Four Seasons Holistic Veterinary Care

07/02/2025

31/01/2025

We are closed until 17th February for a much needed holiday.
Emails and messages will not be answered at this time, and as always, we request that you don't leave a phone message.
In an emergency or for general health advice, please contact your primary care vet.

30/01/2025

I am now an award winning vet 🤣🤣🤣

I never work my dogs without a first aid kit on hand, and with working gundogs, there is quite often a wound to assess and triage in the field.

I recommend anyone who works.their dogs off the beaten track, or even go on more adventurous hikes should carry a basic first aid kit and do a dog first aid course.

24/01/2025

We are a vet's dogs.
We are a holistic vet's dogs!
We like being in the countryside and swimming in gross water.
We get annual L4 vaccination and Kennel Cough vaccination.
We get DHP as puppies and then we have titre tests and DHP when required. And we have all had DHP boosters at some point because it doesn't last forever (9 years is our longest interval!)
Our humum knows she should probably test and treat for worms but there are 6 of us and we live in a high risk area for lungworm so we take our worm tablets every month. And we take tablets for fleas and ticks too. Because... yuk! Our humum has never got over when we did get fleas and they wouldn't go away.
We range in age from 1 year to 13 years, and our old housemates lived to 15 1/2 and 16 1/2. One of our housemates died before he was 2. It was a car, not a vaccine that did for him.
We eat some raw food, and we eat some kibble because humum doesn't have the time and money to always do everything from scratch.

As a holistic vet I spend a lot of time thinking about how to keep pets well. I use conventional and complementary therapies and I get a lot of clients asking about vaccines. There are so many myths out there. Here are my top Lepto vac myths busted.

1) The vaccines only last 6 months.
They last around a year, but only produce antibodies in the blood for 3-6months. The immune system is primed to protect if challenged for a year.

2) There are hundreds of strains of Lepto so the vaccine is rubbish.
There are hundreds of strains of lepto, but the 4 strain vaccines cross protect against 85% of them. 2 strain vaccines only covered 35% of strains. The vaccines are good against the most common and most dangerous.

3) The vaccines kill thousands of dogs.
There is no evidence of large numbers of dogs dying from vaccines. If there was the vaccines would be recalled. There are vaccine reactions and these can be very dangerous, but they are also incredibly rare. There are a number of suspected adverse reactions reported (less than 5 per 10,000 doses), but most are mild and many may not actually be connected to the vaccination.

4) Vaccinated dogs can give humans leptospirosis.
Dogs that contract Leptospirosis will shed it in their urine. Vaccination reduces shedding in urine. Vaccination does not cause dogs to shed lepto in their urine.

5)Leptospirosis can be cured with antibiotics.
Yes, and no. Although Leptospirosis can be treated with antibiotics most infected dogs have damage to their liver or kidneys and will need intensive care in an isolation ward for intravenous fluids and medication. They pose a risk to veterinary staff and their owners as humans can catch Leptospirosis too. It can't be fixed with a simple course of tablets.

6) There aren't many cases of Leptospirosis.
There aren't many confirmed and reported cases, that is true. That may be because vet's are too bust mending the patients to report, or because the lab data is only suggestive and not conclusive. I'll admit I don't know if a 'rising titre' is still gold standard for proof, but most owners don't want to pay for another test once the dog is improving... and we can't repeat the test if the dog is dead. Often vets are asked to spend the money on treating a best guess rather than lab confirmation. Reported cases are much lower than actual/ suspected cases.

If you read all of that, well done!

23/01/2025

I very much agree that natural reproduction is a fine aim. AI has its uses ... bringing in fresh genetics from abroad via chilled or frozen semen, using dead dogs via frozen semen, a mismatch in size, or temporary injury of a male that hampers his breeding ability.
Using AI because it is faster, the male.or female have poor temperaments, or the male and female simply can't mate we should really ask why we are doing it.
Cesarians should be performed in emergencies, or where dystocia is likely due to small litter size, rather than being a norm.
Which is why I haven't pursued reproduction work!

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Aqo6BmEGy/

16/01/2025

Did you know we do cat behaviour consultations?
Most people understand that breeds of dogs with a working heritage need sufficient mental and physical stimulation to be happy. But have you thought what your cat might need?
Free living cats would need to catch around 5 mice or small birds a day to meet their calorific needs. This might take 10-15 hunting trips. Compare that to our pet cats who get their food in a bowl. Cats can become bored and lazy or suffer from anxiety and frustration without an opportunity to hunt. Luckily, there are many toys and puzzle feeders designed to tap into their hunting drive. Toys can replicate hunting or make getting food a challenge. Toys can be bought or homemade.
These cats have been upset by a grumpy neighbourhood cat so we are using enrichment to give them less time to worry.

13/01/2025

This little horror is a lungworm. In the South East we see a lot of lungworm cases. Most present as a persistent soft cough but the parasites can also cause fatal bleeding.
If you don't want to use regular anti-parasitic treatments, we strongly recommend regular faecal testing.
Puppies should be tested monthly, either adult dogs tested every 3months.
If you have small children at home regular treatment of your pets may be the safest option.
We think this deal from Wormcount Labs is excellent.
https://www.wormcount.com/product/worm-count-and-lungworm-test-for-dogs/

09/01/2025

Acupuncture is the most common treatment we use at Four Seasons Holistic Veterinary Care. We use it mostly for musculoskeletal issues, but it can be used for problems with internal organs as well. We have also had success with cats and dogs with bladder and bowel issues.
Traditional Chinese Acupuncture explains the effects as freeing up the flow of chi along meridians. Western Acupuncture describes the effect of the needles on local blood flow and the peripheral and central nervous systems
Points are chosen based on the diagnosis as well as painful ah shi or trigger points. Cats, dogs, and rabbits tolerate the insertion of the very fine acupuncture needles well and seem relaxed for their 10-15 minute sessions.
Acupuncture can be used to heal acut3 injuries or to help manage more chronic conditions.

05/01/2025

Why flooding is bad for your dog and how to keep them safer.

(Hint: Keep their leptospirosis vaccines up to date)

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/15VjbZ9RVG/

03/01/2025

It was my first clinic session of the New Year today, and I had two behaviour cases. Both dogs had some issues with veterinary care either in the clinic or at home. Part of the advice I gave was on cooperative care training.

Cooperative care is sometimes described as the dog giving consent for handling, grooming, or veterinary care. I prefer 'cooperative care' as for me, consent means informed consent, and we can never properly explain our actions to our pets.

Cooperative care gives the dog a way of showing us clearly that they are OK with what is being done or that they need a break. It is similar to dentist phobic people being given a button to press if they need a break from the drill. In both cases having more control reduces anxiety and allows a procedure to happen without force or fear.

My preference is to teach the dog a chin target, either to a hand or to a matt. Whilst the chin is on target the dog is saying, "carry on". When they lift their head the dogs is saying, "I need a break".

Of course, in an emergency we may not have time to wait for the dog to be comfortable and say "go ahead". In these rare situations we might have to break their trust to help them. The good news is that if your dog has built up a good 'trust bank' with you through cooperative care, you will regain their faith again quickly.
(Thanks to Carrie-Anne Selwyn and Viper for the fabulous picture.)

01/01/2025

'Dead' tails are alarming but fairly common! People also call this swimmer's tail, limber tail, or cold tail.
Your dog's tail will hang limp and they may struggle to walk or sit normally as they can't move their tail. Sometimes the tail is painful if touched.
This problem can happen after dogs swim in cold water, get soaked by rain, or wag their tails too much!
Most cases resolve in a day or two with warmth, rest, and anti-inflammatories.. Circulation supporting herbs can help prevent recurrence.

30/12/2024

Don't leave your pet in pain. Talk to your vet! There are so many medicines available to ease pain as well as many complementary therapies.

https://www.facebook.com/share/4yzo4Powcq5iHEBD/

27/12/2024

Always think about how your pet feels...
https://www.facebook.com/share/cFytF1VvCPZbS3TD/

21/12/2024

Four Seasons is now closed until 2nd January for new patients.
Thank you to all of our clients and patients this year for allowing us into your lives.
Today is the shortest day and a day to reflect on those we have lost this year, including sadly a number of treasured patients. But it is also a day to look forward to all the pets we can help in 2025.

30/11/2024

Please take care when exercising your dogs near swollen streams and flooded meadows. Heavy rain can lead to chemicals, bacteria, and parasites being washed into watercourses, and this can cause serious illness in dogs.
We have heard of an older dog dying after playing around a flooded stream and becoming ill locally.

16/11/2024

Today is World Acupuncture Day, so they tell me!

12/11/2024

I didn't enjoy raising prices this month, but I have to cover the huge rise in office costs that came in this month. I wanted to keep using Provet as it allows me to communicate with referring vets easily and to keep all your records safe on a secure cloud. I won't be paying myself any more, and my only employees are the van and the dogs!

29/10/2024

A holistic vet wouldn't support vaccination... right? Wrong?
Lepto 2 will soon become unavailable. Mine have been on L4 since it came out so... make the change and give your dog the best possible protection.
If your dog has had previous issues with vaccines, their close relatives have, or your dog has underlying health issues then chat to your vet about the most appropriate vaccine schedule.
Also, check out this group...
It started as a bit of a joke because there were no groups about pets that had a medicine, it worked, and nothing bad happened. Which is the experience of the majority. But amongst the silly posts about 'side effects' (sleeping in odd positions, turning into cats etc), you will find caring veterinary professionals who are sympathetic to your fears and offer practical advice and support.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1634206260056214/?ref=share