well when he came in as everyone wanted to touch him and he was like 'okay I quite like the attention.' Astrix has got a lovely big set-up at home. He's quite a big boy, weighing in at nearly 10 kilos, so the vivarium is more than seven foot long. We have a reptile room and he has the run of it. He has a large bucket of water too if he ever wants to submerge himself."

02/01/2024

This brave girl is collie-cross Sherpa, who the team at Vets for Pets Livingston say was "impeccably calm" when she was rushed in for emergency injury after hurting her eye in a freak accident.

Sherpa's owner Caroline was taking Sherpa for a walk when Sherpa caught her eye on a stick as she went exploring a bush. She was quickly admitted into surgery where she received X-rays and, after a two-hour procedure by practice owner Dr Adam, aided by nurse Erin, the stick was removed. Adam said: "Sherpa was amazingly tolerant following an extremely random occurrence. It was astonishing." Sherpa didn't lose her sight and is now making a great recovery.

Caroline said: “We were suddenly thrown into the worst living nightmare, it was absolutely horrifying. It’s truly a miracle what Adam and the team achieved from the moment they answered our call for help. They gave us hope."

24/12/2023

This little Christmas cracker is Molly, who survived against the odds and gave birth to three premature puppies after being brought in to Vets for Pets Cirencester as a pregnant stray with severe injuries from a fight with other dogs.

Martina, who owns the practice, said: ”It was really touch and go and we thought Molly might not make it. The team treated mum first, got her on a drip and stabilised her before successfully managing to deliver the puppies – two boys and a girl – by caesarean section."

Molly, who's a Cairn Terrier, and her three pups are recovering well at home with Martina. “As they needed 24/7 care I took them home and emptied the whole spare bedroom so there was a nice, warm and comfortable quiet place for Molly and her puppies. I was attached to her for the first five days – my husband Matt even brought food up to the bedroom for me as I stayed there all the time. It was really hard work but it was all worth it. They’re absolute darlings and doing really well now – mum is already brave enough to go on dog walks.”

Martina says Molly will continue living with her in the future, and the puppies will be adopted when they are stronger.

19/12/2023

This beautiful buzzard is on the mend after undergoing surgery on a broken wing at Vets4Pets Newmarket after he was hit by a car.

A member of the public rescued the buzzard and brought him in to see if the team could help. After a successful operation and five days of recuperation he's ben taken to The Raptor Foundation rehabilitation centre to continue his recovery.

Practice manager Natalie said: "We put him under general anaesthetic and performed orthopaedic surgery. We'll see him again next month to see how he's progressing and then hopefully he'll be released back into the wild. We wish him a speedy recovery as he's such a handsome chap.”

17/12/2023

Here's a salutary tale in the run-up to Christmas Day ... the story of poor little Tego, who had to be rushed to Vets for Pets Morpeth for emergency treatment after snaffling 48 Quality Street chocolates, their wrappers and part of the box.

Owner Sarah realised chocolate was toxic for dogs so phoned the vets who told her to get the five-year Tibetan Terrier there immediately. Sarah said: "They were brilliant with him. The chocolates were a birthday present for my daughter Olivia, and they were all wrapped up and put in the lounge with the door shut. I went to work and when I came back Tego had somehow managed to get in the room and rip into them."

Vet Eleni and the team helped Tego cough everything up and took blood tests and put him on medication before he was allowed home. Eleni said it's a useful reminder to keep chocolates well hidden – and to act fast if your dog eats any and induce vomiting within one to two hours to prevent the body from absorbing the toxins.