Vets4Pets Clevedon

02/11/2024

🎆 Here's some top tips for keeping your pets calm during fireworks season 🎆

31/10/2024

Happy Halloween to all of our wonderful
clients! 🎃

We hope you have a fun and safe night 🐈‍⬛️

27/10/2024

It's National Black Cat Day today! The day to celebrate these beautiful felines that often get overlooked in rehoming centres due to their dark colour and associated superstitions. 🐈‍⬛️

Do you have a midnight coloured moggy? Drop your pics below 👇🏼

🐈‍⬛️

22/10/2024

🎃 Halloween Hazards 🎃

As halloween approaches, please be aware of potential hazards for your furry friends;

👻 Chocolate treats- make sure all your chocolate is kept out of the way of dogs, up high and keep dogs on a lead when walking on Halloween in case of dropped sweets/chocolate left outside houses.
👻 Rotten pumpkins- though pumpkin is a nice treat for dogs, if they are left outside too long they can go rotten and mouldy which can cause illness if ingested.
👻 Stranger danger- some pets may feel anxious about the people at the door/trick or treating. Consider putting a sign up to say you have anxious pets in the house, play music or make a den for them to hide in for the evening.
👻 Fireworks- some people may set of fireworks over halloween, be mindful not to let cats outside in case they get spooked, and dogs may be anxious in or out of the home.

Can you think of anymore halloween hazards?

Speak to a member of our team if you would like support with anxious pets over Halloween.

🎃👻🕷

21/10/2024

Our Friday evening consisted of checking over these 2 cuties after they were found in a
barn. 😯

Unfortunately the black and white one had sustained an injury to the leg which had maggots crawling around inside 🤮 we managed to pick the maggots out one by one, flush and staple the wound and give both cats a flea treatment.

They both seemed bright and alert, albeit a little cold and worried!

They have already found new ownership and can hopefully overcome this tough start they've had in life. ❤️‍🩹

02/10/2024

Better late than never; yesterday was Veterinary Receptionist Appreciation Day!

Our amazing team of 3 are always on hand to greet your pet with a smile (and a treat or two!), handle any and all queries you might have and help make the day run smoothly.

From registering new clients, setting up care plans, making appointments, taking prescription requests, taking payments- and these are just the things you see the receptionists do! Behind the desk our receptionists also handle insurance claims, place pharmaceutical orders, clean the vets consultation rooms, order laboratory couriers, and a whole load of other administration work that keeps the vet practice running smoothly!

We would be lost without our front of house team, and your pets would be hungry too without their sneaky treat on the way out!

05/09/2024

Check out this handsome chap doing some administration duties on reception while waiting for his nail clip! He insisted we got a close-up picture! Could he BE any fluffier?! 😍

26/08/2024

It's International Dog Day! 🐕

Show us your canine companions! Here are some of ours;

26/08/2024

We have had this gorgeous, male boy handed into us this morning after he was found wandering around Clevedon yesterday! We have his owner details however the phone number is not up to date on the microchip so cannot get hold of them. If you are the owner or know the owner please get in touch. Proof of identity will be required before we hand him over. 🐱

21/08/2024

When requesting your pet's flea and worming medication from us, we may ask you to bring your pet in for a vet consultation first. This may be sooner than you expect, as you may have seen the vet recently for an unrelated issue. The law and RCVS (Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons) guidance has changed recently. This means ANY prescription product- including flea, tick and worming treatment must be prescribed by the vet first- ON THE DAY they saw and examined the patient (your pet). Once the vet has examined your pet, and prescribed a product(s), this can be authorised for up to a year, meaning you will not need to bring your pet in for another examination (unless you wish for the product to be changed).

We understand this can be frustrating for you. Especially with animals who do not love visiting us, or if personal circumstances make it difficult to come into practice. However, we appreciate you being kind to our staff when we are trying to do our jobs and abide by the law and legislations set by Governing bodies.

If you wish to read more about the legislation, you can do so by going onto the RCVS website and looking at the 'under care' guidance section.

Thank you 🐾

03/08/2024

How to keep your dog cool this summer 😎

☀️ Ensure they have access to clean, fresh, cool water at all times
☀️ Offer cooling treats like frozen kongs, lickimats and specialist cooling toys
☀️ Use cool mats in the house, car and crate
☀️ NEVER leave your dog in the car, even with the windows open
☀️ Keep on top of grooming, especially in long-haired breeds
☀️ Walk your dog in early morning or late evening when it's cooler. Refer to the chart below to know when it's too hot for your dog to walk

❗️ If you are worried your dog is too hot or shows signs of heatstroke, contact your vet IMMEDIATELY ❗️

31/07/2024

We have had an elderly, female, black and white cat handed into us from the bottom of Clevedon. She is not microchipped, quite matted and has some health issues. We are hoping she may be a loved and missed cat who we can reunite. If you or anyone you know is missing a cat that fits this description, please get in touch. Proof of ownership is required due to not having a microchip. Please share. 🐾

30/07/2024

Are you worried your cat isn't drinking enough? Especially in this hot weather? 🥵💦

Here's some advice which may help;

💦 Cats can feel vulnerable when drinking, so let them have privacy away from humans and other animals
💦 Cats don't like their food and water together so having separate eating and drinking areas may help
💦 Having multiple water stations in the house- especially in multi-cat households to prevent resource issues and conflict
💦 Changing water regularly so it's fresh and cool
💦 Providing them with running water such as water fountains
💦 Try different styles/sizes of water bowl- some cats prefer ceramic over metal bowls. Some cats don't like their whiskers to touch the sides of the bowl so the wider the better
💦 When all else fails you can try a hydration supplement to encourage drinking

05/07/2024

😢 Another sad post.

We have had a male entire black and white cat brought in deceased likely following an RTA. Was found on Kenn Road this evening.

Please get in touch if you feel he may have been your cat.

24/06/2024

We have sadly had a brown, long haired cat brought in by a member of the public deceased in their garden. Not microchipped. Unable to determine s*x or other distinguishing features. If you feel this may be your cat please call the practice.

22/06/2024

Tweed knows how to do post-op recovery in style! 😎

20/06/2024

Check out gorgeous Betty waiting for her treat after visiting the Vet! 🐾

15/06/2024

Due to staff shortages, please could we ask that all non urgent collections of medications and food are postponed until Monday and all collections of flea, tick and worm collections are also postponed until Monday.
Please use our email ([email protected]) for all non urgent enquiries and only call the practice for urgent and emergency situations.
Thank you all for your understanding.

13/06/2024

Very sad to write another farewell post about our Veterinary Nurse Naomi!

Naomi started with us in 2016 as a Student Veterinary Nurse, worked hard to complete her 2 year training with us, beating cancer in the process. 💪🏻

She has been a valuable member of the team, always cracking jokes and putting a smile on ours and the clients faces. 🥰

We will miss her greatly and wish her all the best with her new business and locum
nursing. 🩺

12/06/2024

Caption contest!

Who can come up with the funniest caption for this photo of Flo and Stan? 🤣

09/06/2024

A day in practice featuring Lenny!

Lenny the miniature dachshund was in for castration on Friday. First he had an IV cannula placed in his leg with a pretty bandage around it to keep it in place and protected! He also had a cuddle with Gabi before going back to his kennel. Next was his pre-medication which made Lenny very chilled out 😝. Once he was sufficiently snoozy he was anaesthetised and surgery was carried out. After surgery we made sure Lenny was very warm and cozy in his kennel to make a full recovery from anaesthetic, ready to go home to his loving family ❤️

06/06/2024

🐱Four days left until the new cat microchipping law is enforced.
Did you know from the 10th June 2024, all cats over 20 weeks of age must be microchipped by law.
https://www.petlog.org.uk/news-and-stories/helpful-articles/compulsory-cat-microchipping-2024/

To book an appointment with one of our nurses for just £15, please call us on 01275 335 930 or email [email protected]

The GOV has announced that microchipping is to become a legal requirement for cats, with penalties of up to £500 for those who fail to comply.

01/06/2024

Today marks the end of May and therefore the end of Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month. We hope you have enjoyed our posts seeing in veterinary practices.

Veterinary nursing is not an 'easy' job, it's not just cuddling kittens and playing with puppies (though that is a part of it!) It's being there for your pets final moments, being involved in emergency situations where there is sometimes a sad outcome, being scratched and bitten when patients become distressed, having to have a strong stomach to cope with bodily fluids, standing on our feet for hours on end, sometimes without a break.

We do this job because we love the animals and want to provide the best possible care for them when they need us.

Thank you for appreciating our Veterinary Nurses ❤️

31/05/2024

Day Thirty-one:

Hospital care! From admission to discharge, Veterinary nurses are taking care of your pets.

This includes making their kennel warm and cozy, giving any medication they need, placing intravenous catheters and setting up IV fluids, regular monitoring including temperature, pulse and respiration rate. 🩺

Post-operative care including monitoring recovery, fitting with buster collars/bodysuits, offering food and water, monitoring pain levels, taking outside to toilet (dogs) or setting up a litter tray (cats/rabbits).

Despite this long list of tasks, we will still find time to give your pet the love and attention they want while they are away from you and their home. ❤️‍🩹

Here is Honey, who has just been fitted with his bodysuit, had his intravenous catheter removed and is now having cuddles with our nurses. He looks quite content! 🐰

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.