McTaggart Vets

26/05/2024

We are closed tomorrow holiday Monday 27th May and reopen Tuesday as normal. If you have an emergency or require urgent advice for your pet please call Vets Now Kilmarnock on 01563 258028.

17/05/2024

REUNITED WITH OWNER

Dog found 17/5/24

Dalry St Margaret’s Avenue
female brown/tan crossbreed 1 blue eye

Chipped and we have tried to contact owner with no reply yet

Contact us on 01294 832503 if you know who she may belong too

Please share thank you

05/05/2024

We are closed on Bank Holiday Monday 6th May, if you have an emergency or require urgent veterinary advice please contact Vets Now Kilmarnock 01563 258028. We are back open Tuesday as normal.

03/05/2024

Update 3pm Friday 3/5/24

Phone and IT issues are resolved please use usual phone line 01294832503 to contact us now

2pm Friday 3/5/24

We are having problems with our phone lines and internet at the moment - apologies , for any enquiries please try later or email [email protected] and leave a mobile number and your name and we will get back to you as soon as we can, if you have a true emergency with your pet please just come straight to the clinic

29/04/2024

Traffic lights Vennel Street

29/4/24 There are 4 way traffic lights at top of Vennel Street causing traffic delays. Please allow extra time for your journey. Unfortunately if you arrive late for your appointment you may have a short wait to be seen , thank you for your patience

27/04/2024

Today is World Veterinary day, thanks to all working in the veterinary profession especially to our own great team. Shona was asked to write some words on what being a vet means to her as part of these celebrations , here’s her story.

This World Veterinary Day we want to extend our heartfelt thanks to our incredible customers! The vets that pour their heart and soul into their profession. We spoke to many of our customers and wanted to share Shona's story:

"I've been a vet for 29 years following in my father's footsteps. I feel privileged to carry on the family name and business in my home town.
I love being a vet, I enjoy the challenge of the job, that every day is different and I never stop learning. The relationship myself and my team have built with my clients whilst caring for their pets over the years is truly special. The veterinary profession has changed massively over the years in terms of investigations, treatments and medications available, client expectations, costs of veterinary care and the digitisation of the world. Adapting to, whilst embracing these changes has been key to my enjoyment and success of the job. Collaborating with colleagues within the profession to gain new ideas and insights into how to work more effectively is really useful. Running my own business has its many challenges but the autonomy and rewards it brings outweighs any obstacles I have encountered. I am proud to be a vet and could never imagine any other career for myself."

Shona McTaggart
Practice Owner
McTaggart Vets

To all our customers and the amazing vets out there, we celebrate you! Thank you for everything you do to keep our pets healthy and happy.

31/03/2024

Happy Easter to you all, hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and enjoy the sunshine with your pets. Keep them safe and away from chocolate and hot cross buns!

We are closed until Tuesday 2nd April if you need emergency advice please call Vets Now Kilmarnock on 01563 258028

12/03/2024

Taking into consideration the recent news about the Competition and Markets Authorities investigation of the veterinary profession, we wanted to take this opportunity to celebrate our locally owned and proudly independent practice.

We have been serving the local community and their pets for over 50 years in fact many of our team have been here for more than 25 years. Originally founded by Shona’s dad Allan McTaggart as a mixed farm and small animal practice, Shona worked at the practice throughout her teenage years and university graduating from Glasgow Veterinary School (like her dad!) in 1995. After a couple of years working in North West England Shona returned to work with her dad. Following Allan’s retirement in 2008 the practice chose to concentrate on small animals only, and Shona welcomed the opportunity to carry on her dad’s legacy.

We are locally owned. Truly independent. We have full clinical freedom which means we are free to offer our clients the treatment plan best suited for them and their animals.

We aren’t run by any corporate bodies and we set no targets for our staff. Our number one priority is our clients and the welfare of their pets. The money you pay is used to pay for the equipment and running costs of THIS practice only, and pays the wages of the staff you see here every day. We do not have shareholders or a head office hundreds of miles away, and we don’t have to justify ourselves to anyone but you, which means we can concentrate on your pets and their wellbeing above all else.

We want to take this opportunity to thank our hardworking staff who, every day go above and beyond for the animals in their care. And a huge thank you to our loyal and lovely clients.

Thank you,
Shona and all the team at McTaggart Vets

29/02/2024

Please help our local North Ayrshire Cats Protection raise some funds. They do a fabulous job of helping with cat neutering and microchipping costs and well as rehoming cats

03/02/2024

Please consider your dog being a blood donor , it can save lives

🐾‼ Please share to help spread the word, your dog does not need to be a patient with us to give blood ‼🐾

‼ Sunday 18th February @ Dalblair Vets Ayr ‼

Did you know there is a blood bank for pets?

PetBloodBankUK is a charity that helps to save the lives of pets in need. It’s just like the human blood service, but for dogs! 🐶

They run donation sessions across the country where owners bring their much loved dogs to give blood.

Pet Blood Bank needs your help to ensure blood is always available.

They are looking for large, happy, healthy, and confident dogs to come forward as blood donors to help save the lives of other dogs in need. To be a blood donor, your dog should be:

🐶 Between the ages of 1 and 8
🐶 Weigh over 25kg
🐶 Fit and healthy
🐶 Happy, confident, and enjoy meeting new people

If this sounds like your dog, head over to Pet Blood Bank’s website to find out more 👉 www.petbloodbankuk.org/dogs

01/02/2024

📞☎️ Phone line issues

We are having some work done on phone lines and our internet today 1/2/24 if you need to contact us urgently and can’t get through on phone line please email [email protected] and leave a contact number and we will call you back as soon as we can . Apologies for any inconvenience.

30/01/2024

🐾NEW REGISTRATIONS OPEN🐾

We are delighted to announce that our books are now fully open to new client registrations. Email us on [email protected] (ensure you leave a contact number on your email )or give us a call on 01294 832503 and our reception team can talk you through our registration process.

01/01/2024

***HAPPY NEW YEAR! ***

Wishing all our clients and their pets a very Happy New Year. A special thanks goes out to my amazing team at the practice for everything they do for me, the practice , our clients and their pets, without you guys the practice simply wouldn’t exist. Thank you all 🙏 . Best wishes for a healthy and happy year ahead for everyone. Slàinte Shona

30/12/2023

We are now closed until Wednesday 3rd January when we will be back to our normal hours and open at 9am. If you have an emergency or need urgent advice for your pet when we are closed please telephone Vets Now Kilmarnock on 01563 258028. Wishing all our clients and their pets a very happy and healthy New Year.

30/12/2023

We are open today Saturday 30th December 9-11am for emergencies only thereafter we will be closed until Wednesday 3rd January.
Please remember to keep your pets indoors and safe from fireworks over the New Year period.

23/12/2023

We are now closed until Wednesday 27th December when we will be open our normal hours up to and including Saturday 30th December. If you have an emergency or need urgent advice for your pet when we are closed please telephone Vets Now Kilmarnock on 01563 258028. Wishing all our clients and their pets a Merry Christmas.

23/12/2023

We are open today 9-11, for any emergencies before we close for Christmas call us on 01294 832503. We reopen Wednesday 27th.

18/12/2023

Make sure you have plenty medications for your pets over the holiday period. Last date to order medication we keep in stock is Wednesday 20th December but be aware some medications need ordered in and can take several days to be delivered to us. Email your prescription requests to [email protected]

14/12/2023

🎄 CHRISTMAS OPENING HOURS 🎄

Saturday 23rd December
9-11am

Christmas Eve
CLOSED - EMERGENCIES ONLY

Christmas Day
CLOSED - EMERGENCIES ONLY

Boxing Day
CLOSED - EMERGENCIES ONLY

Wednesday 27th December
9-6pm

Thursday 28th December
9-6pm

Friday 29th December
9-6pm

Saturday 30th December
9-11am

New Year’s Eve
CLOSED - EMERGENCIES ONLY

New Year’s Day
CLOSED - EMERGENCIES ONLY

Tuesday 2nd January
CLOSED - EMERGENCIES ONLY

If you have an emergency when we are closed please contact Vets Now Kilmarnock on 01563 258028.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of our patients and clients from all the team at McTaggart Vets 🎅🏻🎄🐾

10/12/2023

McTaggart Vets Christmas do was held on Saturday with all of the team able to attend for a very well-deserved celebration meal, it was lovely to get everyone together and see them all enjoying themselves and getting into the festive spirit. Some partied longer and harder than others of course 💃🎶🥂🍾! Thank you to my amazing team for their continued dedication to the Practice and endless support to our clients and their pets, myself and each other throughout the year. Ladies I thank you all Shona

06/12/2023

Can you give a cat a new home?

**ADOPT A CAT**🐈
💙LET'S FIND A HOME FOR OUR HANDSOME DUDE DENNIS...We'd love to see him settled in a loving home.
His foster mum describes him as a lovely big chap, who enjoys a proper fuss once he gets to know you. He's not a feline fan so the best type of home for him will be as an only pet and in a quieter home.
He'd like outdoor access once he's got his paws under the table.
Dennis is in our care as his previous owner was too frail to care for a young and active cat.

If you are interested in adopting DENNIS or any of the other cats who are waiting with us to be adopted please contact us via our website at
https://www.cats.org.uk/northayrshire/adopt-a-cat or call us Mon-Fri on 0345 371 4218.
Our adoption fee is £120 which goes towards the funds we need to pay for the vet and feeding costs of all cats in our branch care.
All cats and kittens in the branch are health-checked, neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, wormed and de-flead prior to adoption.
Thank you for sharing.

24/11/2023

Who loves winter walks? post some pics below of your pooches enjoying the crispy weather

Oh the joy of winter walks…

22/11/2023

We have had a wee cat handed into the practice this evening 22/11 , we suspect she had been hit by a car but sadly she didn’t make it she was found by side of West Kilbride Road heading out of Dalry.

Female black thin no microchip

If you know who she may belong to please contact us

20/11/2023

For all of us who have lost pets or are facing it now or in future this is a truly beautifully written article. Be sure to have tissues at the ready

https://gailantheabrown.com/2023/11/19/what-dogs-teach-us-about-living-and-dying/?fbclid=IwAR211IhstN4npNEixKpMu54C6ljyNZxVm8uFckPy6IvQ8JcYx-VSFOUdYZc_aem_AeQer5ysJ4NENgfLpF6Wa6mM0Y0f2oSd7ggigCa1jZqFWI3DDpfNpaomse0tvnmC3P8

The death of our beloved Hungarian Vizsla Brody prompts a reflection on what dogs teach us.

16/11/2023

Please remember to be kind to our team, we all aim to help you and your pet as best we can. The link below details an initiative to support the veterinary profession.

14/11/2023

We know many bull type dog owners may be worried about the recent change in Uk legislation regarding the ban of XL Bully’s, here some useful information with links to the new guidelines. We are here to help in anyway we can to assist owners comply with the guidelines.

📣 Today, the Government announced that American Bully XL type dogs have been added to the banned breeds list. The guidance has been published here www.gov.uk/guidance/prepare-for-the-ban-on-xl-bully-dogs

We know this is a very worrying and upsetting time for dog owners whose dogs are affected by this legislation. We will continue to support owners, with our programme of practical support and advice, which includes free muzzle training. Our current advice can be found here www.dogstrust.org.uk/xlbullyinfo and we will update this page with further information shortly.

We also know many of you are concerned about what will happen to the dogs in our care which might fall under the ban. It will take some time for us to interpret the guidance and review the dogs in our care who could potentially be affected by the ban. We will not be releasing any more details about the dogs in our care who may be affected.

12/11/2023

Please consider helping North Ayrshire Cats Protection by buying a raffle ticket to raise much needed funds

05/11/2023

Keep your pets safe tonight

24/10/2023

Recognising arthritis and pain in our pets is so important

Stiffness
'Laziness'
Limping
Gait change
Posture change
Aggression

These are all pain avoidance behaviours. Your dog can't tell you where it hurts, and your dog doesn't know you can help.

So they do their best to cope.

16/10/2023

Firework 🧨 night is fast approaching please give us a call if you feel your pet may need some calming medication.
Your pet may need a consultation with a vet before any medication can be prescribed.