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Monday 8:30am - 6pm Tuesday 8:30am - 6pm Wednesday 8:30am - 6pm Thursday 8:30am - 6pm Friday 8:30am - 6pm Saturday 8:30am - 12pm

Meadow Lane Vets

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Loughborough
Meadow Lane Vets

A professional and friendly approach to small animal health care for Loughborough and Charnwood.
(51)

05/01/2024

Lovely Mabel seen here with RVN Carrie came to us today for her spay. This had been previously delayed due to Mabel developing a phantom pregnacy. Phantom pregnancies or pseudopregnacy can be a worry for a lot of dog owners so we wanted to share some information about this.

An un-neutered female dog will usually get a 'season' or go into heat every 6 months. During this time her hormone levels will change, this is to get her ready for mating and pregnancy. Usually, after her season is finished her hormones will return to normal if she has not been mated. However occasionally these hormones may make her body think she is pregnant and start making changes to get ready for birth. This is most likely to occur 6-9 weeks after her season.

The signs of a phantom pregnancy include:
- 'nesting' behaviour and guarding toys
- dogs may become anxious and restless
- decreased appetite
- nausea and vomitting
- mammary development and swollen ni***es
- milk production
- v***a swelling

Phantom pregnacies usually resolve within 2-3 weeks. For the majority of cases reducing access to toys, slightly reducing food and increasing exercise can be enough to help her along.

However, if this phantom pregnancy is not resolving naturally please call us and make an appointment to see the Vet to see if medication is required🐾

02/01/2024

Please bear with us we are having difficulties with our telephone line - if you need to book an appointment please message us on Facebook and we will call you directly to arrange. We will let you know as soon as we are back up and running, thank you for your patience.☎️

*PHONE LINES BACK AND UP RUNNING NOW*

01/01/2024

Happy New Year to all of our lovely clients! Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2024🐾❤️

27/12/2023

We are delighted to welcome Natalie to our nursing team! Natalie is a registered veterinary nurse who graduated from Nottingham Trent University in April and joined us at the start of December. Nat has a keen interest in radiography, feline nursing and wildlife! 🩻🐈🌳

Pictured here is the adorable Peaches who is one of Nat’s three hand-reared cats, her two others are “Sigourney” and Little One”. Nat also has Willow the cornsnake, Indigo the leopard gecko and Boris the tarantula. Outside of work, Nat enjoys hiking, yoga and playing video games with her friends. 🐈‍⬛🦎🕷️

When asked what her favourite area of veterinary nursing is, Nat replied “I can’t possibly choose, I love all aspects of veterinary nursing!”

Welcome to the team Nat!🐾❤️

23/12/2023

We are now closed for Christmas! We will be back open at 8am on Wednesday the 27th of December. Our out of hours service are available on 01509 212437 and are happy to help should you need them whilst we’re closed. From all of us here at Meadow Lane Vets; have a wonderful Christmas 🎄🎅🏻❤️

19/12/2023

Twelve days of Christmas considerations🎄🎅🏻!

There’s plenty of hazards to our pets during the festive period so we wanted to share a handy guide we have made on how to keep safe and what to avoid! Please keep the following items out of reach to keep your pet off the naughty list and avoid a vet visit this Christmas!

Another useful tool is the chocolate calculator for dog owners, linked below🍫:

https://dog-chocolate-calculator.vets-now.com

If you have any concerns over the festive period, the practice can be contacted on 01509 212437. Either our veterinary team or the dedicated out of hours service will be happy to advise and arrange a consultation should you need it. Stay safe and have fun this Christmas!🐾❤️

14/12/2023

Christmas is the time for giving! So, we have decided to start a collection for the Loughborough Area Food Bank this Christmas and are accepting donations of pet food / toys. A lot of people are relying on food banks at the moment and devastatingly will often put their pets before themselves and go without food. Our lovely locum vet Henri has started the collection off and other staff will be contributing too.
Any of our amazing clients who wish to donate some pet food to our collection are welcome to do so via the collection box in reception. It’s a small contribution but we hope it makes life easier for pet owners in need this Christmas🎄🐾❤️

08/12/2023

The team enjoyed some festive fun at our Christmas party last night!🎄You may notice some new faces who we have welcomed to our lovely team lately! All staff old and new wish our clients a merry Christmas and a happy & healthy new year❤️

07/12/2023

The practice will be closed from 6pm this evening to allow for our staff Christmas party! The phone lines will transfer over to our out of hours service who will be there to advise should you need them☎️

04/12/2023

We’re starting to get that festive feeling here at Meadow Lane Vets🎄Here’s the gorgeous (and very squishy) Peter who treated us to his rather adorable santa costume last week🎅🏻We love seeing our patients kept cosy in their Christmas jumpers 🥰

As the weather gets colder, please be careful and ensure your furry friends are kept nice and warm❄️ The chart below has some useful information on “how cold is too cold” for your pet🐾 (please note - some breeds are more likely than others to feel the cold so the chart is just a general guide).

Has your pet got a Christmas outfit? We’d love to see it below in the comments ⬇️🎄🎅🏻🦌❤️

01/12/2023

Happy Friday everyone! Meet Stella, the 6 year old chihuahua who came in yesterday to be spayed🐾 Stella enjoyed lots of cuddles from our lovely student nurse Harriet and stayed nice and cosy in her cute Christmas jumper🎄As you can see, Stella is very photogenic and loved all of the attention! Stella made a speedy recovery after her operation and insisted she was hand-fed her dinner!❤️

27/11/2023

How often do you brush your pet’s teeth? Dental disease is the most common problem we see in practice with an estimated 12.5% of dogs and 15.2% of cats affected by troublesome teeth! Bad breath, difficulty eating, sore gums and excessive salivation are common signs of dental disease - if your pet displays these signs we recommend seeing a vet as they may need a dental. 🦷

Dentals are performed under a general anaesthetic to allow a thorough examination of your pet’s mouth and to accommodate any extractions necessary 🔍 The picture below is of a dog we saw recently who required a scale and polish to remove the calculus from his teeth. Calculus is hardened plaque which requires professional intervention to remove.

Daily brushing with a pet-safe toothpaste and toothbrush is the best method to prevent dental disease in your cat or dog. Contrary to popular belief, dental chews do very little in the way of preventing plaque and are often full of unhealthy ingredients. We offer free nurse consultations to demonstrate how to properly brush your pet’s teeth and prevent the need for a dental procedure 🪥

*Never use toothpaste for humans on your pet’s teeth*

24/11/2023

This week, we have seen four emergency cases where a pet has eaten something they shouldn’t have! Cases included chocolate, rat poison, grapes and lily ingestion🐾

Otter and Merlin - the 11 week old British Shorthair brothers - fancied a nibble on some lilies! Lilies are highly toxic to cats and without emergency treatment it can lead to kidney failure ☠️ The pair received a bath, an injection to make them vomit up the lilies and will be receiving intravenous fluid therapy over the weekend. They will then have bloods taken to check their kidneys are all okay❤️

We also saw Bea - the three year old sprocker - and her snack of choice was rat poison 🐀 Rat poison can cause dangerous issues with blood clotting so Bea had to be made sick hence the vet wrap scrunchie to keep those lovely ears clean! We also spoke to the Veterinary Poisons Information Service, who advised on the best course of treatment. ☎️

If you suspect your pet has had a naughty nibble on something you must call the practice immediately so we can help them as fast as possible. It’s always better to be safe than sorry so even if you’re unsure, call the practice and we can advise🐾 Has your pet ever ate something they shouldn’t have?

17/11/2023

🐾

Below we have our current practice residents! Maple, Martha and Salem came to us at around 4-5 weeks old after their mum refused to feed them and they were all very underweight and suffering with diarrhoea - not an ideal situation for such young babies! ☹️

So of course, our members of staff couldn’t resist but to step in and help these little kittens along by hand rearing them! Our RVN Liliana obviously couldn’t resist more hand rears after acquiring her own cats this way (though she promises not to keep these ones!) and our receptionist Jaden was also up for the challenge! 💪🏼

Hand rearing, though very rewarding, can also be very difficult, especially when you have such poorly patients - with things like having to get up several times in the night to make sure everyone is having their milk at the right times, weaning them, helping them toilet, keeping an eye on their weights daily and sometimes giving medication throughout the day! 🍼 We all experienced the difficulties of hand rearing with some of the kittens litter mates unfortunately being too weak to make it but we can rest assured that they were given the best shot at life and passed knowing nothing but love 💗

14/11/2023

Today is ! Our four-legged friends can also be affected by this condition so we wanted to raise awareness and share some of our patient stories. Diabetes is a complex condition but ultimately it involves the bodies ability to make and respond to insulin. Insulin allows glucose into our cells which the body then uses for energy. Without insulin, glucose cannot enter the cells and the body is forced to breakdown fats and muscle for energy instead. Signs to watch out for include;

- Excessive urination💧
- Excessive thirst 👅
- Increased appetite 🦴
- Weight loss 🐾

Blood and urine checks can help to detect this condition which can then be managed via dietary control, regular monitoring and insulin injections. Below are the stories of two of our diabetic patients ❤️

11/11/2023

This Remembrance Weekend we pay our respects to those who gave their lives serving our country and the animals who served alongside them. In addition to the traditional red poppy, purple poppies can be worn to remember the animals who lost their lives at war. We will remember them❤️💜

10/11/2023

🐾

Meet the lovely Gizzi! He is a 1 year old Springer Spaniel that recently came to see our nurses for socialisation sessions prior to having his castrate done.

Gizzi’s owners did a wonderful job of getting him comfortable at the vets when he was a puppy, to the point where he was quite happy to have naps on our consult tables! Unfortunately, after a difficult summer of dealing with pesky grass seeds, his visits to the vets became a bit of a scarier experience ☹️ With his castrate fast approaching, Gizzi’s owners knew that they wanted him to be comfortable with coming to the vets again and for him to meet the nurses that would be looking after him. We ensured that when he came in for these sessions, he got plenty of treats, fusses and he even showed off some of his tricks for us! We were even able to take Gizzi down to our dog ward so he could see that where he would be staying was not a scary place.

Once the day of his castrate came up, Gizzi had 2 nurse friends that (we like to think!) he liked and when he was placed in his kennel, he was even able to have a snooze, knowing that someone would come in to tell him he’s a good boy every so often!

The picture below shows the lovely Gizzi, happy in his kennel, ready for his castrate! 😊

Socialisations sessions are a great way for your animal to come and meet members of our team and to show them that actually, we’re really not as scary as they may think! These sessions only involves things that your animal enjoys and we do multiple sessions to build their trust with us over time, we will only go at their pace! 🐾

If you would like to get your own dog or cat booked in for socialisation, please give us a call and we would be happy to help. ☎️

06/11/2023

Today is World Radiography Day! This day was created to commemorate the discovery of x-radiation by William Roentgen in 1895. 🩻 Radiography is a very useful diagnostic tool as it allows us to obtain internal images of the body and detect conditions that may otherwise go amiss. It can be used to assess most internal structures, not just bones! 🦴 Below is an x-ray image belonging to a patient of ours, Alfie. Alfie’s owner suspected he may have eaten something that he shouldn’t have whilst out on a walk. Naughty Alfie! An x-ray was taken which revealed Alfie had in fact eaten something…🐾

Who can guess what Alfie had eaten? We will reveal the answer tomorrow morning in the comments!

Alfie is now fit and well and feels much better without the offending items in his tummy! ❤️

03/11/2023

Meet Mimi! Mimi is a 10 week old British Shorthair x Ragdoll who came in for her first set of vaccinations this week. Despite only being small, Mimi has a big purr-sonality and enjoyed meeting staff as well as lots of cuddles from our lovely nursing assistant Ellie💖 Mimi was very brave for her vaccination and did not even flinch!

Ensuring you vaccinate your new kitten or puppy is important to prevent against harmful and potentially life-threatening diseases🦠Vaccinations are initially given in two parts across two appointments and then a booster is due annually thereafter💉 The appointment includes a full health check from one of our Vets and we can also microchip your pet at the same appointment should you wish. Microchipping your cat will be a legal requirement as of June 2024 so vaccination appointments are the perfect time to get your moggy microchipped🐾

Call us to get your pet booked in for their vaccinations and microchip☎️

31/10/2023

This adorable sausage - Betty - treated us to her spooky bat Halloween costume at her appointment today!🦇🎃👻

For those that enjoy dressing up, we’d love to see your pets’ Halloween costumes in the comments🧡 Happy Halloween everyone🐾

31/10/2023

With bonfire night around the corner, here is a reminder to also think of our spikey friends along with our furry friends at this time of year! 😊

27/10/2023

🐈‍⬛

Today we are celebrating National Black Cat Day, a campaign initially created by Cats Protection in 2011. This campaign was launched due to studies that found that black and black-and-white cats were taking, on average, 7 days longer to find a forever home than cats of other colours! Thankfully, since this campaign was launched, black and black-and-white cats are now spending less time in re-home centres 😊

To celebrate the amazing progress this campaign has made, we wanted to show you some of the beautiful black cats we see!

Below we have - Reuben, Sarian and Otono, Marley, Pepper, a baby Moo and a grown up Moo!

If you have a black or black-and-white cat, we would love to see pictures of them in the comments below! 🐈‍⬛🐾❤️

25/10/2023

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This is Willow, a 5-month-old Hungarian Vizsla who recently came in for a desensitisation session with our RVN Carrie! After getting poorly last month, Willow had to be hospitalised for a few days in order to get her back to her normal, happy self. To ensure that we remained Willow’s second favourite place (daycare managed to beat us!), Willows owner wanted to bring her in for a more positive experience.

Things like youth clubs are a great way to get your puppies and kittens comfortable with coming to the vets! We offer free youth clubs where we can discuss various aspects of looking after your puppy and kitten including things like dental care, insurance, neutering, etc. If you have a new puppy or kitten and would like to get them booked in, please give us a call and we will be happy to help! 😊

23/10/2023

Here’s some “tricks” to prevent any unwanted scares or spooky vet visits this Halloween. If you have any tips of your own feel free to post them in the comments below!👻🐈‍⬛🦇🧛‍♀️🎃🐾

20/10/2023

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This gorgeous girl is Viv, a 13 year old British Shorthair who came to the practice this morning for a weight check and blood test. Despite her grumpy face, Viv is a real softie and will only sit still for her bloods if the nurses sing “Baby Shark” to her! Our nurses will do whatever it takes to keep patients happy even if it means looking a bit silly❤️

Regular blood tests are important in older cats to screen for any health conditions and allow for early intervention and treatment. Blood pressure & urine checks are also important as well as keeping an eye on their weight🐾

16/10/2023

This month, the RSPCA are celebrating all rescue pets with . There are plenty of incredible animals in rescue centres looking for their forever homes and rescuing a pet can be a very rewarding experience. Reputable rescues will ensure the pet is vaccinated, microchipped, neutered and assessed by a behaviourist to find the best fit for your family.

We wanted to share the stories of rescue pets in our Meadow Lane family to show you just how amazing rescuing a pet can be. We would love to see your pictures and hear your stories in the comments below!

🐈‍⬛🐕🐀🐍🐾❤️

13/10/2023

And congratulations to our second prize winner Ian Watson ! You have won a Pet Remedy party season bundle! Please pop into the practice to claim your prize🎆

13/10/2023

Congratulations to our first prize winner Crispin Coombs! You have won a Pet Remedy party season bundle and a sample of grooming products! Please pop into the practice to claim your prize 🎆

06/10/2023

We are excited to reveal our first giveaway! With firework season fast approaching, we are giving away two fantastic Pet Remedy party season bundles to help keep those firework fears at bay! Alongside one of the bundles, our first prize winner will also receive a trio of calming grooming products to sample! 🎆

Pet Remedy is a tried and tested herbal product that enhances your pet’s natural coping mechanisms. It contains a variety of herbs mostly Valerian oil, which is known to relieve stress and promote relaxation in pets and people alike!🐾

To be in with a chance of winning one of our fantastic bundles, simply like and share this post! The lucky winners will be announced next Friday and can pop in to collect their prize at their earliest convenience. Good luck!🍀

04/10/2023

We are delighted to announce that we have recently been awarded silver status by the International Society of Feline Medicine (ISFM) and are now recognised as a “cat-friendly practice”! We have made many changes to help make your cat’s experience at the practice a much happier and stress-free visit!🐈‍⬛🐈🐱🐾❤️

Please see below the photos of our cat waiting area and our luxury new cat wards complete with underfloor heating, hidey holes and more!✨

02/10/2023

Is your pet scared of fireworks? We are beginning to enter firework season which can be a stressful time for many pets and their owners. We hate to see our furry friends so distressed and wanted to share some useful tips on how to reduce stress as much as possible:

• Calming pheromone diffusers and sprays – brands such as Pet Remedy produce products such as wipes, sprays and plug-in diffusers to keep those firework fears at bay.

• Safe spaces – providing a place your pet feels safe and can hide will help calm their nerves whether this be a crate for your dog or a hiding box for your cat.

• Calming supplements – calming tablets are available and help by increasing the production of serotonin (the “happy hormone”) in our pets.

• Planning ahead – walk your dog during daylight hours to prevent any overhead scares, get pets used to firework sounds by playing videos of them on YouTube, ensure cats are kept indoors to prevent them from running off and ensure plug-ins are switched on well in advance.

• Muffling the sounds – play music or watch your television with the curtains and windows shut. Ignore the fireworks yourself and play with a toy to see if your pet joins in (allow them to hide if they prefer).

• Small furries – bring any small furries inside to keep them away from the noise and ensure they are placed away in a quiet area. There are calming sprays and wipes available for our small furry friends too.

Keep your eyes peeled for our Friday post where we have some exciting news to share…

29/09/2023

Today is the last day of ! We hope you have enjoyed learning more about guinea pig care. If you are looking at adding guinea pigs to your family, there are plenty available in rescue centres which is why the theme for this year’s is rescue and rehoming. If you have any questions on all-things guinea pig related, please call the practice and our nursing team will be happy to advise you.

We have lots of free samples of Select guinea pig food at reception so feel free to pop in and collect one!

We would love to see pictures of your guinea pigs in the comments!📸🐾❤️

28/09/2023

Today is day four of and today we’re covering socialisation and behaviour!

Did you know it is illegal in Sweden to keep lone guinea pigs? This is because guinea pigs are sociable creatures and love living with their friends. However, you must ensure guinea pigs have been safely bonded together with positive reinforcement and not use “scare-tactics”. Guinea pigs have individual personalities and may fight if not a good match. ❤️

Despite popular belief, rabbits and guinea pigs should not be housed together. Guinea pigs should be kept in groups of at least two and ideally all of the same gender, however male and female pairs can work as long as they have both been neutered. Whilst the anaesthetic risk must be considered, neutering helps to reduce the risk of certain cancers and prevents unwanted reproduction.

Guinea pigs might be small but their personalities are not! They are very friendly pets and can even be taught tricks. When guinea pigs are happy, they like to squeak to show their excitement. They can also jump up and down, twisting in the air performing what is known as “pop-corning” – this means your guinea pig is very excited. ☺️

Understanding your guinea pig’s normal behaviour is important as it allows you to notice when they may be unwell. Unhappy or poorly guinea pigs may display lack of appetite, aggression, overgrooming, reluctance to move and a hunched posture. If you are worried about your guinea pig, call the practice at your earliest convenience.

27/09/2023

For day three of we wanted to post about nutrition and dental care as this is a key aspect of guinea pig welfare that is often overlooked.

A guinea pig’s diet should be 80% fresh high-quality hay (provides important fibre) 10-15% fresh food (vegetables and herbs) and 5-10% pellets. Pellets are better than muesli-type guinea pig food as muesli allows for selective feeding and can prevent guinea pigs from receiving a balanced diet. Leafy greens such as kale, spinach, broccoli and parsley are excellent fresh food options as they provide vitamin C – this is important as guinea pigs cannot make their own vitamin C. 🥦 Guinea pigs must always have food available to prevent gut stasis – this is a nasty condition whereby the contents of their guts stop flowing and blockages can occur. Fun fact - it is normal for guinea pigs to eat their own poo! This helps them to absorb as many as nutrients as possible.

Correct nutrition can help to prevent dental problems as the fibre helps to wear the teeth down. Dental issues are very common in guinea pigs and can become costly so prevention is key.🦷

Let us know in the comments what your pet’s favourite treat is (guinea pigs and “impawsters” all welcome)! 😋

26/09/2023

Day two of is all about enrichment. Guinea pigs require plenty of enrichment to provide mental stimulation and to keep them healthy. Guinea pigs are very playful pets when given the opportunity and there are many different ways you can provide enrichment for them. Here are some ideas for you to try at home:

• Stacking cups
• Scatter feeding and foraging
• Toys made with natural materials e.g. grass, wood, wicker balls
• Tunnels and ramps
• Hides

Whilst mineral stones and salt licks are advertised as a source of guinea pig enrichment, we do not recommend them as too much salt can be harmful and a proper diet will supply your guinea pig with all the minerals they need. Exercise balls, toys containing lots of dye and glue, harnesses and toys that can be easily swallowed are also “no-goes” for responsible guinea pig owners.

Toilet rolls can be adapted to make affordable and fun toys for guinea pigs. Below, RVN Carrie has taken photos creating a step-by-step guide on how to transform your toilet rolls into a fun toy!

*please ensure you supervise your guinea pig with all toys*

25/09/2023

We’re kicking off with a post on how to provide the best accommodation for your furry friends. Guinea pigs can be housed indoors, outdoors or a combination of both! There are pros and cons to all options although with the right information you can make each environment as safe as possible.

For indoor guinea pigs ensure the house is “pig-proofed” with all electrical cables covered, potential hazards out of reach, non-slip flooring and housing kept in a well-ventilated area away from radiators. For outdoor guinea pigs owners must be cautious of weather changes, ensure the enclosure is protected from predators and that guinea pigs are away from garden chemicals e.g. pesticides.

Guinea pigs are active for up to twenty hours a day and only sleep for short periods, so despite their size they require a large enclosure to fulfil their needs and allow them to roam as they would in the wild. Housing should be a minimum of 5ft by 2ft and should include separate areas for sleeping, toileting and play. Enclosures should always be kept out of direct sunlight, regularly cleaned and temperatures should ideally fall between 17 and 20 degrees celsius.

For more information on housing, please refer to the information packs available on the website: https://guineapigawarenessweek.com/

25/09/2023

Welcome to Guinea Pig Awareness Week! Each day this week we will be sharing an informative post on different aspects of guinea pig care and how best to look after them. There are approximately 900,000 guinea pigs being kept as pets across the UK (this is equivalent to 1.3% of households)! Despite their popularity, guinea pigs can be more complex to care for than you may think and whilst they make brilliant pets it is important to know their welfare needs.

Guinea Pig Awareness Week has been organised by Burgess Excel. On their website there are lots of useful resources as well as an information pack you can download containing activities to get children involved with and lots of useful information . https://guineapigawarenessweek.com/

24/09/2023

🐾 Veterinary Nurse Opportunity…

Address

9 Meadow Lane
Loughborough
LE111JU

Opening Hours

Monday	8:30am - 6pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 6pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 6pm
Thursday	8:30am - 6pm
Friday	8:30am - 6pm
Saturday	8:30am - 12pm

Telephone

01509 212437

Website

http://www.meadowlanevets.co.uk/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Meadow Lane Vets posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Videos

And congratulations to our second prize winner Ian Watson ! You have won a Pet Remedy party season bundle! Please pop into the practice to claim your prize🎆

Congratulations to our first prize winner Crispin Coombs! You have won a Pet Remedy party season bundle and a sample of grooming products! Please pop into the practice to claim your prize 🎆