The Veterinary Wellness Centre

21/09/2024

Big THANK YOU to the TWC team who held the fort while I was away at the Vet Mums Who Own conference on Thursday/Friday.

VMWO are a small but mighty group of independent practice owners (most of whom are also mothers). Getting together to share ideas and offer support is vitally important so that we can continue to be a sustainable, forward-thinking practice. It was a fantastic couple of days, and now my batteries are recharged and I'm ready to put everything I learned into practice!

20/09/2024

Please share with any creative kiddos you know!

Autumn Competition at The Veterinary Wellness Centre

We invite you to create a SPOOKY SAFARI for our waiting room!

Draw us a picture of an imaginary animal you might see on a spooky safari, along with a note of their favourite food and their favourite hobby/activity.

It could be a Vampire-Piranah who likes playing hide-and-seek amongst the river rocks, waiting for toes to appear for him to nibble on….. Or a Snakephant (snake x elephant) who uses his hissing trunk to gobble up watermelons and enjoys spitting the pips out at passers-by…..

Drop us your picture at The Veterinary Wellness Centre, 73-77 Whitehill Street EH21 8QZ and we will display all pictures in the waiting room and enter you into the prize draw to win a squish-toy fancy-dressed hot-dog!

19/09/2024

Meet our beautiful team!

You will see Amanda in practice on Wednesdays when she occupies our rehabilitation suite for the day. Amanda is an ACPAT Chartered Physiotherapist, Veterinary Physiotherapist, and RAMP council member (with a Masters in Professional and Higher Education to boot!).

We are incredibly lucky to have her experienced hands help our patients safely and comfortably reach their fitness goals. Amanda's initiation and input into our clinical rehabilitation plans adds huge value to what we offer here at TWC, and Amanda works closely with Miriam throughout our patients recovery (and beyond)! She is an excellent teacher, and our work experience placements, vet students, and other team members always learn a great deal when they spend any time with her.

Join me in showing some love for our practical, joyful, forward-thinking animal physiotherapist ♥️♥️♥️🥳!

16/09/2024

Miriam making a new pal on her lunchtime run 😅

Who else will stop whatever they are doing to obey the demands of a friendly cat who wants attention? ♥️😻

13/09/2024

What is titre testing?

After vaccination or exposure to a pathogen (disease) the body produces antibodies. Titre testing measures the concentration of antibodies in the blood to determine the immune response and check if it is likely to provide protection.

We can use titre testing to check if your pet needs a booster vaccination, or to see if a vaccination has worked (most useful in juveniles before their first year booster, or pets with reduced immune function).

Titre tests are a vital part of providing healthcare that is tailored completely to your individual pet’s needs. We have titre tests for dogs available to run in-house for a same-day result, and they are included without charge for our Pet Wellness Plan patients.

Contact us today to find out more or book in for a VacciCheck titre test: 0131 516 2499

11/09/2024

*Important notice for clients*
On Thursday next week (19th) Miriam will be away from practice doing some vital Continuing Professional Development, and will not return until FRIDAY LUNCH TIME.

The rest of the team including RVN Kirsten will be on hand to answer any queries, but please note that all repeat prescriptions must be authorised by Miriam. If you might need some more medication soon please let us know on MONDAY or TUESDAY next week so that it can be authorised, ordered and dispensed before she goes away.

In case of any emergencies our good pals at have kindly agreed to take care of you for us. Please still call us at TWC and if appropriate we will send you straight over there.

Keeping up with CPD is vital so that we can continue to be a leading light in modern, innovative, sustainable veterinary care ♥️ Miriam is sure to come back buzzing with new ideas!

11/09/2024

Herbal medicine at work 🌿! Every tincture I make for cats (and a decent proportion for dogs) involves the wonderful valerian root ♥️

To visually assess how released wildcats are getting on, we often set up camera traps baited with valerian, an especially strong-smelling root that most cats tend to like 😻

This female wildcat is no exception and can be seen here enjoying the good smells and lounging in the sunshine 🌞

08/09/2024

Not only do we have the best clients, but I'm blessed with the most supportive team 😍

Look what Cheryl bought me as a celebration of being open for 6 months 🥹. Luckily the staffroom now boasts a very fancy DeLonghi coffee machine to use it in style!

I will shortly be introducing our team members on here, and highly embarrassing them by telling you all exactly how fantastic they are!

08/09/2024

Dai is doing so well in his post-stem-cell rehab 💪. Of course, squeezy cheese helps 😆🧀

07/09/2024

Why is this so true 😅?

What other differences do you find between cat owners and dog owners?

Dog names: Poppy, Cooper, Duke, Mabel
Cat names: Nacho, Teaspoon, Derek, Princess Iphigenia

Dogs: Fourth generation pedigree from Crufts-winning lines, father works to the gun, both parents health tested for HD ED CNM PRA HNPK MCD STGD

Cats: I found her by the bins at the end of our street, she followed me home and wouldn't stop yelling at me so I let her in and fed her and so for the last 6 years I am her servant.

05/09/2024

Our gorgeous pal Murphy came in to see us with a face the size of a football! The cause was a mystery - on examination Miriam suspected a malar abscess (tooth root abscess of the largest molar tooth in the upper jaw) but Murphy's teeth looked perfect 🧐

Luckily our fantastic dental xray clearly confirmed our suspicions: the dark pocket around the tooth is an abscess! Further examination showed a small slab fracture on the lingual (tongue-side) of the tooth, which most likely allowed the infection in. The tooth was divided into three using our dental drill for easy removal, and a lovely river of pus was released!

Now Murphy is feeling much better and his face is back to its beautiful smiley self 😍

04/09/2024

Today our afternoon tea break is extra lovely: one of our kind clients brought us this beautiful golden jar from her own bees 🐝! We've all enjoyed a slice of honeyed toast, presided over by the cheerful sunflower gifted by another client 🌻

We have recently been inundated with very kind and thoughtful gifts from clients - chocolates💝, cakes🧁, flowers 🌺, dog toys 🥚, cocktail shots🍸, LUSH goodies 🛁, even a voucher for afternoon tea at The Ivy 🫖!

Being a true community-driven practice is something really special, and I am always humbled by the generosity and love we receive. I am 100% certain we have the very best clients and patients in the world 🥰

03/09/2024

What makes us a holistic, integrative vet practice? What extra qualifications do you need? Over the next few posts we will highlight all of the fantastic teachers and communities that continue to support our lifelong learning in integrative veterinary medicine 🥰

Photobiomodulation or LASER (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) treatments are an important part of our daily toolkit. Laser is a non-invasive non-pharmacological treatment that can be used to reduce pain, modulate inflammation, and accelerate tissue healing. Light penetrates deep into tissues to interact with the inner membrane of cells' mitochondria, resulting in a photochemical reaction, metabolic activity and signalling within and between cells with a whole cascade of effects.

The physics of how the light penetrates tissues and how to achieve which part of the cascade of effects you need is quite complicated! All of our staff complete the incredibly thorough Lightworks canine low level laser therapy (LLLT) and rehabilitation course before using our Omega class 3B laser. This ensures we choose the best combination of complex settings for your pet's individual needs.

Lightworks is run by Janet Lloyd-Jones who has been treating humans and animals with LLLT for the past 30 years. She has published research in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science and has worked closely with Specialist Zoo and Wildlife (Avian) vet Dr Neil Homer-Forbes BVetMed FRCVS to treat exotic animals, including using LLLT for the rehabilitation of critically endangered vultures in South Africa. She is incredibly passionate and knowledgeable about LASER and manager to demystify the physics into something with practical, useful applications in every day veterinary practice.

01/09/2024

How did I train to be a holistic vet? What qualifies me to include integrative therapies at TWC?

We will be sharing posts over the next few days to thank and celebrate all the teachers and support groups that are part of our lifelong learning as Edinburgh and Lothians first truly integrative vet practice ♥️

Although not a vet, Dr Mike Cummings has been hugely influential in the creation of WVAG, the Western Veterinary Acupuncture Group. Dr Cummings came across acupuncture by chance when he was a medical officer in the Royal Air Force, and his success in treating his patients led to him taking a keen interest for the rest of his career. Now, as Medical Director of the British Medical Acupuncture Society (BMAS) Dr Cummings trains regulated health professionals (GPs, nurses, physiotherapists, chiropractors, midwives) how to use and integrate acupuncture into their own clinical practice; runs the BMAS London teaching clinic; and is associate editor for the Medline listed journal Acupuncture in Medicine in addition to lecturing and representing BMAS at academic and political meetings.

Dr Cummings is an avid promoter of evidence based medicine and has published over 100 papers in the field of Western medical acupuncture. His BMAS blog https://bmas.blog/ dissects and translates the latest research in medical acupuncture with a critical eye, and makes perfect bedtime reading for any veterinary pain geek 🤓

Dr Cummings helped create WVAG alongside Samantha Lindley MRCVS. He is often a dynamic and inspiring speaker at WVAG events - I highly recommend anyone who has the chance to hear him lecture.

01/09/2024

How did I train to be a holistic vet? What qualifies me to include integrative therapies at TWC?

We will be sharing posts over the next few days to thank and celebrate all the teachers and support groups that are part of our lifelong learning as Edinburgh and Lothians first truly integrative vet practice ♥️

Sam Lindley MRCVS has been on staff teaching and running Chronic Pain Clinics and Behaviour Clinics at Glasgow Vet School for over a decade. She has co/authored several respected text books and lectures internationally. Her career in acupuncture goes back to 1991, where she successfully treated farm animals, companion animals and people in Ayrshire. After meeting Dr Mike Cummings, together they created a comprehensive training course in Western acupuncture (the Foundation Course) and formed WVAG - the Western Veterinary Acupuncture Group. The Foundation Course has been running since 2001, and over the years Sam has developed this further into a full certification course accredited through ESPVS (who accredit and recognise courses that indicate an Advanced level of knowledge of a subject, as an intermediate between the veterinary degree and Board of European Specialization).

After completing this internationally recognised programme, which involves theoretical and practical aspects, a demonstration of competency with a case log, and an examination which covers appraisal of evidence-base medicine, the learning does not stop there. Sam's company, Longview CPD, along with WVAG, provide a whole host of courses, lectures, symposiums and an online community which offers ongoing growth and collaboration with other veterinary and medical acupuncturists.

These courses are by far the most well-taught, interesting, practical and useful CPD that I have completed in my career as a vet. I am hugely proud to be part of WVAG, and have a strong foundation from which to practice acupuncture and a brilliant community of experienced colleagues to discuss and share cases with.

28/08/2024

Our waiting room now boasts this fab restored donation box ♥️ (names TBC!). Please donate any loose change when you are in.

Warning: we are following 's rules, and any dog who pees on it needs to donate £5! 🟡 😅

26/08/2024

Today we celebrate our gorgeous canine companions ♥️🐶💓

Just for fun 😅 I quite obviously LOVE Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and don't understand why anyone would ever pick another breed 😆.

Convince me otherwise .......

I 💓 Cavaliers because....
- their temperament is pretty much guaranteed: gentle, happy, clown-like😍
- they are up for doing long walks/dog sports BUT if busy life gets in the way and you run out of time for a "proper" walk they also love sofa snuggle days😴
- they are small enough to pick up but big enough that I won't stand on them accidentally 😅
- they have beautiful shiny soft spaniel coats ⭐
- they are good at looking round corners 🤪

Tell me about your dog breed/breeds and why they qre the very best!

25/08/2024

Often clients ask what inspired us to open TWC, and how did I become a holistic vet?

Could all vets start including acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutrition, physio/hydrotherapy and regenerative medicine in their treatments?

Many vets are "holistic", whether they embrace that term or not! Certainly all good feline vets, most medically-biased vets (sorry surgeons!), and definitely vets who have worked in mixed practice (ie all-creatures-great-and-small). Holistic simply means looking at the whole picture: including nutrition, environment and emotion in diagnosis and treatment plans, and thinking further than one presenting sign/condition, acknowledging how all the different systems within the body interact. I am sure you all know great vets who do this every day!

For TWC and the vision of using integrative therapies entwined in "normal" treatments, I hope and believe that more vets will embrace these and that we won't always be so unique! It has taken many years of hard work and lots of help from some incredible teachers and colleagues to get our service up and running, and I am excited to continue learning for the rest of my life. We feel confident to give you a professional opinion based on the latest research plus personal experience while understanding your pet as an individual.

Over the next few days I will give you a glimpse into some of the people, organisations and colleagues who have supported my learning journey. They certainly all deserve to be celebrated!

If any veterinary colleagues are interested in learning about integrative care our door is always open - I love collaboration and information-sharing ♥️. Keep your eye on these posts over the next few days if you are looking for links to high quality CPD!

25/08/2024

Our RVN Kirsten is fundraising for

It isn't a pet charity, but it is a very good cause supporting children and young people with alopecia/hairloss post chemotherapy.

If you possibly can, please consider donating via this link: https://www.justgiving.com/page/kirsten-hearn-1724520526175?utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=page%2Fkirsten-hearn-1724520526175&utm_source=whatsapp&utm_campaign=pfp-whatsapp

24/08/2024

*Just for fun 😁*

Who else is enjoying a takeaway tonight?

Post a pic of your pet and we will give them a fortune cookie message 🥠. This is Clemi's "wisdom chases you, but you run too fast" 😅

24/08/2024

These two gorgeous ladies were very brave for their first vaccines this week 💉 - after being offered a smorgasbord of yummy treats they both decided a small smear of Primula was the key to zero reaction to injections 😅♥️

Dakota's coat is currently very interesting, with grey/frosted fur gradually being replaced by her glorious true tortie colours. Any guesses what this is called or why it happens? 🤔

20/08/2024

Warning to everyone who feeds a commercial raw diet to their cat: there are 11 cases of TB in cats, sadly eight of whom have had to be euthanased 🙁, all with a shared history of eating the same company's raw food diet.

Although TB is rare in cats, this is a serious disease and the symptoms often mimic other conditions. These cases have all been very poorly, with mostly respiratory signs such as coughing or wheezing, and only very mild changes on blood tests. Usually TB in cats presents as skin lesions/lumps, but not in these cases.

Edinburgh vet school are leading the way in research on feline TB, and are offering free advice to vets who are suspicious that they may have a case related to this outbreak.

Their website has lots of useful info for referring vets: https://www.ed.ac.uk/vet/services/small-animals/vet-professional/specialist-services/feline/mycobacteria

If you have any concerns about your cat please contact us at the surgery on 0131 516 2499 or [email protected]

19/08/2024

We love it when our inpatients have something that reminds them of home ♥️.

If your pet has to stay in with us, please feel free to bring a teddy, blanket, or something else that smells like home to them.

18/08/2024

We had an unofficial half-team trip out to Newbattle with Cavalier Walks Scotland today, Clemi and Mabel had a blast!

Breed meet-ups are always good, chaotic fun 😅. Have you dont anything similar with your pup?

18/08/2024

Anyone fancy helping out this great project?