Shepherds Veterinary Hospital

🤩 Fear free veterinary treatment 🤩 The best way for us to handle and treat our patients is by making things less scary, and more tasty! This helps reduce stress and improve outcomes for them, us and you. Here is Dexter showing off having his bandage whilst being distracted by a LickiMat. It's not so bad having to lay down if you get treats right 🤤 Getting your pets used to being handled, dealing with different positions and noises at home also really helps them at their vet visits. Positive reinforcement with treats is a great way to get your pet used to things like showing their teeth, touching their nails, checking their ears, being groomed and even getting in the right position for a blood sample. For those pets that are afraid in the vets, training at home can mean we can more safely handle them if they need a muzzle as this will not be new or seem negative. See the comments for some examples. What will your pet do for food which helps at the vet? We'd love to see your pictures and videos.

👻🕷️ A new selfie station has arrived ... 🕷️👻

👻🕷️ A new selfie station has arrived ... 🕷️👻 Are your dogs ready (and brave enough) to join in?

❤️‍🩹🧠 World Mental Health Day 🧠❤️‍🩹 The veterinary profession can be particularly demanding on the mental health of those who work within it. As rewarding as our work is, the stress and emotional toll of the care we provide can lead to a negative impact on the mental health of our people. It is really important to take time out to look at ways we can support each other, learn to recognise where people may be struggling and to ensure our working environment aims to help our team best. Leanne, our Head Receptionist and Mental Health First Aider made sure we all had the opportunity to take time out for our mental health today. She treated us to goodies, gave us ways to relax and signposted us to support should we ever need it. You can see her amazing efforts in the video. Thank you Leanne! 🥰 We hope all of our clients are taking time for their mental health today too. It's good news that spending time with animals is beneficial 🐶 🐱 For anyone who wishes to know more about veterinary mental health, VetLife provides excellent information and the ability to help support veterinary colleagues. https://www.vetlife.org.uk

Happy Veterinary receptionist day to all our amazing receptionists 😃 Being a receptionist is a huge responsibility and it’s not always just answering the phone and playing with cute puppies and kittens. As a receptionist at Shepherds, you are often responsible for: Meeting and greeting clients and their furry friends Booking appointments and managing diaries Manning the phone and any messages Emergencies Diary requests and appointment booking Ensuring client records are up-to-date and accurate Checking clients-in and out Dispensing medications and arranging follow-up appointments Taking payments and issuing invoices, billing and any other paperwork Insurance enquires Answering any questions customers may have regarding their care/next steps Comforting upset clients during difficult times And so much more! So thank you from the bottom of our hearts for everything you do 🥰

🐶 NEW 12 month flea & tick injection for dogs 🐶 It has been a bumper year for fleas and we have had many owners reporting issues clearing infestations with over the counter medication. Fleas and ticks carry disease and can be very problematic to get rid of and prevent. Fleas often make our pets itchy and can make the skin sore and inflamed. 😣 Some of our owners may be familiar with Bravecto tablets and spot on products, prescription products which reliably treat for fleas and ticks for 3 months. The same drug is now available as an injection lasting 12 months 🥳 The injection has the following benefits: ⭐ Can be given at annual check/vaccines ⭐ Guarantees cover for fleas and ticks for a year ⭐ Convenience for owners ⭐ Safe alongside all long-term medications ⭐ Cost effective ⭐ Low environmental impact Our aim is always to consider the individual pet and their risk of parasites when deciding what treatment to prescribe for them. We highly recommend using the questionnaire in the link below and bringing the results to discuss with the vet so we can make a plan together for how best to keep your pet, you and the environment safe 🐛🐝🦋🦗🪲🪳 https://www.petparasiteprotection.co.uk/dog/risk-checker If you would like to know more about the new injection or parasite treatment in general, feel free to speak to any of our team.

🪥🐾 Dental Health - Brushing 🐾🪥 Did you know that brushing your pets' teeth is the single most important thing you can do to prevent dental issues. 🪥 Daily brushing is needed - just like for us! 🪥 Pets need specific toothbrushes that are softer. 🪥 Use pet toothpaste that is safe (and tasty) for them - don't use human toothpaste as this contains fluoride which shouldn't be eaten! 🪥 Gradual introduction can be done at any age, always making sure there is a reward/positive reinforcement involved. We would recommend using a VOHC (Veterinary Oral Health Council) product as a treat after. 🪥 Brushing helps to prevent plaque build up but is unlikely to remove tartar. If significant tartar is present, inflammation of the gums or bad breath, your pet may need a dental procedure to address this before starting brushing. Here is Mortimer demonstrating his daily brushing for some inspiration. He started to be introduced to brushing at age 8 so old dogs really can learn new tricks 🐶. This has helped keep his teeth and gums healthy and meant that at 15 years old, he has never had to have any teeth removed due to the most common dental condition - periodontal disease 🦷. As you can see, Goku the kitten is keen to be involved. Contrary to popular belief, cats can also be trained to accept tooth brushing if done slowly and positively. 😸 Our team can discuss preventative dental health with you if you have any questions at your next routine visit.