Ipswich Vets4Pets

05/11/2024

04/11/2024

🌟🌟🌟🌟Welcome to the team Lauren🌟🌟🌟🌟

We are thrilled to welcome Lauren to the team as our New Receptionist 💜

Lauren is a firm animal lover and as you can see has 2 gorgeous horses, Oscar who is 19 years old and Taz who is only 3 years old. Stunning Oscar has been with Lauren for 16 years and Taz is a newer addition who came from the Redwings horse sanctuary and im sure you will agree they are truly majestic beautiful horses 🐴💙

Laurens spare time is spent enjoying time with friends & family, spending time in the outdoors come rain or shine and of course alot of time goes on looking after Oscar and Taz........however there is someone else who takes up Laurens time, her Hamster 'Ham...Solo'🐹🌟😁 he is a little camera shy so we hope to introduce him to you all very soon

Lauren is a very skilled horse rider and has a passion for competing in local competitions and competed in the Norfolk show this year🥇🏆 Well Done Lauren💜

We are so happy you have joined our vets4pets team, you have already settled in so well and have helped lots of our lovely clients already😄 big bonus is that Lauren likes dairy milk chocolate so we know she is going to be a firm favourite within the team 😆

Lauren looks forward to welcoming you all to vets4pets very soon🐾

04/11/2024

Have you ever seen a more smiley cat 😁😁😁

This happy chappy is Louie, 1year 2 months old who quite literally stole the hearts of our Nursing team, he was with us for the day for his castration operation, 1st vaccination and the very important microchip🐱💙

Molly our Nurse took a shine to Louie and you can see from the pictures he loved her right back, didnt she do a great job getting this amazing pictures😁

We loved looking after you Louie and cant wait to see you again💙🐾

03/11/2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️Molly is our Employee of the month⭐️⭐️⭐️

Well done Molly, it’s easy to see why you won employee of the month for October 😍

Since joining our nursing team recently Molly has made such a happy positive impact and has been a valued member of the whole team and has brought that added bit of sparkle to the practice 🩷🩷🩷

Well done Molly you really deserve this recognition 🙌🥇🥳

01/11/2024

‼️⚠️Alarm alert⚠️‼️
Unfortunately we are having some difficulties with our security alarm so it has been going off at random points during this morning. We have an engineer on route but do not have a set time this issue will be solved. Please bare with us while we try to resolve this issue. Thank you

01/11/2024

There was alot of excitement when this little puppy came into reception for her 1st vaccination❤🐾

At only 14 weeks old she was full of excitement and ready to explore the whole of vets4pets but as she hadnt had the full course of vaccinations we had to keep her nice and calm and safe in her doggie buggy until it was time to see our wonderful Nurse Zoe❤🐾

Those ears, those eyes, those sloppy puppy kisses......Daisy was a total joy to look after and see we cant wait to see you for your 2nd vaccination❤🐾

31/10/2024

Happy Halloween....🎃👻

Is there a more perfect pets name for the 31st October....Meet Boo 🙀

Boo is a stunning fluff ball with the prettiest eyes, she was with us for a spay operation and Mat our vet was the lucky one to look after her💜🐾

29/10/2024

Luna had a spay with us recently, she is a 8 year old beautiful chocolate Labrador💛🐾

Luna was in the Halloween spirit and posed beautifully in front of our ghostly backdrop for some cute pictures, licky tongue is my absolute favourite 👻🎃

It was impossible to leave the kennels after getting some pictures as Luna kept giving me those 'love me' eyes....i was more than happy to stay and give some love and cuddles 💛🐾

Thanks for being a very sweet girl Luna💛🐾

29/10/2024

Stunning Tigger the Main C**n X is only 17 weeks old...what a little sweetheart he was🐱💙

Tigger was getting into the halloween spirit while happily inspecting the fun pumpkins 🎃 while patiently waiting for his castration operation in the cat ward

The operation went well and he was a superstar in recovery💙🐾

28/10/2024

Please find a couple of helpful links regarding fireworks help and advice 😀🐕🐈🐾

https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/understanding-your-dog/sound-therapy-for-pets

https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/life-with-your-dog/seasonal/fireworks

27/10/2024

'Did we just become best friends'💙😀

This cute little duo met for the first time last week for their separate appointments and they made a true friendship in reception, it was so lovely to see two dogs who have never met get on so well💙🐾

Alfie & Archie were lucky enough to have our vet Sandra look after them 💙🐾

As they got on so well their lovely owners said we could get some pictures of them together and share with you💙🐾

27/10/2024

The totally adorable Alice had an appointment with us last week for her monthly injection 🩷🐾

Alice is a beautiful Yorkshire Terrier X and 13 years young 🩷🐾 we have been lucky enough to look after her since 2014 and it’s been a total pleasure

Our Nurse Zoe looked after Alice for her appointment and was as always a super good girl 🩷🐾

See you next month Alice 😄🩷

25/10/2024

We had the pleasure of Ibby being with us for the day for his castration operation last week 💙🐾

Ibby had a very fun,inquisitive and “love me” personality…he was always looking out of his penthouse window in the cat ward while waiting for his operation , checking out what everyone was up to 💙🐾

With those beautiful markings it’s easy to see Ibby is a Bengal and has a very striking facial expression, being only 8 months old there is lots of the world still to explore, we were so happy to look after this cute little boy💙🐾

He got all the head tickles he wanted and had the full attention of the nurses that day and took posing for the pictures very seriously like a true pro😁💙🐾

25/10/2024

There may have been a slight scream of excitement from our Jack Russell loving receptionist when little Patch came in for his appointment last week 💙🐾😆

Patch is a super adorable 14 week old Jack Russell Terrier puppy who was with us for his 2nd vaccination💙🐾

He was super well behaved and had is 2nd vaccination with no trouble at all, it was a genuine pleasure to meet Patch and his very lovely owners, I could already see how much fun and love Patch is going give you both…..can’t wait to see Patch grow up and thrive into the confident little dog I know he will be 💙🐾

23/10/2024

Meet Blue a very gorgeous 2 year old German Shepherd 🩷🐾

Blue was with us for her booster vaccination and health check, she was so well behaved and was very attentive and engaged with her owner while in reception🩷🐾

It was a pleasure to take these pictures and meet Blues lovely owner too 🩷🐾

23/10/2024

Have you ever seen a more handsome boy……this is Reggie a very soft, gentle and kind hearted soul who was with us for a castration operation last week 💙🐾

Reggie is a 1 year old Cocker Spaniel with the most striking copper/tan colouring and the soppiest eyes I’ve ever seen 💙🐾

He was looked after by the two Zoe’s for his operation, Vet Zoe and Nurse Zoe 😀

I have been lucky enough to see Reggie in reception when he pops in for his Post Op checks and I’ve got lots of kisses and cuddles and loved every minute of it, he had his last post op check yesterday so we won’t see you for a while now Reggie or until you need us again 💙🐾 what a good boy he was 😄

21/10/2024

🌟Meet Stephanie, our Practice Manager with her very loyal & loveable Korthal Griffon Nelson🌟

Steph joined us as a receptionist in March 2021 after 16 years in retail. Stephanie has had a love of animals from a young age so when the practice management role came up in November 2021 she knew it was the right move to make, combining her love of customer service and animals.

In her spare time, she spends it with her children and family going on long woodland dog walks.

Nelson is a Korthal Griffon breed which was “finalized” in the second half of the 19th century by the famous Dutch animal breeder Eduard Karel Korthals. The breed is still relatively rare in the United Kingdom despite long recognition by their respective national kennel clubs. There are approximately just over six hundred Korthals Griffon's in the U.K.

The Korthals griffon is a fine 'medium sized' breed that can be an excellent family dog, who is trustworthy and has a tremendous willingness to please. Good to train for the field with gentle patience, they also make a wonderful pet for a strong confident owner. An active "scruffy" looking breed that exhibit's a natural pointer-like behaviour.

Nelson is 4 years old and his nickname is 'Nel's Pup', his favourite toy is Ghosty and loves woodland walks with all of his family. He is partially sighted and epileptic and loves eating socks much to the stress and dismay of Steph 🙄

While Nelson is going through alot at the minute he is being the bravest boy with all the tests he is having to undergo, visits to referal centres, blood tests and X Rays but he has taken it all in his stride and still enjoys all the love and cuddles from Steph & the team when he visits the practice 💙🐾💙

20/10/2024

How lucky were we to have this bundle of cuteness visit us last week🩷🐾

9 week old Miyabi a Siberian husky had her 1st appointment with us with our Vet Sandra for a health check…..needless to say she was the star of the show that day and we were very happy to meet Miyabi and her very dedicated and lovely owner🩷🐾

Sandra did a thorough health check and had a good chat with Miyabis owner offering advice and answering all his questions 🩷🐾

We are very excited to see you again soon and watch you grown into a very beautiful confident adult dog 🩷🐾

19/10/2024

We had the pleasure of looking after Bane for his vaccination last week💙🐾

Bane is a 7 year old Basset Hound and was very chilled and a good boy seeing our vet Sandra 💙🐾

He was a super good boy in the reception area and let me get these very handsome pictures of himself…thanks Bane 💙🐾

17/10/2024

Cutie pie Finn was with us for the day for his Castration Operation 💙🐾

Finn was only 17weeks while with us and he was so chilled and relaxed and loved all the cuddles our Nurses gave him while waiting for his operation💙🐾

He had an inquisitive nature and was very interested in his surroundings and everyone that popped into the cat ward…it was impossible to walk past him without giving him som attention 💙🐾

Finn was looked after by both the Zoes that day, Zoe our Vet and Zoe our Nurse 😀

We look forward to seeing you grow into a strong confident cat Finn 💙🐾

16/10/2024

⭐️On Tuesday evening our whole team was invited to a CPR refresher evening hosted by our wonderful nurse Fleur and vet Amy ⭐️

We ran through scenarios from start to finish and took part in practical sessions to make sure we were all up to date with the current guidance 📖

Though luckily we aren't faced with alot of emergencies 🚨 it always pays to be prepared.

We cannot thank the girls enough for keeping us well trained and ready for any emergency situation that may come our way👍🏻📖💉 🐶 🐈 🚨

15/10/2024

Meet Popcorn....the absolutely dreamy Norwegian Forest X cat 😻🩷

Popcorn is only 25 weeks old and was the star of the show for Sandra the other day for her 1st vaccination and microchip appointment🩷🐾

I have a feeling Popcorn knows how beautiful she is as she worked all the angles while having her photo taken...we loved every second of it, so lovely to meet you Popcorn 🩷🐾

13/10/2024

The very smiley River came to visit us recently for a weight check with our Nurse Fleur🩷🐾

River is a gorgeous 8 month old Rottweiler and was all smiles while having her photo taken🩷🐾

She was a very good girl for Fleur and we can’t wait to see that smiling face later this month for another weight check 👍🏻

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.”

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."

03/01/2024

Six-foot-long boa constrictor Astrix was the centre of attention when he called in for a routine "top to tail" health check at Vets4Pets Penzance.

Astrix, who's four, is part of a menagerie of six snakes, bearded dragons and six dogs belonging to veterinary nurse Lowenna, who works at the practice, and her partner Mark. The team looked at Astrix's eyes and mouth and checked his breathing to rule out any respiratory infections and also checked his scales.

Lowenna said: "He got a clean bill of health, he was absolutely fine and everyone had a turn holding him. Asterix is quite reserved, a little bit shy usually. He did really well when he came in as everyone wanted to touch him and he was like 'okay I quite like the attention.' Astrix has got a lovely big set-up at home. He's quite a big boy, weighing in at nearly 10 kilos, so the vivarium is more than seven foot long. We have a reptile room and he has the run of it. He has a large bucket of water too if he ever wants to submerge himself."

02/01/2024

This brave girl is collie-cross Sherpa, who the team at Vets for Pets Livingston say was "impeccably calm" when she was rushed in for emergency injury after hurting her eye in a freak accident.

Sherpa's owner Caroline was taking Sherpa for a walk when Sherpa caught her eye on a stick as she went exploring a bush. She was quickly admitted into surgery where she received X-rays and, after a two-hour procedure by practice owner Dr Adam, aided by nurse Erin, the stick was removed. Adam said: "Sherpa was amazingly tolerant following an extremely random occurrence. It was astonishing." Sherpa didn't lose her sight and is now making a great recovery.

Caroline said: “We were suddenly thrown into the worst living nightmare, it was absolutely horrifying. It’s truly a miracle what Adam and the team achieved from the moment they answered our call for help. They gave us hope."

24/12/2023

This little Christmas cracker is Molly, who survived against the odds and gave birth to three premature puppies after being brought in to Vets for Pets Cirencester as a pregnant stray with severe injuries from a fight with other dogs.

Martina, who owns the practice, said: ”It was really touch and go and we thought Molly might not make it. The team treated mum first, got her on a drip and stabilised her before successfully managing to deliver the puppies – two boys and a girl – by caesarean section."

Molly, who's a Cairn Terrier, and her three pups are recovering well at home with Martina. “As they needed 24/7 care I took them home and emptied the whole spare bedroom so there was a nice, warm and comfortable quiet place for Molly and her puppies. I was attached to her for the first five days – my husband Matt even brought food up to the bedroom for me as I stayed there all the time. It was really hard work but it was all worth it. They’re absolute darlings and doing really well now – mum is already brave enough to go on dog walks.”

Martina says Molly will continue living with her in the future, and the puppies will be adopted when they are stronger.

19/12/2023

This beautiful buzzard is on the mend after undergoing surgery on a broken wing at Vets4Pets Newmarket after he was hit by a car.

A member of the public rescued the buzzard and brought him in to see if the team could help. After a successful operation and five days of recuperation he's ben taken to The Raptor Foundation rehabilitation centre to continue his recovery.

Practice manager Natalie said: "We put him under general anaesthetic and performed orthopaedic surgery. We'll see him again next month to see how he's progressing and then hopefully he'll be released back into the wild. We wish him a speedy recovery as he's such a handsome chap.”

17/12/2023

Here's a salutary tale in the run-up to Christmas Day ... the story of poor little Tego, who had to be rushed to Vets for Pets Morpeth for emergency treatment after snaffling 48 Quality Street chocolates, their wrappers and part of the box.

Owner Sarah realised chocolate was toxic for dogs so phoned the vets who told her to get the five-year Tibetan Terrier there immediately. Sarah said: "They were brilliant with him. The chocolates were a birthday present for my daughter Olivia, and they were all wrapped up and put in the lounge with the door shut. I went to work and when I came back Tego had somehow managed to get in the room and rip into them."

Vet Eleni and the team helped Tego cough everything up and took blood tests and put him on medication before he was allowed home. Eleni said it's a useful reminder to keep chocolates well hidden – and to act fast if your dog eats any and induce vomiting within one to two hours to prevent the body from absorbing the toxins.

16/12/2023

Five-year-old Buddy will be thinking twice about picking up sticks in future after one pierced his tongue and he had to be taken for treatment at Vets4Pets Lisburn.

Owner Danielle says Buddy doesn't normally play with sticks but one day he saw other dogs having fun with sticks and ran over to join in. "We heard a loud yelp and he came sheepishly over to us, with his tail between his legs, and we realised he was in pain. We took him to the practice where Becky the vet found the hole under his tongue and treated him with dissolving stitches, antibiotics and painkillers. Becky was so lovely."

Danielle says: "Buddy is doing absolutely great now and we are keeping an extra eye on him – we've even bought him a fake fabric bendy stick from Pets at Home!"