SMART Specialist Veterinary Referrals

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SMART Specialist Veterinary Referrals

The SMART Veterinary Clinic is one of only a handful of veterinary clinics dedicated to pain management and rehabilitation of animals within Europe.
(32)

The SMART clinic
Unit 8, Waterside Business Park
Lamby Way, Cardiff CF3 2EQ

Tel: 02920 799886
Email: [email protected]

The SMART clinic
Heol Dulais
Birchgrove
Swansea
SA7 9LH

Tel: 01792 931239
Email: [email protected]

02/12/2024

On Friday the SMART staff thoroughly enjoyed our festive do. Lots of fun and laughter was had with a big thank you to Dying To Meet You Murder Mystery Company, we always have such a great time when they come to entertain us. Our brilliant receptionist Noelle kindly made a selfie frame for the occasion which will be available throughout the festive period in our Swansea clinic. We would love to see our patients and clients in our frame spreading some Christmas joy. Please feel free to upload your photos and tag the clinic. Zest and Sequel have modelled the frame here tor everyone.
Season's greetings all. 😀

22/11/2024

20th Celebrations Round Up

Thank you to everyone that got involved and helped us to celebrate 20 years in clinic - we had a fun filled week with lots of cakes, treats and cold water adventures! 🙂
Thanks to the ongoing generosity of our friends and clients we also raised a further £240 for Motoron.Cymru in memory of our much loved friend and boss Bob.
Special mention to our treat winners:
Dog treats: Bento Sullivan & Henry Jones (Henry kindly donated his treat pot to the clinic for all the patients 🙂 )
Human treats: Rex May and our very own Sian Edwards

Here's to the next 20 years of SMART!

15/11/2024

Adorable Max has been coming to the clinic for 2 years, and we wanted to share this heartwarming update. We're so glad he's doing so well! 😊

15/11/2024

Our Pet of the Month for November is India!

Favourite activities: Going for walks, especially at the beach. India is a real telly addict and absolutely loves watching Strictly.
Favourite toy: A cuddly toy dog called Poppy Puppy – she loves to chew and cuddle it to sleep.
Favourite treat: Carrots.
Special talent: Knowing when people need a cuddle. She always knows when someone in her family needs a bit of extra love.
Owners report:
India is the sweetest dog you will ever meet; she has had a rough time with anxiety and allergies her whole life. She has the kindest eyes and the warmest heart. She is a dog that loves a routine to feel safe and content; she is happiest cuddling up on the sofa watching TV.
When India first came to Smart Clinic, her anxiety was so bad it was difficult for her to get the treatment she needed. Most people would have given up on her but Katie didn't; she gave India the time and space she needed to feel safe. She gave her acupuncture in our car because it was her safe space. Now, India is a different dog, she's so excited to go to visit her friends at Smart clinic. She loves going on the treadmill and takes great joy in shaking her needles out!

India first came to see us in July 2022, when her owners had noticed her limping on her right hind leg following exercise. When examined at their regular vets, they found India to be quite stiff, and so was referred to the Smart Clinic.

India’s symptoms were most likely a result of Osteoarthritis (OA) in the hip. We set out to ease her muscle tightness, strengthen her abdominal and pelvic muscle groups and encourage a more functional walk. A combination of medication to manage her pain, lead walking, regular visits to the Smart Clinic and exercises to do at home were all crucial in getting India back to a place where she could enjoy her beloved beach again.

India would also like to remind all dogs that it is now sweater season! The temperature has dropped and jumpers are fantastic for keeping those joints warm, particularly for senior dogs. Wearing a coat if it’s raining also helps to fend off any dampness which contributes to stiff joints.

Well done to India and her family!

13/11/2024

🩵💙World Kindness Day💙🩵

Today is World Kindness Day so we thought we would share some pictures of our staff pets that have shared in our kindness in clinic today (and one office cat!).
All our pets and patients always help remind us how important it is to be kind to them, ourselves and each other.

Feel free to share some pictures in the comments of the kind moments you share with your pets, it's a great day to spread some smiles and joy 😊

05/11/2024

If you are coming to the clinics this week, join us for a piece of cake, and help us celebrate 20 years of SMART!
Our Practice Manager Sian will also be taking the plunge into an ice bath in our treadmill on Wednesday, all in aid of MotorOn Cymru.

01/11/2024

Just a reminder that next week we will be celebrating 20 Years of S.M.A.R.T!

We did not want this year to end without properly celebrating our 20th Anniversary.
Most of you will be aware that this year has been a very difficult one for us as a team, but we all want to take the time to celebrate all that makes the Smart Clinic what it is and invite you to join us for a week of merriment and fun in clinic, starting on Monday 4th November.

There will be cakes, party hats and decorations and a few competitions in clinic to help continue to raise funds for MotorOn Cymru and remember our amazing mentor, friend and boss Bob.
In honour of Bob, our Practice Manager Sian Baker will also be plunging into an ice bath in the clinic treadmill - all donations welcomed to spur her on! 🙂

Keep your eyes peeled on our social media pages, during the week of the 4th November, for updates on all the celebrations and the funds raised, and as always thanks to all of our clients, patients and friends of the clinic for all of your support over the years. Here's to the next 20! 😉

22/10/2024

Celebrating 20 Years of S.M.A.R.T

We did not want this year to end without properly celebrating our 20th Anniversary.
Most of you will be aware that this year has been a very difficult one for us as a team, but we all want to take the time to celebrate all that makes the Smart Clinic what it is and invite you to join us for a week of merriment and fun in clinic, starting on Monday 4th November.

There will be cakes, party hats and decorations and a few competitions in clinic to help continue to raise funds for MotorOn Cymru and remember our amazing mentor, friend and boss Bob.
In honour of Bob, our Practice Manager Sian Baker will also be plunging into an ice bath in the clinic treadmill - all donations welcomed to spur her on! 🙂

Keep your eyes peeled on our social media pages, during the week of the 4th November, for updates on all the celebrations and the funds raised, and as always thanks to all of our clients, patients and friends of the clinic for all of your support over the years. Here's to the next 20! 😉

22/10/2024

Lost Property:
We have recently found a couple of items in our Swansea clinic car park-

-1 silver pendant
-1 gold earring

If you have lost any item that fits in these descriptions please call the clinic on 01792 931239 so our staff can help identify these and return them.

18/10/2024

Our Pet of the Month for October is Zeus!

Favourite activities: going on new walks with lots of good sniffs
Favourite toy: his Kong
Favourite treat: cheese
Special talent: outsmarting his parents

Owners report: Zeus is a very relaxed old boy, who loves sunbathing even if it's raining. He enjoys swimming but only on his terms, usually without the treadmill. Treats are welcomed, especially if they crunch. He has improved so much, physically and mentally since going for his regular spa treatments and buffet, he gets excited for every visit to the wonderful team at the smart clinic.

This big eared beautiful boy started coming to see us at Smart Clinic in December 2023. He had suspected polyarthritis and lameness in his right hind leg. Polyarthritis is the medical term for having arthritis that affects five or more of your joints at the same time. Zeus had also had two surgeries in 2023 – a toe amputation and cruciate ligament surgery – what a year!

Zeus’ owners had noticed weakness and muscle loss in his hind limbs. X-rays showed subluxation of the hip on his right side which meant that the ball was not fully in the socket of Zeus’ hip joint. This condition can cause limited range of motion of the hip. The x-rays also showed spondylosis of the spine.

Our aim was to make Zeus as comfortable as possible so that he could enjoy the things he loved doing such as going on adventures for the freshest of sniffs and going for a dip in the water!

Managing Zeus’ combination of medication was the first port of call to help address all the different pain pathways that were present for him. Soft tissue massage, laser therapy, acupuncture, gait training and exercises to do at home were also vital components, each playing their part to help this handsome shepherd live his life to the fullest! Well done to Zeus and his very dedicated owners.

09/10/2024

We just wanted to say a huge congratulations to the whole GB Team for such a great performance at the Agility World Championships last weekend-what amazing results!

Special mention to the amazing partnerships we are lucky enough to work with:
Martin with Shape running in large winning a silver medal in the large overall team event and Selfie running in small-vice world champions in the small category - wow!
Naarah with Lemon running in large also winning a silver medal in the large overall team event and winning bronze overall in the large category- incredible!
Steph with Skedaddle running in medium winning bronze as part of the medium team in the agility round-brilliant!

You are all amazing and we are privileged to work with you - so pleased for you all and for the Team overall - way to get the job done! Congratulations!

01/10/2024

The SMART Team would like to wish everyone taking part in the Agility World Championships in Belgium the best of luck, and especially to the amazing partnerships we work with:

Martin with Shape running in large and Selfie running in small
Naarah with Lemon running in large
Steph with Skedaddle running in medium

01/10/2024

Today is Veterinary Receptionist Awareness Day and also National Black Dog Day! Pictured here is our wonderful receptionist Noelle, and lovable black Labrador Arnold in our Swansea clinic.

30/09/2024

September was pain awareness month for both us and our pets. Do you ever consider how your pet's behaviour could change if they are in pain?

The IVAPM has produced this poster to help highlight some of the more common changes you may see. Spotting these changes early is key to help avoid any underlying clinical conditions escalating and causing longer term issues.

If you are concerned about your pet's current health/fitness/pain we are able to offer fitness assessments in clinic to help determine if there are any concerns, if modifications at home can help with this or if treatment is needed. Contact us on 01792 931239, 02920 799886 or https://buff.ly/3zvIUEX for more information.

27/09/2024

Pet of the Month for September is Willow.

Favourite activities: woodland walkies, new adventures and rolling round in the grass!
Favourite toy: a Nylabone to chew!
Favourite treat: chicken nuggets
Special talent: Surprising the people she loves with a BIG hug (standing on her back legs with her front legs over your shoulders while she gives you a kiss!)

Owners report: Willow was very timid and worried when she first started visiting, but with plenty of treats, patience and love from the Smart Clinic Team she soon began to enjoy her appointments and is now excited to see them (Dr Katie has even had a hug - sorry Dr Katie!) Willow says thank you all for being so kind and helping her with her lameness issues (and for letting her bring her "little" but noisy brother Bertie along for moral support!) she is able to enjoy her adventures to the full, thanks to the Smart Clinic.

Willow is a gentle giant who came to Smart Clinic just under a year ago with intermittent lameness in her front left leg, especially when she was getting up after resting. There wasn’t any obvious incident that led to this limping, but a soft tissue injury was suspected as there were no signs that anything was wrong orthopedically. During Willow’s initial appointment, we did see some lameness on both front legs, especially as she tired. We also noted that Willow was pacing while she was changing speed, meaning that she was moving the limbs on one side of her body in unison. We see this pacing in dogs when they are restricting movement due to stiffness or pain. There was tightness and restriction in her left shoulder, triceps and back, as well as a mismatch in her muscle development.

Easing the tightness of Willow’s muscles with a combination of acupuncture, soft tissue massage and laser therapy was the first step in helping Willow get to a place where we could then encourage the appropriate use of her underdeveloped muscles. Willow was sent home with physio exercise homework, and carrying these out regularly (with the help of her little big brother Bertie) has helped hugely with building Willow's strength and enabling her to live life to the fullest. Well done team Willow!

24/09/2024

Check out one of our faves Flo, in the press!
Animal Therapy Magazine asked us to write up an article on Flo's treatment and recovery and we are thrilled with how well it turned out. It is great to share information about what can be done with cases of idiopathic polyradiculoneuritis and how well they can recovery with the right input and support.
Special thanks to our physiotherapist Becky for putting into words all the work that was done with Flo during her recovery.

Address

8 Waterside Business Park Lamby Way
Cardiff
CF32EQ

Telephone

+442920799886

Website

http://www.smartvetwales.co.uk/

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Videos

Final update… look at Flo go! Well done everyone, particularly Flo and her owner, for such a fantastic outcome! :-)

Update on Flo. Week 8-9: Flo started the week with a great report from home – she had attempted walking with the wheels, and weight bearing through the forelimbs. In clinic, we continued challenging her thoracic sling activation with some lay down to standing assisted exercises. Flo was now able to take 5-10 steps with a sling under her chest and initiate movement in all four limbs herself. Flo toileted unassisted on the grass outside the clinic for the first time! The wobble board was introduced for assisted standing exercises to further challenge her postural strength and muscle activation. Week 10-11: Flo’s owner reported that she was getting frustrated with the wheels and wanted to be more active. She was able to walk consistently with the sling assistance, only needing gentle support to push off through the forelimbs, from laying down to standing. Unassisted standing was added to Flo’s exercises. At the start of week 11, Flo walked unassisted into the clinic! Over the course of the week, Flo started initiating standing by herself and taking short walks unassisted. She did a short unassisted treadmill session with several short unassisted walks during the day. Flo’s exercises were advanced to unassisted standing, proprioceptive track walking and short controlled walks. Forthcoming sessions will be focused on coordination, muscle building and treating possible compensatory issues. The accompanying video shows the first day Flo started walking in clinic-she continues to go from strength to strength with her walking since-watch this space for a final update on how she is doing next week!

From everyone at The SMART Clinic we would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year 🎄🌟

It’s our Festive Fundraising week here in clinic and we have many ways in which you can help us fundraise! All proceeds raised in the week will be donated to The my name’5 Doddie Foundation via our own fundraising campaign, Motor On.Cymru. 💙 The my name’5 Doddie Foundation is a charity committed to funding research to find effective treatments to Motor Neurone Disease and helping improve the lives of those affected by Motor Neuron Disease. This is a charity very close to all our hearts here at SMART 💙 So, what’s on and how can you help us fundraise? 🧁 Cake sale 🎁 Raffle 🌺 Flower sale 🐾 Dog & Cat treats 🎄 Tree decorations & stocking fillers 🐶 Doggy selection boxes We will be posting more details on all of these over the day today! Who we are fundraising for: 💚💛🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 https://motoron.cymru/ 💙🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 https://www.myname5doddie.co.uk/ Please help us help them!