Vets4Pets Blackburn

18/09/2024

06/09/2024

Hello everyone!

Some exciting news! Now that we are a 5 vet, 5 nurse team, we are about to start a full expansion/refurbishment project on Monday which will see the entire Pets At Home modernised as well as our practice growing to include more consult room, more surgical threatre room and more wellness space for our team! This is a long time coming, so we are very excited for it - the project should take roughly 7 weeks until completion!

To celebrate this, during the month of September we are offering free nurse clinics for our existing clients, specifically for our geriatric patients (since Brian is starting to feel geriatric himself!) - please see the attached photo for details.

We can’t wait for everyone to see our new practice at the end of October. As always: thank you for your continued trust and support. 🫶🏼

-Team Blackburn

16/03/2024

Congratulations to our amazing nurses Bryonny and Megan! They had their graduation ceremony in London last weekend (delayed over a year thanks to the dreaded Covid backlogs) - we are so proud of them and lucky to have them looking after our patients! 🙏🏼🥳

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.

16/12/2023

Five-year-old Buddy will be thinking twice about picking up sticks in future after one pierced his tongue and he had to be taken for treatment at Vets4Pets Lisburn.

Owner Danielle says Buddy doesn't normally play with sticks but one day he saw other dogs having fun with sticks and ran over to join in. "We heard a loud yelp and he came sheepishly over to us, with his tail between his legs, and we realised he was in pain. We took him to the practice where Becky the vet found the hole under his tongue and treated him with dissolving stitches, antibiotics and painkillers. Becky was so lovely."

Danielle says: "Buddy is doing absolutely great now and we are keeping an extra eye on him – we've even bought him a fake fabric bendy stick from Pets at Home!"

10/12/2023

This is gorgeous Ghost, who's been regularly visiting the team at Leeds Vets4Pets for some desensitising and socialising.

His owner Abbas said he often pops down to the practice so Ghost, a seven-month-old German Shepherd, can get used to the surroundings. Abbas said: "After he'd had his vaccinations, one of the nurses mentioned that it could be good to bring him in every now and again while he was a puppy so he's not timid or scared of the vets should he need any procedures in the future. Before he was quite nervous going to the vets, but now he gets excited to go in. Everyone at the practice is so welcoming."

Veterinary nurse Alys says: "Puppies who come in just for their vaccinations are understandably much more scared to come back in as they get older, as they associate us with injections. When Ghost comes in we make sure he has lots of positive interactions with the team – and now he walks in happily with his tail wagging and actively seeks everyone out for attention."

05/12/2023

Paddy the Shetland Sheepdog is well on the road to recovery after undergoing a life-saving operation to remove his gallbladder at Liverpool Vets4Pets.

Owner Stephen took him to see the team as 11-year-old Paddy was extremely lethargic and his usually "beautiful blue eyes" had gone yellow. After an ultrasound and bloods, Paddy was diagnosed with a gallbladder mucocoele – a life-threatening condition. Paddy spent nearly two and a half hours in surgery but has since made a great recovery. Vet Andre, who performed the surgery with colleague Chloe, said: "It was a great team effort and our nursing staff were wonderful. Thankfully he's doing really well now. He is lovely – he's the sweetest dog."

Stephen, who's had Paddy since he was a puppy, said: "I can't thank the team at Vets for Pets enough for what they did – they saved his life. He's now walking around, eating well and getting back to his usual self."

23/11/2023

Our colleagues at Northampton Vets for Pets say 11-year-old English Springer Spaniel Charlie is "an absolute star" during his regular cryotherapy treatments to get rid of some bothersome warts.

Cryotherapy is a non-invasive treatment using a deep freeze pen to get the warts to fall off. Lead consult nurse Kirstie said: "He's lovely, an absolute darling. It's extremely cold but very quick – it only takes a few minutes. We've been doing this treatment for the last three or four months and we've been getting some really good results."

Charlie's owner Andrea said: "He's a fabulous patient. When he goes to the practice he just sits there and waits his turn. He's as good as gold. He's a very calm, laidback springer. When Jenny the head vet first met him she treated him with such love and kindness to reassure him, and the rest of her team love and treat the animals with such care – they know how precious they are to us."

20/11/2023

The team at Vets for Pets Hereford have fashioned a clingfilm waistcoat for George the tiny tortoise to wear while he recovers from some shell wounds.

George, who's 18 months old, is taking medication after his carapace was punctured in an accident. Vet Elliot said: "We put a clingfilm body wrap on him with some cream to keep out any infection. He's still having that treatment at the moment, but we'll probably do some surgery in the next month to address the puncture wounds. So far we're really pleased with how things are going."

George's owner Ellie said: "We've had to give George injections every day and he's still got his clingfilm – though I don't think George is aware of what's been going on. The team at Vets for Pets have been amazing with him. I can't fault them."

17/11/2023

Nine-year-old Fennel is enjoying his food again after dental issues meant he had to have a couple of teeth out at Vets4Pets - Penzance.

Fennel belongs to vet Laura, who says it can be difficult to keep cats' teeth clean. She adopted him when he was three and has been giving him a scale and polish each year, but after noticing that a couple of cavities were making him uncomfortable eating his food she had to bring him in to have the teeth taken out. She said: "The whole procedure took only 25 minutes and he recovered really quickly. He's absolutely fine now and doing great and his teeth are much better."

14/11/2023

Eleven-year-old Pippa is adjusting well to being diagnosed with diabetes and calmly allows her owner Pru to inject her with insulin twice a day so she can still enjoy a normal life.

The Patterdale/Norfolk Terrier cross now wears a blood glucose monitor and with a quick swipe of a mobile phone the information is sent to the team at Rotherham Vets4Pets who check her blood sugar levels and adjust the amount of insulin to be administered if needed.

Pru said: "I started noticing something different about six months ago when Pippa seemed to be drinking more water than usual. She's always been a very active dog and loves her walks but on one occasion she just fell down some stone steps which wasn't like her." She took her to Vets for Pets where tests revealed diabetes. Vet Rachel said: "The signs of diabetes in animals are just the same as humans – Pippa was drinking more and weeing more." She said coming in to the practice regularly to be monitored for blood glucose levels could be quite stressful for pets, but the sensor means the owner can monitor everything easily at home.

07/11/2023

The team at Vets for Pets Bristol Emersons Green in Bristol call veterinary nurse Chloe "the cat whisperer" for the way she understands feline behaviour and communicates with cats.

Chloe, who holds the ISFM Advanced Feline Behaviour for Veterinary Professionals certificate, said: "When cats are feeling relaxed and comfortable around you they will blink really slowly at you too; it's their way of smiling, so I'll do that back and I think it works really well. And when they are in a good mood and they want to talk to you they will do a little 'chirrup' and I do that back to them as well."

Chloe, who's worked at the practice for two years, said: "If people think their cat has a behavioural problem then they can come and chat to me. A lot of problems are manageable in the home environment just by changing a few bits and pieces. They come to me with the history and we try to put a plan in place to help them out.

13/10/2023

Happy Vet Nurse day, to all vet nurses who care SO much about their patients, but especially to Team Blackburn - the most wonderful team of nurses anyone could ask for! Very thankful and proud to work with them all each day. -Brian

Just as healthcare nurses take care of human patients, vet nurses are crucial to the health and happiness of our pets. Thank a vet nurse for their hard work.

30/07/2023

4 weeks today until Claire launches herself out of a plane in aid of dementia research!! Let’s get her over her goal!! 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

Welcome to my Charity Skydive for Dementia. (Sunday 27th August) Some of you know… Claire Sutcliffe needs your support for Families living with Dementia

29/05/2023

This popped up in our memories today from 4 years ago - and every word remains true (other than the fact that it’s now been over 5 years since I’ve owned the place)!

A more recent photo would show WAY more gray in my beard though! 👴🏼 🎅🏽

Thankful for my team and thankful for all of you, always.

-Brian

Brian here, with a quick note! Almost everyone knows of Vets4Pets - our presence on television and social media makes sure of that! - but what many people do NOT know is how Vets4Pets ACTUALLY works. So, I’m going to briefly explain!

Most people think all Vets4Pets are connected - and we sort of are - but, actually each and every practice is INDIVIDUALLY owned! So, take Blackburn for instance: most people know me, as I have been there from the start. But did you know that I own the practice myself? It’s true!! I bought it about 14 months ago!!

Vets4Pets and I are partners - but the practice is essentially mine. I’m not under any corporate direction on protocols, what to do medically or surgically, what medications to dispense or how to run the show.

What Vets4Pets corporate side does is they handle all of our marketing, payroll, accounting, human relations issues, etc. They provide top shelf continuing education courses for myself and my team. They help me deal with sticky situations that I may not know how to handle alone. They provide business advice with budgeting, staffing, stock control, etc, in order that the practice continues to grow. They built and kitted out the practice and provided me with the means to finance it - without them, there’s no way I could have owned a practice again! They provide an amazing scheme to attract and educate new veterinary graduates to join our practices. We truly are partners, because we both want to continue to thrive and continue to provide you all with the best care in the country!

So, when you see Vets4Pets and your first instinct is “ah, they’re just another corporate vet!”, I’d like you to know that we are far less “corporate” than any of the actual veterinary corporations in the country - each one of us owns and runs our practices exactly how we want, and I happen to run mine while rapping/singing/dancing around to make the day more enjoyable for all...well, for me anyway!

Thanking you, as always, for your continued support and for trusting us with the health and care of your furry family members - I never take any of this for granted.

I am,

Your friendly neighbourhood New Yorker,

And aspiring actor,

And guitar player,

And rap star,

-Brian

21/03/2023

Hello again everyone! Just a little note to say that very recently, Parliament has made it mandatory to have all cats microchipped. I’ve attached the article for you to read should you wish, but the main points are below:

“The new rules mean cats must be implanted with a microchip before they reach the age of 20 weeks and their contact details stored and kept up to date in a pet microchipping database. All owners must have their cat microchipped by 10 June 2024 and owners found not to have microchipped their cat will have 21 days to have one implanted, or may face a fine of up to £500.”

Should you have any questions (ie if you are unsure if your pet is chipped, if the chip is registered, etc), please reach out to us via WhatsApp (+447458154964) and we can try and assist you.

-Team Blackburn 🐶 🐱 🐾

New legislation laid in Parliament today introducing mandatory cat microchipping