With Christmas and New Year approaching, unfortunately, fireworks will still be lighting up the sky and causing stress to so many pets.
Speak to our team if your pet suffers from firework anxiety, there are many ways we can help. And at home, try out our top tips for making the festive season less frightening, if there are fireworks around.
Together, we can help make our pets feel safe, secure, and keep them protected.
#BicesterVets #OxfordVets #FireworkSafety
Following our recent Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) inspection by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS), we're delighted to say that we have been re-awarded with Small Animal Veterinary Hospital accreditation.
The PSS is an initiative to accredit UK veterinary practices, with the aim to promote and maintain the highest standards of veterinary care. It's voluntary, and around 2/3 of vet practices in the UK have become accredited.
Veterinary Hospital accreditation is for general practices that can also investigate and treat more complex cases. In addition to meeting core standards, we must, among other things:
🩺 Ensure nursing staff are present on the premises around the clock, and a veterinary surgeon is available 24 hours a day to attend to inpatients if required
🩺 Maintain and improve clinical standards by monitoring performance and the outcome of treatments
🩺 Provide a range of specialist equipment, such as specific diagnostic equipment (ECG, ultrasound, CT scanner)
🩺 Submit to a rigorous examination of our premises and facilities, with emphasis on cleanliness and sterility
... to name just a few!
We're incredibly proud of this accreditation, as we believe it shows our commitment to providing the highest level of care, with the best possible facilities and team, to the pets in our community.
If you'd like to know more about the PSS, don't hesitate to chat with our team when you're next visiting!
#BicesterVets #OxfordVets #RCVSAccredited #SmallAnimalVeterinaryHospital #YourKindOfVets
Over the last few weeks, you have been sharing your winter pet photos with us for our Annual Christmas Video 🎄✨
We have been inundated with photographs and have loved seeing our beautiful pet patients enjoying life, exploring the outdoors and snuggling up at home. Thank you to everyone who has participated!
From our team to you and your pets, Merry Christmas! Wishing you all a wonderful festive season and for now, here are your furry, feathered and scaled family members.....
#BicesterVets #OxfordVets #PetPatients
Our Annual Christmas Party 🎉🎄
What a night we had! Our team kicked off the festive period enjoying a fabulous evening. It was wonderful to have all the team together. We also had an extra celebration as we bid farewell to our vet, Elliot, who is leaving us for new pastures. We wish him the best of luck for his future and are sure you will all join us in thanking him for his hard work in looking after many of the pets of Bicester!
It is safe to say we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. With so much to celebrate after a pivotal year of growing and refurbishing our practice, some of us really got into the festive spirit by the end of the evening!
We hope you enjoy a little insight into our Christmas party ✨
#BicesterVets #OxfordVets #ChristmasParty
Ready for some winter walks? We love this time of year - preferably, cold and dry, rather than wet and windy! As you’re venturing out with your canine companions, here are our top tips for safe dog walking this season…
Be safe, be seen! Make sure both you and your dog are wearing reflective clothing - for dogs, this can be as simple as a reflective lead or collar, and you can even get a flashing light for their collar.
Be prepared! Don’t forget to take your torch when you leave home - the dark nights set in quickly!
Be sure about where you’re walking! Only walk your dog in safe places - avoid frozen bodies of water, or if you can’t, keep your pooch on a lead so they can’t wander out onto the ice.
What else would you add to this list?
#BicesterVets #OxfordVets #SafeDogWalking #WinterDogWalks
CASE STUDY 🩺
(Warning - the video contains images of Andromeda's surgery)
This beautiful girl is Andromeda 💕
Andromeda is a lovely, sweet, six-year-old ferret, who won over all the team with her delightful personality. She came to us six weeks ago having suddenly collapsed. She was very weak, almost seizuring, and was found to have very low blood glucose.
We stabilised Andromeda, and after investigations, found that she had an insulinoma (a tumour of the pancreas which causes too much insulin to be released). This condition isn't uncommon in ferrets. She received medication and then underwent surgery to remove part of her pancreas.
The surgery was delicate, but she recovered well and her owner says she is acting like a two-year-old again, running around and playing with her toys! Whilst it may not cure her condition forever, it has given her her life back, without the need for medication.
We're sure you'll all join us in wishing this gorgeous girl a continued recovery and we'd like to thank her owners for letting us share her story ♥️
#BicesterVets #OxfordVets #CaseStudy #FerretInsulinoma
With the busy festive season approaching, it can sometimes feel overwhelming when you notice something isn’t quite right with your pet. You may wonder how urgently they need to be seen.
If you are unsure, remember that we have an interactive symptom checker and poisons guide on our website. This can help you decide the best course of action for your pet. The best bit? It is completely free of charge!
Head on over to bicestervets.co.uk and be sure to share this resource with other pet owners to help our pets make it through the holidays without any unforeseen trips to see us.
#BicesterVets #OxfordVets #SymptomChecker
CASE STUDY 🩺
This handsome chap is Cecil ♥️
Cecil is a very happy Pug, but he came to us a few months ago with a cough that wouldn't go away. We x-rayed Cecil and took samples from his lungs which showed he had lungworm, as well as a secondary pneumonia. He was successfully treated and a month later, was feeling much better and was back to his usual, happy self - as you can see from the video!
Lungworm is a parasite that can be fatal if left untreated. Dogs can get lungworm by eating larvae found in infected slugs, snails and frogs - the larvae then grow inside the dog, moving through their body to live in their heart and blood vessels. Sometimes, dogs are infected purely by picking up a toy left outside or drinking from a water bowl that an infected slug has crawled across.
Signs of lungworm include:
❗Coughing
❗Breathing problems
❗Reluctance to exercise
❗Going off food
❗Vomiting and diarrhoea
❗Weight loss
❗Bleeding more than usual from minor injuries, such as cuts
Regular routine preventative treatment can help keep your pet protected - speak to our team for a parasite regime specific to your pet! And don't forget - as a member of the Bicester Vets Healthy Pets Club, lungworm treatment is included. Find out more on our website or speak to our team.
Thank you so much to Cecil's owners for letting us share his story. We're so glad this lovely boy is back to full health! ♥️
#BicesterVets #OxfordVets #CaseStudy #LungwormInDogs
Did the fridge open or did they just hear the word ‘walkies?’.
What makes your dog’s tail wag like this - comment below! We would love to know.
#BicesterVets #OxfordVets #Dogs
🔥Wildlife are at significant risk on bonfire night🔥
For many, their natural habitats consist of stick piles and garden waste, so bonfires are the ideal hibernation spot before they are lit! Of course, bonfires are built to be burnt which can lead to devastating outcomes for wildlife simply looking for somewhere to rest and hide.
If you choose to have a bonfire, these 3 tips will protect any animals hiding inside.
🦔 Build it the day you intend to burn it so that animals don’t have a chance to set up home.
🍂 Be sure there are escape routes for animals who may be hiding. Firstly, leave space underneath so they can move freely and secondly, when you set it alight, start gradually on one side. Ideally, you would dismantle it before lighting it to allow animals to escape and check that no one is hiding.
💦 Keep water nearby just in case the bonfire starts to spread and you need to put it out in an emergency.
#BicesterVets #OxfordVets #BonfireNight #WildlifeProtection
It’s National Walk Your Dog Week! 🐕🦺
The perfect excuse to get outdoors and enjoy the changing colour of the leaves!
Going for a walk isn’t just the highlight of most pets' days, it also:
> helps them to maintain a healthy weight,
> provides mental stimulation,
> and helps us to build a strong bond with them (and enjoy the endless mental and physical benefits too!)
If you’re getting out in the fresh air and enjoying some lovely walks this week, share your photos with us!
#BicesterVets #OxfordVets #NationalWalkYourDogWeek
