Grangemouth Vets

25/03/2025

14/03/2025

🦷 Ways to maintain dental hygiene for your pet 🦷

Teeth brushing will always be gold standard. Your pets teeth are just like yours and require brushed daily. We reccomend using an animal enzymatic tooth paste.

There are some other products that can be used to help also.

Please call the practice for more information on what we can offer to help your pets maintain their smile 😊

06/03/2025

🦷 ARE X-RAYS REALLY THAT IMPORTANT FOR TEETH? 🦷

In the first picture you will see a tooth that appears to have no issues. The tooth looks sound and in good condition.

After taking an Xray (pic2) you can see a shadow surrounding a tooth root, indicating an abscess.

This tooth was removed and with it, came the abscess.

The abscess had already started to damage the tooth route, would have been causing the patient pain and would have worsened in time.

Dental Xrays allow us to see what is happening under the gum line.

02/03/2025

🐾🦴Arthritis Top Tips🦴🐾

Thank you for sticking with us for our month of awareness about osteoarthritis!
For our final day of the month, we wanted to let you know what services we offer at Polmont and Grangemouth Vets.

🩺 Librela (dogs)/ Solensia (cats): a drug that has less liver and kidney effects than traditional arthritis medications, that is given as a monthly injection.

Many of our staff pets are on these medications and love it! Here, Apollo is beautifully modelling how good of a boy he is for his injections.

🩺 Weight clinics with our lovely team of nurses

🩺 YuMove Advanced Max Strength joint supplements

🩺 Mobility and LOAD score surveys.

Feel free to make an appointment with our team to discuss anything we have brought up this month if you have any questions or concerns. Don’t forget, these should always be discussed at your annual boosters and health checks! 🐾

01/03/2025

🦷🪥March is our Dental Health Month🪥🦷
To celebrate we are offering all of our Healthy Pet Club members to visit for a free of charge dental check🩵
Please call the practice reception on 01324 472915 to arrange your visit today!

28/02/2025

🐈Arthritis in Cats 🐈

Our feline friends can also suffer from arthritis, but it’s often difficult to spot as they are prey species. Nearly 60% of cats over the age of 6 have signs of osteoarthritis, but less than half of these cats are treated!

Signs to look out for:
🐾 Lack of grooming/ unkempt look
🐾 Heavy footed, landing after jumping with a noise
🐾 Decreased play
🐾 Slowing down going up stairs
🐾 Jumping up less or not as high.

Tips for monitoring/ managing:
🐈‍⬛ Keep pet nails short/ at a manageable length
🐈‍⬛ Cats love heat blankets and these can make them more comfortable!
🐈‍⬛ Take regular videos of your cat and compare them, to see if they are slowing down over time.
🐈‍⬛ Check out the online questionnaire to determine if you think your cat might have signs of arthritis: https://www.zoetispets.com/en-gb/cat-healthcare/arthritis-quiz/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAt4C-BhBcEiwA8Kp0CdhbPZ8ZduOqT-Xe8n7Yku3yPLslMG5RWVqhxK16T2DRBI0JC0FXlhoCv2IQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Please contact us if you would like to discuss your cat’s arthritis!

21/02/2025

🐾🦴Arthritis Top Tips🦴🐾
⚖️Weight Management⚖️

🐾One of the best things we can do for our arthritic pets is maintain a healthy weight. The healthier the pets are, the less load is placed on these potentially sore joints.

🐾 Studies have shown that in some cases of early arthritis, losing weight to a healthy body condition can be as effective as pain relief!

🐾 A healthy weight looks different for all breeds/ and ages. Please speak to our team about what that looks like for your pet, but feel free to pop in to use our scales at any time to track your pets weight!

Flynn and Ollie are not too pleased with their diet, but are looking much happier and healthier for it!

18/02/2025

New donor registrations have been really low recently, and we need to ensure we have enough blood in stock for any dog that needs it 😢

Could you help us to spread the word by sharing this post?

If your dog meets the following criteria, they could become a lifesaving blood donor and help other dogs in need:

🎂 Between 1 and 8 years old
⚖️ Weigh over 25kg
💪 Fit and healthy
🐶 Confident and enjoy meeting new people

Coming to a donation session takes only 45 minutes and each donation can help save up to four other dogs ❤️

Register today to start making a difference!

www.petbloodbankuk.org/welcome

18/02/2025

🐾🦴Arthritis Top Tips🦴🐾
🏡Alternative Managements🏡

Although our pets often need pain relief for arthritis there are other things that we can do at home to help support them!

🏊‍♀️ Swimming is a great exercise that reduces the load on joints. Heavy impact exercise like chasing after a ball and running can increase the weight that the sore joints have to bear. Swimming offers good cardio and mobility for arthritic pets.

Staff pet Izzy loves a swim!

🛏️House adjustments: Modifying your house can offer your pet some more support daily. This can include things like padded beds, carpets/ rugs (to reduce slipping on floors), steps (to get into the car/ in high beds).

Jasper loves their ramp into the car, and Juke loves his padded bed!

14/02/2025

🐾🦴Arthritis Top Tips🦴🐾
💊Joint supplements💊
Do you find yourself doing endless google searches and feeling lost on what supplements would be of most benefit for your pet?
We are here to help!

Joint supplements can be a great option for not only our arthritic pets, but for pets of all ages! Using supplements preventatively on healthy joints can help to slow down the rate of joint conditions and reduce inflammation which often is the main source of joint discomfort.

If you are considering supplementing your pet but are unsure on the best brand and are looking for specific recommendations for your pet. Then please speak with one of our vets and nurses to come up with a tailored plan which will work best for them!🩺🩵
🐾🐶Rocco & Karma are posing away with our product of choice ‘YuMove Advnaced 360’

✨Please note all the following supplements are suitable for our cats and dogs✨

Green lipped mussel
Is a type of shellfish native to New Zealand, found to have anti-inflammatory properties which can help to alleviate pain and inflammation around the joints. Always purchase from a reliable source and speak to us about dosing if using as a standalone supplement.

Glucosamine
Aids in supporting the cartilage in the joints. A lot of glucosamine supplements on the market can have a very lose dose of the ingredient, meaning your pets might not be getting the most out of the supplement.

Omega 3 fatty acids
Found in the synovial fluid of our joints and enables the joints to move smoothly as well as reducing friction. Supplementing omega 3 contributes to joint flexibility and reduced inflammation. It can also help slow down the wear and tear of the joints too.

Chondroitin sulphate
Is involved in stopping the breakdown of cartilage as well as having a mild anti-inflammatory effect. Combining this with glucosamine can have a multi beneficial effect on your pets' joints.

12/02/2025

🐾🦴Arthritis Top Tips🦴🐾
🧣Fleeces, Jackets & Jammies🧤
During colder weather it is beneficial for our pets to stay warm and keep their joints toasty.
Coats, fleeces, jumpers and pet pyjamas are a simple way to avoid achy joints for our pets in winter🥶
Not only beneficial for arthritic patients, it is also helpful to keep their muscles warm and reduce the likelihood of muscle pain if running around in chilly weather💪🏽
Rolo & Otto are huge fans of staying warm! Particularly for Rolo due to his short single layer coat and lean build, it is important he stays warm when running about on long walks to maintain his health!🏃🏻‍♂️🩺

11/02/2025

Paris is a 10month old 🐱 in for 1st vacccinations.
Paris’s owner signed up to our Healthy Pet Club and benefited from our 4weeks free insurance, meaning she’s covered from leaving the practice for the next 4 weeks giving her owner lots of time to shop around for their perfect policy

Paris loved visiting us and made herself very comfortable

10/02/2025

Finn came to visit us for his second vaccine today 🐶 🐾

Can you guess what breed Finn is? ❤️

10/02/2025

Mobility and physio🏃‍♂️🙆‍♀️🐾

Animals suffering from stiff joints, mobility complaints or OA can all benefit from physiotherapy or alternative therapy techniques.
Benefits include:
• Reducing stress
• Taking the load off joints
• Increases range of motion and flexibility
• Improves mood by reducing inflammation and pain associated with stiffness.

We would always recommend getting an initial assessment with ourselves or a qualified therapist to ensure you have an accurate exercise plan. As too many repetitions or bad techniques can hinder your beloved pets.

ACPAT , RAMP and NAVP - Are all licenced physiotherapy directories to help you find the best and most suitable therapist for your pets.

06/02/2025

🐩🐾LOAD SCORE🐾🐩
• Introducing the Load score, a comprehensive assessment tool that will help us to help you! This 13-item questionnaire helps us to assess canine mobility related disorders such as Osteoarthritis. The questionnaire takes your individual answers and provides us with a measurable score to allow us to give a concrete number which measures the severity of the arthritis symptoms. This allows us to track changes and improve your pets comfort and intervene as needed.
• The questionnaire helps to determine the presence and severity of osteoarthritis whether it be mild or extreme.
• Remember if we can measure it, we can monitor it, allowing us to manage the condition at any stage. So, speak to us here at Polmont / Grangemouth vets if you suspect your dog maybe suffering from Osteoarthritis. We are happy to take that LOAD off you and your dog.

🐈🐈‍⬛For our feline friends we utilise a slightly different scoring system which is the Feline Osteoarthritis Scale🐈‍⬛🐈
Cats are much better at masking their pain and in turn tend to go without treatment for longer, causing the condition to be further progressed when we become aware of it. It is key for cat owners to monitor their cat’s activity closely and if you notice any changes to their behaviour, get in touch with us to discuss!

You may find that we will be introducing these to our routine vaccine & 6 month health checks and also to any appointments relating to potential pain. If you are not scheduled for an appointment but are keen to access these resources, please get in touch to arrange a mobility clinic appointment with one of our Nurses🥼❤️

24/01/2025

🚨RED WEATHER WARNING UPDATE🚨
⚠️We have taken the decision this morning to cancel all routine appointments and surgeries⚠️
‼️The practice will still operate an emergency service only and we can be contacted as usual on 01324 472915‼️

💨💨*****UPDATE 11.45am*****💨💨
The clinic will close from 1pm today, calls will be diverted to our branch practice Polmont Veterinary Clinic who will be available for emergency treatments. Their direct line is 01324 717262 - thank you for your understanding.

Our main priority is the safety of our patients, clients and staff🐾

Home Care
🐶🐶🐶
• Keep on lead at all times when outside, if your pooch becomes startled they may run off
• Take them outside for toileting walks only, mental stimulation in the house is a great way to tire them mentally without the need for walking
• Do not allow them free access to gardens that would usually be secure, the winds may have damaged fencing

🐱🐱🐱
•Keep outdoor cats inside, wind damage to gardens/outbuildings may cause them to become trapped and unable to return home

🐰🐰🐰
• If possible, outdoor small furries should be brought inside to a cool room in the house (such as the bathroom)
• If they cannot be brought indoors, ensure hutches/runs are fixed to the ground and are protected from the wind