Fernside Vet

06/09/2025

🧑‍💼 There are two weeks left to apply for the RVC VetMed Work Experience Support Programme.
This programme is designed for students from Widening Participation backgrounds who are interested in exploring a future in veterinary medicine but may be facing barriers to accessing experience, support, or connections.

We are offering:
• Hands-on experience with a range of animals
• The chance to observe real veterinary professionals
• Support with university interview preparation
• Free lunch, protective clothing, and shuttle transport from Potters Bar
• A guaranteed interview for eligible applicants to RVC

This opportunity meets the full vet school work experience requirement and is part of our ongoing commitment to make the veterinary profession more inclusive.

Please share this widely. You might help a student take their first real step into the profession.
Applications close Friday 19th September.

So, if you’re ready to take the first step towards your veterinary dream, check your eligibility and apply now: https://rvc.uk.com/WEX

05/09/2025

A beautiful rural picture for the weekend. Posing in hilly Shropshire is a trio of our former patients. Oops, who has the best ever name, is the fine fellow in the front. We then have Squid with the much better ears, and Juno is at the back.
They know how to work with sheep and they are all trained to ride on kayaks . They have a very skilled teacher!

04/09/2025

Curious Cats: Nutrition or Predation?

It is commonly suggested that cats hunt because they are still hungry or because they have nutritional deficiencies, or need additional food following their cat food that their owners provide.

However, a study by Exeter University suggests that a cats drive to hunt is one of natural instinct not hunger or nutritional needs.

➡️University of Exeter scientists used forensic evidence from cats' whiskers to see what regular hunters of wildlife had been eating.

➡️The results showed that about 96% of their diet came from food provided by their owners, while just 3-4% came from eating wild animals.

💬"This study reassures owners of cats who hunt that the motive to hunt is instinctive, not driven by nutritional needs,"

➡️Our nation's cat habits have been a big influence on decline of songbirds in the UK.

As the habit is no driven by nutritional needs there are a few suggestions to help.

✅Bells on collars
✅Birdsbesafe collar covers
✅Providing food for cats using a puzzle feeder for mental stimulation and enrichment
✅Regular play, rotating toys and appropriate play (e.g., allowing your cat to actually succeed in catching a toy if you're using a laser pen to avoid frustration)
✅A previous study by the Exeter team showed daily play reduced hunting by cats.

➡️http://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/research/title_879734_en.html

➡️https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecs2.3737

02/09/2025

🦴 Calling all aspiring biologists and vets in Years 10–12!
Join us at the RVC Camden Campus, London, for an unforgettable day exploring comparative physiology in the animal kingdom 🧬🐄💀

📅 Wednesday 29th October 2025
🕰️ From 10:20 am to 4 pm

🔍 What’s in store?
✨ A warm welcome and intro talk
🧪 A hands-on disease outbreak simulation
🐮 A live calf session to learn stethoscope skills and explore bovine adaptations
🧠 An interactive quiz with real animal specimens within the impressive Anatomy Museum (conducted by the RVC’s Anatomy Team and Head of Anatomy, Mr Andrew Crook MBE)

📍 This is a unique chance to experience life as a future vet or biological scientist! Perfect for students aiming for Biological Sciences, Veterinary Medicine, or Veterinary Nursing at university.

⏲️ Applications close Sunday 28th September at 23:59



➡️ Applications close at the end of the month: https://rvc.uk.com/afternoon-anatomy

01/09/2025

On Saturday our lovely vet Konstantina got married in Crete. It looks such a happy day and what a stunning wedding dress! . We all wish her and Christos the very best for married life. She will back in uniform at Fernside in 2 weeks, meanwhile we hope they are enjoying being with family in a sunny spot

29/08/2025

REHOMING RED FLAGS

“The available estimates indicate that Europe’s pet trade (cats, dogs, exotic) is the third most profitable illegal trade in the EU, after narcotics and weapons,”

It is time to take action:
❌Say no to illegal imports
❌Say no to bogus rescues
❌Say no to the suffering

Evidence shows a rise in low-welfare imports and smuggling activity with a 260% increase in the number of young puppies being intercepted for not meeting the UK’s pet import rules.

One of the saddest and most distressing increases is the rise in cropped eared dogs.

Please DO NOT buy or import a puppy who has needlessly had its ears cropped.

The RSPCA (England & Wales) reported a 620% rise in reports of dogs found to have had their ears cropped, covering from 2015 to 2020 - this is only getting worse.

➡️We should not be going backwards with regards to animal welfare⬅️

Here are some TOP TIPS on how to stop a bogus puppy or rescue.

1️⃣ They have lots of puppies available at all different ages

2️⃣They offer a drop off service

3️⃣They aren't asking YOU questions about you home, lifestyle or experience

4️⃣They aren't providing proof of health checks and vaccine history

5️⃣They aren't thoroughly health testing imports from abroad

6️⃣Their importation paperwork isn't adding up!

Read more about these red flags below 👇

https://www.vetvoices.co.uk/post/is-my-rescue-a-red-flag

Want to listen about this?

Tune in to hear Robyn Lowe in conversation with Rowena Packer and Zoe Belshaw to discuss their research findings into the shocking reality of puppy sale scams and illegal puppy smuggling, where animal health, behaviour and welfare is hugely compromised for financial profit.

https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/veterinary-voices/episodes/The-shocking-reality-of-the-illegal-puppy-trade-e32gmco

Importing puppies is often illegal and unethical. Ongoing research has shown that there is an increasing trend in the number of puppies purchased with passports (i.e imported puppies), in 2021 at least 1 in 10 puppies were imported. In 2020, Dogs Trust found that 14% of all adverts reviewed were for imported puppies (29% in England), at least 18% of the imported puppies were confirmed by the seller as being under the minimum 15 weeks of age.

It is something we in the veterinary profession, and prospective puppy owners, need to know more about, and we hope that this podcast provides some insight and tools to identify when this is likely to be going on, for example any puppy who has been imported under the age of 15 weeks will have been done so illegally.

We also discuss the hugely damaging impact this has on the puppies, dams and sires from a behaviour, disease and welfare point of view. This issue is becoming more prevalent, and we have a responsibility to educate ourselves and our clients so that we can try and tackle this, ultimately by identifying puppy sellers who are part of the illegal puppy trade and boycotting these purchases.

27/08/2025

This is beautiful Belle. 8 weeks old and loving her new home .When we started Fernside ( way back in the 90s!!) there were lots of Staffies as patients. They were soon overtaken in popularity by Poodle crosses and French bulldogs. Recently we have met a few new Staffs. We like the breed. They are usually wonderful with their family and with careful training not over dramatic. Squeaking like a parrot is one of their specialities when left in places they dont like .

22/08/2025

Puppy owners should read this. Socialisation is about making suitable new experiences, not about throwing in the deep end and thinking that they have just got to learn. Remember learner drivers would never start their lessons by going on the M25. Don't start teaching your young pup by visiting eg Meadow Park or Red Road in prime dog walking time.

😕"You don't want my puppy to play with my mates dog...but hang on, how can they get confident without those play sessions".
Confidence first.....Playdates second.✅
Play is play.
It really isn't true socialisation.

If we force interactions on an anxious puppy or a puppy that is struggling with confidence.... we can cause issues which can take a very long time to resolve.

Quality interactions over quantity.
I can't stress that enough.

If there is one thing I could wish for, it would be the following.

Please....
Be choosy with who you expose your puppy to.
Be particular.
.....and please stop letting your puppy meet every random person or dog they come across.

22/08/2025

NEVER, EVER GIVE PARACETAMOL TO CATS. In dogs and humans it can be a really useful painkiller , but cats can't break it down safely and it becomes a fatal drug

Why do we have to avoid paracetamol at all costs in cats?

Paracetamol, otherwise known as acetaminophen, is a common analgesic that is used in dogs but is highly toxic to cats. It is metabolised in the liver via three different pathways: glucuronidation, sulfation, and cytochrome P-450 enzyme oxidation.

The process of glucuronidation is what is most relevant to paracetamol toxicity in cats. Our feline friends are deficient in glucuronyl transferase, which is an enzyme used during this process. Therefore, rather than undergoing glucuronidation, paracetamol is mainly metabolized via sulfation but during this process toxic metabolites are made.

Even at doses of 10mg/kg, the toxic metabolites produced cause methemoglobinemia and Heinz Body formation, which cause tissue hypoxia and haemolysis. Other clinical signs include brown mucous membranes, gastrointestinal signs, paw and facial oedema, tachypnoea and hepatic encephalopathy (Judge, 2018).

Treatment of paracetamol toxicity involves inducing emesis shortly after ingestion and supportive care depending on clinical signs. This may include oxygen therapy, blood products to maintain haemoglobin levels and manage anaemia and intravenous fluid therapy to maintain perfusion (Hovda, 2024). N-acetylcysteine can be given as a potential antidote, as it helps to eliminate acetaminophen metabolites (Judge, 2018).

21/08/2025

We see mouth stick injuries a couple of times a year. Bouncing sticks, rather than directly caught ones, seem to be the commonest culprits. A painful swelling under the tongue is the main sign that we encounter at Fernside . The dogs frequently come in for awkward eating, maybe drooling and bad breath as they often show no reaction when first injured. We are much more confident about managing the under tongue cases as eg the last two ,once checked out under general anaesthetic, luckily only needed pain killers, anti- inflammatories and antibiotics. The ones that make us very nervous are when the stick goes way back down the throat ... so many important structures for swallowing breathing and major nerves and blood vessels. We are lucky that the Royal Veterinary College can find where splintered wood pieces have lodged with CT imaging. You don't want to be cutting tissue in this area , just hoping to find them as the body naturally tends to seal over the hole they first go in.

🪵Don't let a game, turn into pain🪵

➡️Registered Veterinary Nurses and Veterinary Surgeons speak out about the injuries they have seen from stick injuries.

➡️On a recent poll 97% of Veterinary professionals asked had encountered stick injuries in practice. The variety and severity of injuries caused were vast, with many sharing their experiences of 'near misses' where dogs have survived an injury caused mere centimeters away from life threating injury.

✅Read the article to find out more on types of stick injuries and safe alternatives.

https://www.vetvoices.co.uk/post/vets-issue-warning-on-stick-throwing

18/08/2025

Dog Bite Awareness

➡️ Animal videos on social media can be cute, but veterinary and behaviour professionals regularly see some that are described as adorable when in fact they fill us with anxiety to see!

➡️Reading a dogs body language can be difficult, but it's important to teach all the family how to pick up signs of a stressed, upset or agitated dog, especially children. Dogs usually tell us MANY times before they bite but often in a very subtle way.

➡️Everyone has their bad days, and we must not push our canine companions to the brink of their patience by failing to recognise telltale signs that the situation they are in makes them uncomfortable.

➡️Every dog is individual, some climb the ladder of communication/reaction (see picture in comments) quickly, others will be telling us for a LONG time that they are unhappy and are uncomfortable with the situation before they are pushed to react.

➡️ Veterinary professionals come across many people who tells us the dog has bitten without any warning, but the likelihood is (although not in every case) that the dog was telling us and we just didnt know how to listen and we know it can be very hard, which is why we want to educate.

Association of Pet Behaviour Counsellors - APBC stated:

➡️Dog behaviour expert Dr Carri Westgarth, from the University of Liverpool, said: "It is important to remember that any dog can bite regardless of how well you know the dog, and most bites will occur in the owner's home.

"...We should ensure that we give dogs their own safe space to be alone, give them plenty of exercise and mental stimulation, and when your dog wants to be left alone - leave them be.

"Dog bites to children can be very severe so ensure that you observe children and dogs closely and intervene when necessary.

"Dogs do not want to bite you, it is a last resort response for them, so watch out for any warning signs of them being uncomfortable in a situation and remove yourselves, or them, from it."

Every dog is individual but some signs are:

➡️Licking lips?
➡️Yawning?
➡️Whale eye?
➡️Frozen?
➡️Crouching?
➡️Tense?
➡️Rolling on back?
➡️Ears back?
➡️Panting?
➡️Turning away?

It may save a life, a child or the dogs!

Listen to our Podcast on how to recognise the signs a dog is uncomfortable and may be about to bite
Dog Bites - Is It All A Big Misunderstanding?⬇️
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/veterinary-voices/episodes/Dog-Bites---Is-It-All-A-Big-Misunderstanding-e2g0766/a-aavthnv