Eden Vets

16/08/2024

Look at these cuties who attended this week’s puppy party! 🥰

Give us a call to sign up for our next one in September!

15/08/2024

Let us introduce you to Macey - our newest Veterinary Care Assistant (VCA)!

As a VCA Macey assists in all aspects of life at Eden, from clinical work with our vets and nurses to helping at reception and liaising with clients.

She is looking forward to starting her veterinary nurse training next year and will join our student nurse team 💙

Here she is below having the ‘best day so far’ assisting the nurses in puppy revival post caesarean section.

14/08/2024

Thank you to everyone who attended our first donation day!!

Hero Maverick (pictured below) showing us how his session went. ❤️

Well done to all our superhero dogs who donated!

If you couldn’t make this weekend don’t worry, we’ll be hosting another session soon!

13/08/2024

One of our RVN’s, Katie, is jumping towards her target!! 🪂✈️

CAN YOU HELP US REACH OUR TARGET?!

Eden Vets have contributed £1000 towards Katie & Nics plea to fund a LOCAL, COMMUNITY defibrillator for Shavington.

Katie will be jumping from 10k ft, in loving memory of her Nan, Barbara, on 31st August 2024.

If you can help us on our way, no matter how big or small the donation, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks for reading, Katie & Nic x

Helping save lives in the community ❤️

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/nicola-fisher-4?utm_term=ZRm9eDmNa

11/08/2024

Our star patient this week is the beautiful Lurcher, Amber.

Amber was referred to our internal medicine team to investigate her chronic cough. Her clinical signs first started almost a year ago, however x-rays taken at her vets showed no significant abnormalities.

A marked improvement was seen following a course of antibiotics, however her cough still lingered at a reduced frequency. More recently, an acute deterioration was seen with Amber experiencing coughing episodes multiple times a day and losing her usual zest for life.

Amber underwent a CT scan of her chest which showed diffuse thickening of her bronchial (airway) walls, likely due to underlying bronchitis. Our small flexible bronchoscope was used to visualise Amber’s airways and perform a procedure known as a bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). During this procedure small quantities of sterile saline are flushed into a patient’s small airways and then collected again using suction. In doing so, cells and mucus from the patient’s airways can be collected and sent to the laboratory for analysis to look for underlying causes of lung disease.

Amber’s airways were found to be quite abnormal in appearance on bronchoscopy with multiple small nodules present in the mucosa (lining) of her trachea (windpipe). Biopsies of these nodules were also performed and sent to the laboratory alongside the BAL samples.

Results showed Amber was suffering from a nasty bacterial chest infection that was not sensitive to the antibiotics she had previously been prescribed. These bacteria were also found to be responsible for the inflammatory nodules seen in her trachea. Thankfully more sinister disease was ruled out. Amber has now completed a 4-week course of the correct antibiotics and was found to be doing brilliantly at her check-up this week – she is back playing with her sister, which is lovely to hear.

It is also thought from Amber’s results that she suffers from allergic airway disease with certain environmental allergens causing inflammation in her lungs. Now that her infection is under control, we have started a long-term management plan of this disease with the use of inhaled bronchodilators and steroids, similar to those used in human asthma patients. Close monitoring will be performed over the coming months to ensure her clinical signs are well controlled.

Amber is such a sweet but nervous girl, luckily, she has warmed to the team at Eden brilliantly and doesn’t seem fazed by her visits.

09/08/2024

09/08/2024

Vaccines continued ...

Next, we have cats. 🐈

One of your kittens first visits will be to have a thorough examination by one of our Veterinary surgeons and start their initial vaccination course providing they are 8-9 weeks old. The final vaccine is given 3-4 weeks later at 12 weeks old.

One week after this your kitten will be fully covered for a range of diseases such as Feline Leukemia and Calicivirus. The vet will discuss this with you at your appointment, the several diseases that we are protecting against depends on whether your kitten will be indoors or outdoors.

We then recommend that your kitten is routinely vaccinated annually. 💉🩺

08/08/2024

🐈‍⬛🐈 Happy International Cat Day!!!! 🐈🐈‍⬛

Did you know we not only have ISFM gold practice status but we have a feline medicine team dedicated to the care of your cats!

Vet Laura who is an advanced practitioner in feline medicine and RVN Lizzie who has a diploma in feline nursing are on hand for you and your felines!

Celebrate with us today by sharing a photo of your gorgeous cats in the comments section.

The beauty featured below is Luna, who belongs to one of our RVN’s Faye - couldn’t you just eat her up! 🥰

08/08/2024

Canine Pyometra Information

🐾What is canine pyometra?
Canine pyometra is a common and life-threatening condition which affects un-neutered female dogs. Some studies show that 1 in 4 un-neutered bi***es will get the condition before they get to the age of 10*.

The word pyometra means a uterus full of pus, which accurately describes the condition, however, the condition does not start by bacteria infecting the uterus but instead is driven by hormonal changes. The most common time pyometra is diagnosed is around 1-3 months after a dog has been in season.

🐾What causes canine pyometra?
Hormonal changes in a dog cause the glands in the uterus to increase. These glands produce a secretion, which is an excellent material for bacteria to grow and forms a large quantity of pus. Toxins from the pus can be absorbed into the bloodstream which makes the pet very unwell. If left untreated pyometra can be fatal.

🐾What are the symptoms of pyometra in dogs?
Early signs may not always be obvious, but your pet may be off their food, lethargic, or very thirsty. Sometimes pets have discharge from their va**na but not in all cases. As the infection gets worse your pet may be sick and become very unwilling to move.

🐾How is pyometra diagnosed in dogs?
A vet will first likely ask questions about when your dog’s last season was, whether she has been cleaning herself more often around her v***a, and how she has been acting recently. They will examine your dog’s abdomen to check for swelling and most perform an ultrasound examination to confirm the condition.

🐾How is pyometra treated?
Some dogs with pyometra will be very unwell, others may just be ‘off colour’. The first step of treatment is to stabilise the dog and help the body systems by correcting problems such as dehydration with an intravenous drip. The vet will also usually perform a blood test to see whether the toxins absorbed have affected the kidneys, and also to check for anaemia, levels of white blood cells and how body systems are functioning.

Prompt surgery is recommended for the treatment of pyometra. During this procedure, an ovariohysterectomy is performed which removes the ovaries and uterus, and also the source of the pus. This is the most effective treatment, and most dogs improve very rapidly after the surgery, although some may require further support in the veterinary surgery to nurse them back to health. Although it is rare, toxins from pyometra may have caused so much damage to the body systems that the dog continues to have problems after surgery.

🐾Pyometra is one of the main reasons why we recommend bi***es are preventatively spayed.

06/08/2024

Last week saw Advanced Practitioner Laura and RVN Lizzie giving a talk to our clients on feline wellness and common conditions in older cats.

The lecture was followed by tour of our facilities and why we were awarded Gold ISFM status! 🏆

Check out our feline friendly service on our website!

https://eden-vets.co.uk/cat-clinics/

04/08/2024

**WARNING – Graphic images of surgery**

11 year old spaniel, Rosie, is this weeks’ 🌟 patient, and what a story she has to tell. Her case is the first our vets have ever seen or heard of occurring in a dog. 🤩

Rosie owner is also a vet and she requested Rosie be referred to our medical team for investigations after increases in her drinking and urination rates. Medical vet, Kate assessed Rosie when she came to see us. Her clinical examination was unremarkable. Blood tests revealed only a moderate increase to one of her liver enzymes.

Haematology and urinalysis were unremarkable. Initial diagnostics (radiography and ultrasound) demonstrated a large mass in the right chest cavity which we presumed to be originating from the lungs. 🩺

A CT scan was subsequently performed to view this structure more clearly and to identify if this mass had spread throughout the body. Interestingly the scans showed that the mass was in fact part of her liver that had herniated into her chest cavity. The two lobes had undergone significant changes leading to a cancerous process, but thankfully there was no sign of spread of this cancer.

Rosie had been involved in a road traffic accident several years earlier and it’s extremely likely that she suffered a diaphragmatic hernia (rupture), leading to the right-hand side of her liver lobes to herniate into her chest cavity. Over the years the diaphragm healed and cut off the liver from the abdominal cavity. The liver then changed overtime and unfortunately became cancerous. 🩻

Rosie now required a very extensive and intricate surgery to help her and was passed onto Vet Georgina and our surgical team. Rosie’s surgery involved a combined approach both into the abdominal and chest cavities known as a celiotomy and median sternotomy. As the diaphragm was almost completely healed, firstly an incision had to be made to fully visualise the liver mass. Once this was performed, Georgina had the difficult task of dissecting and resecting the tumour from the rest of liver and the lung lobes to which it had become adhered to. The surgery took several hours but due to our exceptional nursing team (who not only monitoring her anaesthetic but breathing for her during the surgery) her anaesthetic was textbook stable. 🐶

Rosie remained in for several days to allow for her chest drains and intravenous medications to be monitored. Analysis of the liver mass revealed it to be a well differentiated hepatic carcinoma, which even though is classed as a ‘malignant’ tumour as like a low-grade / benign mass with reoccurrence being extremely low!

This is such a fantastic result for a fantastic little dog and fellow vet owner! The whole team were so invested in her care so it’s wonderful to be able to tell you her success story! 💙

02/08/2024

August is vaccination awareness month so during the month we will be posting about vaccinations for your pets. Starting with dogs. 🐕

One of the first visits to your vets with your puppy will be to have a thorough examination by a veterinary surgeon, they will also start their initial vaccination course, providing they are 8 weeks of age. The next vaccines will be at 10 and 12 weeks. One week after this your puppy will be fully covered for a range of diseases including Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus and Leptospirosis. The veterinary surgeon will discuss the several diseases we are protecting against at your consultation.

There is also a vaccine to protect against kennel cough which is given intranasally. This is recommended if your puppy is going to training classes, boarding kennels or daycare.

These vaccinations then need to be maintained annually to protect against the diseases. 💉🩺

01/08/2024

Well, what a show!!! We had a fabulous day at The Nantwich Show 💚

It was a pleasure to see and chat to so many of our lovely clients. The kids had a great time getting their face painted and balloons by the wonderful Tracey and Dawn. Most importantly the dogs loved their cool down pool and treats!

One of the highlights was receiving FIRST prize for the best stand in our class!

Thank you to all our team who were involved in pulling off our best show yet! 💙

31/07/2024

We are at the show today!
If you are going why not pop by and say hi 👋 we are next to car park D, to the right of the Whitegate entrance.

We have got a ball pit and paddling pool for the dog's 🩵

30/07/2024

TONIGHT is our FREE client evening centred around feline health.

This event is open to both registered clients and cat owners who are thinking of moving to Eden Vets or wish to know more about our feline friendly services. This is a great opportunity to meet our feline team and have a tour of the premises.

Taking place TONIGHT on Tuesday 30th July at 7pm, hosted by our very own feline vet, Laura and feline nurse, Lizzie.

The evening will cover
- Recommended cat carriers to reduce stress levels
- Blood pressure
- Osteoarthritis
- Hyperthyroidism
- Chronic Kidney Disease
- Our all new Senior health clinics

There will be an opportunity to ask us questions about any aspects of caring for your older cat and also hints and tips to help your cat enjoy their later years that little bit more.

Hope to see you there,
Laura & Lizzie.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/free-client-evening-all-you-need-to-know-about-senior-cat-care-tickets-922806217237

30/07/2024

Please be sensible in the hot weather with your pets. We’ve seen far too many dogs being walked in 27+ degree heat the past few days and devastatingly some have died because of it.

I think my pet has heat stroke, what do I do?

If you think your dog has heatstroke:

❌ Do not pour lemon juice into its mouth if they are producing excessive phlegm or saliva
❌ Do not attempt to force any liquid into its mouth - you risk causing aspiration
❌ Do not leave wet, cold towels stationary on them. They quickly warm and trap the heat

✅ Do:

✅ FIRST - Cool them down by pouring cold water on them or submerging in cold water (NB it can be cold, not tepid).
If using a hose pipe ensure that you run it for a few seconds first to avoid burns from warmed water inside the hose!
✅ Bring your dog inside into a shady, well ventilated, cool room
✅Call your veterinary team and follow their instructions
✅Prepare yourself to promptly transfer to your practice
✅ Depending on their current condition they may drink small amounts of cool water, don't allow they to lap up huge quantities at once incase they vomit
✅ Travel in a cold, air-conditioned car

***According to a recent RCVS study into heat-induced illness in dogs, those actively cooled before arriving at the vets had a lower mortality rate than those not cooled prior to arrival.***

More information on heatstroke and how to manage while transferring to your veterinary team? See the RCVS update link below..

https://www.rvc.ac.uk/vetcompass/news/the-rvc-urges-owners-of-hot-dogs-to-cool-first-transport-second

29/07/2024

Register for our FIRST donation day!!

New venues alert! 👏

We are excited to announce that we have some wonderful new donation venues that are running their first sessions in August 😍

📍 You can now come along and help to save lives at:

Copeland Veterinary Surgeons, Stockton-on-Tees - Sunday 11 August
Eden Veterinary Referrals, Crewe - Sunday 11 August
Pennard Vets, Maidstone - Saturday 24 August

If you know anyone with a large, happy, healthy, and confident dog in these areas, please tag them below and let them know they could help to save lives.

We look forward to seeing you there ❤️

29/07/2024

Two days until the Nantwich show!

We are next to carpark D, to the right of the Whitegate entrance. Several members of our team will be there with lots of goodies for humans and dogs alike. Not to mention a ball pit and pool for the doggos! 💙

Please do come and say hello!

28/07/2024

⭐ This week’s star patient is the lovely Rosie ⭐
Rosie is a 15year old domestic short hair cat. Her owner rehomed her when she was about 6 years old. 🐱

She struggles with Carpal flexor tendinopathy which means she gets pain in her carpi, ‘wrists’ on both fore limbs. Her owner has been managing this for a few years with medication but over the last 12 months she has started having laser therapy with practice nurse Steph, as she was worried Rosie was in pain.

She comes in every 2 weeks and has laser on her Carpi and back, she also has some massage. Since starting the laser, her owner has noticed that Rosie generally seems much better and less sore on her legs. She obviously still has a few bad days but overall, she is much better.

Laser (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) therapy is a low-level light therapy used, in this case, to help manage pain. It helps to reduce inflammation, reduce pain and increase cells to the area, this helps with healing of the tissue.

Laser, alongside massage and weight control is a great way to help manage osteoarthritic patients.
Rosie does get a little stressed coming to the veterinary practice however she has now learnt that we are not going to hurt her, and that the laser helps.

If you think your pet would benefit from some laser therapy, please contact the practice and Steph would be more then happy to chat to you.

26/07/2024

Are you aware the damage that sticks can cause to dogs? 🪵

A survey by the British Veterinary Association in 2017 revealed that 3 in 4 vets had seen dogs injured by stick throwing over the previous year.

Throwing sticks may seem like a good idea but when it goes wrong it can have serious health complications for your dog. They can often run into sticks that maybe haven’t settled properly on the ground or have become lodged at an abnormal angle. 😭

These can often impale dogs, with common entry points including the mouth, chest and abdomen.

The following images are from a case we saw back in January 2023 where a young Labrador had got a stick injury.
A CT scan diagnosed a 3.5cm stick fragment lodged within the soft tissues of his neck that was just 2cm away from lacerating the jugular vein and carotid artery (green arrows on the image). The stick had pierced through the ventral aspect of his tongue and damaged several neck muscles before sitting in its final location at the left aspect of the neck.

Playing with sticks also encourages dogs to chew on sticks which can lead to them becoming lodged in the mouth, or the wood splintering and them then swallowing the splinters which can cause infections.

Dogs often have to be sedated or put under general anaesthesia to have stick injuries examined as they can be uncomfortable and stressful for the dog.

If you think your dog may have a stick injury contact your vets as soon as possible. 🩺

25/07/2024

Responsible pet ownership begins even before you get a puppy. If you're buying from a breeder, use the free and ask these questions first to make sure you're getting a happy, healthy puppy from a responsible source.

✅ Who bred the puppies?

✅ Where are the puppies kept? Have you started to house train and socialise the puppy?

✅ Were both the puppy’s parents screened for inherited diseases that can be tested in that breed?

✅ Will the puppy be microchipped and given its first vaccinations prior to homing?

✅ Has the puppy or its parents had any health problems?

✅ Have you used any routine veterinary treatments for the puppies, such as wormers?

Find out more 👉 http://ow.ly/vnLA50NfVvb

24/07/2024

Read about Mylo’s story! 💙

23/07/2024

**Less than 1 week to go until our next client focused evening!!**

Taking place on Tuesday 30th July at 7pm, hosted by our very own feline vet, Laura and feline nurse, Lizzie.

The evening will cover
- Recommended cat carriers to reduce stress levels
- Blood pressure
- Osteoarthritis
- Hyperthyroidism
- Chronic Kidney Disease
- Our all new Senior health clinics

There will be an opportunity to ask us questions about any aspects of caring for your older cat and also hints and tips to help your cat enjoy their later years that little bit more.

Hope to see you there,
Laura & Lizzie.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/free-client-evening-all-you-need-to-know-about-senior-cat-care-tickets-922806217237

22/07/2024

We are now closed for staff training. We are open for emergencies only. Please contact us on 01270 439289 to be put through to the on call vet. Thank you for your understanding.

20/07/2024

This week we had some very cute puppies in for health checks and first vaccines.

We never get bored of a puppy cuddle 💙

18/07/2024

Does your dog love running through long grass?
If so do you check them for grass seeds once you are home?
Grass seeds may seem small, but they can cause a lot of trouble if they end up in the wrong place. The most common place to find grass seeds on your dog are eyes, ears and toes. If they are left there, they can often find a way to get under the skin, this can then lead to them migrating around the body. They can then become difficult to find and often cause problems.

What to look out for:
👂🏻Ears: You may notice them shaking their head or excessively scratching at their ear.
👀Eyes: You may notice them squinting their eye and it may become weepy.
🐾Paws: You may notice them excessively licking at their paw, over time you may notice saliva staining, or they may become sore on the foot and present with a limp or swelling.
🐕Elsewhere: If a grass seed is travelling around the body, it may cause vague symptoms such as intermittent temperature, lethargy and non-healing wounds.

If the grass seed is just stuck in the dog’s fur or skin your vet may be able to remove it using special instruments. However, once it works it way into the body they are much harder to find. Often a pet will need a CT scan to identify where the grass seed is, as they do not often show up on an x-ray. They may then require surgery.

The best way to prevent grass seeds is always check your dog after a walk and try to avoid walking your dogs in areas of long grass.

17/07/2024

Something we always share year after year is how to care for your pet during the warmer months!

Please take note and be extra cautious of elderly, overweight, brachycephalic and unwell pets - thank you 🐾

15/07/2024

A defibrillator can be the difference between someone having a tomorrow! ⭐️

On the 31st August RVN Katie will be doing a skydive! This is to fundraise for a defibrillator to be fitted at Eden Vets to protect her colleagues, clients and the local community 🪂

Please share and donate if you can❤️

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/nicola-fisher-4?utm_term=jBaB7wg2j