Vets4Pets Falkirk

23/06/2025

*** PLEASE SHARE***

We are sad to post this but unfortunately we have been handed in a young adult, female black cat, sadly not micro chipped. She has been involved in a RTA and has sadly deceased. She also has no collar. She was found in Fairlie Street in Camelon.

If anyone knows anything, or even the owners can they get in contact with us on 01324 619 920.

20/06/2025

SPLENECTOMY!!

This is the lovely Layla! :)

Layla has been through quite an ordeal recently and we would like to tell you her story.

She presented to us in a very bad condition a few weeks ago. She had become increasingly lethargic over the past 24-48hrs to the point of collapsing and she had a very swollen looking abdomen.

After one of our veterinary surgeons examined Layla, they were concerned that she may be bleeding internally and it was advised that an ultrasound scan should be performed to ascertain the cause of her symptoms.

From the ultrasound scan, our vet Sam could see immediately that there was a large amount of free fluid within her abdomen. A procedure called Abdominocentesis was performed, which is when a needle is used to take a sample of this free fluid, allowing us to determine what kind of fluid this is. It was confirmed that it was fresh blood, indicating that Layla was bleeding internally from somewhere.

Surgery was discussed with Layla’s owners and they decided to go ahead with the operation to determine the cause of this bleeding and ascertain if there was anything that could be done to save her.

During the surgery, two masses were found on her spleen which had ruptured causing a large amount of internal bleeding. The good news was that there did not appear to be any other masses anywhere else within Layla’s abdomen. This meant that a splenectomy could be performed, which is when the spleen is surgically removed – therefore preventing any further bleeding.

Dogs can live a happy, healthy life without their spleen, following a splenectomy. Depending on how much blood has been lost, they do sometimes require a blood transfusion. Layla was very lucky that she managed to regenerate her Red Blood Cells fairly quickly, and she did not require a transfusion.

The spleen's job is to filter the blood and to help fight infections, therefore patients can be at a slightly higher risk of infection post-splenectomy. Other organs within the body often take over these jobs. It is recommended that patients do get regular check-ups and monitoring in the future.

The main symptoms to look out for in patients who have had internal bleeding:
• Lethargy, weakness, collapse
• Reduced appetite/inappetance
• Increased respiratory rate
• Pale gums
• Fast heart rate
• Abdominal swelling/bloating
• Cold extremities (eg. Limbs)

If you are ever concerned that your pet is showing any of these signs, it is crucial to seek immediate veterinary attention, as this condition can be life-threatening.

16/06/2025

Missing Cat. Last seen 6 days ago in the Gilchrist Drive area of Falkirk. Not microchipped or neutered. If you happen to see him could you please let us know at the practice. Thanks

28/05/2025

**FULL-TIME VETERINARY SURGEON**

Looking for the next person to join our wonderful work family! Please share 🐾 ❤️

25/05/2025

🏆 Petplan Veterinary Awards 2025 – Nominations Now Open! 🏆

Have you had a positive experience with the team at Falkirk Vets4Pets? 🐾❤️
Did a member of our staff go the extra mile for you and your pet?

Now’s your chance to say thank you by nominating us for a Petplan Veterinary Award!

These awards celebrate the incredible work of veterinary teams across the UK, and we’d be honoured to have your support. Whether it’s a vet, nurse, receptionist, or the whole practice – every nomination means the world to us!

👉 Nominate us here: https://awards.petplan.co.uk/

🗓️ Nominations close 12th September 2025 – don’t wait!

Thank you for trusting us with your beloved pets and for being part of the Falkirk Vets4Pets family. 🐾🐶🐱🐰❤️🐾

The Petplan Vet Awards are in their 26th year, recognising and celebrating teams and individuals within the vet sector who inspire their clients and colleagues with their commitment and passion.

20/05/2025

This beautiful girl is Rose. Rose presented at the practice last month with GDV (gastric dilatation and volvulus), commonly known as ‘bloat’. This life-threatening condition is a surgical emergency, and can prove fatal for many patients.

GDV occurs when the stomach fills up with air, then twists around its axis, preventing exit of gas and compromising blood supply to the stomach and often the spleen. Left untreated, this can progress to circulatory collapse, shock, sepsis and death.

GDV mostly commonly occurs in giant or large deep-chested dog breeds due to their anatomy; middle-aged to older dogs; and those that have been exercised too soon after eating. However, it can occur in any patient. Symptoms of GDV normally include panting, restlessness, bloating/swelling of the abdomen, and repeated retching with non-productive attempts to vomit. In later stages, pale/blue gums, cold body temperature and collapse occur.

Initial treatment involves an intravenous fluid drip to support circulation and blood flow, passing of a stomach tube to drain excess gas and stomach fluid and relieve pressure, and further stabilisation prior to surgery (including managing any associated problems such as heart arrhythmias).

During surgery, the stomach is rotated and placed back into its normal anatomical position and assessed for damage - sometimes sections of the stomach wall have to be removed if they have been compromised by loss of blood flow. The spleen, due to its position beside the stomach, is often involved in the twist, so can have to be removed if it is also damaged. After all this, a procedure called a gastropexy is performed - this involves surgically attaching part of the stomach to the abdominal body wall, to decrease the risk of a twist happening again in the future.

Patients remain critical for hours and days after their surgery, and ongoing fluid support, pain medication, and intensive monitoring is needed.

In Rose’s case, in additional to correction of the GDV and gastropexy, her late-night surgery involved the removal of her spleen, as its major blood vessels had been severely damaged by the degree of stretch and strain caused by her distended stomach.

After a lot of emotional stress for her devoted family and our staff, Rose recovered wonderfully after her emergency surgery, and has been back to see us since, to keep us updated with her progress. She is always delighted by the love and cuddles she gets on her visits, which she rightly deserves.

Whilst Rose’s story has a happy ending, many other dogs may not be so lucky. Please be vigilant as to the dangers of GDV, especially if you own a high-risk breed. If you are concerned that a pet may be showing signs of bloat, please contact us or our out-of-hours provider immediately.

13/05/2025

As the sunshine has been nice to us in the last couple of weeks, and it seeks to continue for a little longer. Just remember parasites are going to be trying to hop along for the fun on your animals.

Whether it be your cat, dog or Rabbit please make sure your pet is up to date with prevention cover.

*here we have a client's gang chilling with each other, and they are all set and ready to fight off these pests*

Cats and dogs require fleas, tick and worm coverage and Rabbits require fly strike.

If your Rabbit requires fly strike and you need help with this please call to book an appointment. This is covered on your rabbit care plan with ourselves and the nurse can help apply this for you twice a year :)

04/05/2025

‼️ NEW LATE NIGHT EMERGENCY COVER ‼️
We are now available from 8pm to 10pm Monday to Friday for emergencies only!

Please call our emergency line on 01324 274020 if you require our assistance during these times.

02/05/2025

Let us all just admire how gorgeous these two 12 week old Bengals Rex and Rocky are 😻

As cute, small and scrumptious as they both are, they sure do have a set of lungs 🤣

01/05/2025

Just a reminder that as of Monday the 5th of May our opening hours change.

Please see below and here we have wee Mylo 10 weeks old who is happy to pose

29/04/2025

This month, we are proud to name Bonnie as our Star of the Month for her incredible bravery and resilience during a very difficult time.

Bonnie presented to the clinic after experiencing multiple episodes of vomiting—seven times in just one hour. She was extremely unwell, lethargic, and clearly not her usual bright self. After thorough examination and diagnostic testing, Bonnie was diagnosed with a severe case of pancreatitis.

Pancreatitis is an inflammation of the pancreas, a vital organ that aids in digestion and blood sugar regulation. In dogs, this condition can come on suddenly and may present with symptoms such as vomiting, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, lethargy, diarrhea, and a hunched back. It can be life-threatening if not treated promptly, making early veterinary attention crucial.

Bonnie was admitted for intensive supportive care, including intravenous fluids, pain relief, and close monitoring. Over the course of a few days, she showed remarkable improvement and slowly returned to her happy, tail-wagging self.

We are thrilled to see Bonnie feeling better and back to her usual lively nature. She arrived at the clinic with her tail tucked between her legs and left with it wagging with joy—and that strength and spirit is exactly why she has earned this month’s title.

Well done, Bonnie!

25/04/2025

Our local radio station came to visit us today to see what we had been doing for the Strathcarron Hospice Big Birthday Tea fundraising

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.”

19/01/2024

The team at Vets4Pets Cramlington say greyhound Frank was "an absolute gentleman" when he came in for some dental work.

Seven-year-old Frank was brought in by owner Harriet to get rid of some plaque which had built up and to treat a gum inflammation. Veterinary nurse Vicki said: "Frank was a very good boy and left with clean, fresh and sparkly teeth. It's so very important to get your dog's teeth checked and we advise pets to have an annual dental check. Eighty per cent of dogs over the age of three have dental disease. Prevention is much better than cure and regular checks and routine cleaning keep your pet's mouth healthier for longer and can help to prevent extensive extractions later in life. We are always happy to offer advice on maintenance and dental care at home such as teeth brushing or dental supplements."

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."