The Veterinary Health Centre Ltd

03/04/2025

🪱 🍑 This *delightful* video shows tapeworm around the bum of a cat.
🍚 Tapeworms look like small grains of rice around the bum, but you may also see them move as on this video.

✌️Most tapeworms need two different hosts to complete their life cycle.
🐀Fleas and rodents ingest tapeworm eggs from the environment, which then hatch into larvae, and live inside them.

🪱After a pet ingests a flea or a rodent carrying these larvae, adult tapeworms develop and live within the small intestine.

🧀Tapeworms attach themselves to the gut lining, and feed off the nutrients inside the intestines.

💩Segments of the tapeworm break off every so often, and are passed into your pet’s poo, which is when you can see them.

🤓Keeping up to date with preventative wormers, and also preventative flea treatments (as tapeworm is carried by fleas) means that you may never see this sight in real life!

02/04/2025

😎The IMAGYST is a really cool piece of veterinary kit.
🔬It is a super smart microscope, with added AI capabilities.
🩸💩We can analyse blood, fluid taken from lumps, and also poo.

⏰Usually it would take our vets and nurses ages to look through a microscopic sample, as we need to methodically check every bit of the slide, so that nothing is missed.
🤓The AI can recognise all kinds of cells, parasites, bacteria, etc - but it also continues to learn all the time we use it.

🌎If a sample requires further explanation, or the AI does not recognise it, we can request a human pathologist to examine the images. These pathologists are based all over the world, and this means we can get fast answers to our questions.

🥰Having this machine on-site means the wait between a sample being taken, and getting an answer is now waaaay shorter - yet another way that TVHC provides your pet with the best possible service.

01/04/2025

Hey, whatever works! 😂

31/03/2025

🥳TVHC is very proud to announce that we now have our very own CT Scanner!
🤓A CT is a really advanced xray machine, which takes high resolution images in 2D slices - much like a loaf of bread.

🐈The computer then pieces all the images together to create super detailed 3D images of your pet’s body.

🧐It allows us to see in much greater detail than regular xray, and is most useful for seeing even tiny problems in bones, organs, noses, lungs, heads, and even blood vessels.

🥰It doesn’t matter if your pet is registered elsewhere, we are now accepting referrals for CT imaging from any other veterinary practice.

22/03/2025

🚨Stray fancy pigeon🚨

Found in Fleetwood, now safe here at TVHC

Please phone us on 01253729309 if this is your pigeon.

**OWNER FOUND! Thank you SO MUCH for sharing**

18/03/2025

♥️

17/03/2025

🐶 Socialising Your Puppy – The Key to a Happy, Confident Dog! 🐾

Socialisation isn’t just about meeting other dogs—it’s about preparing your pup for the big, wide world! Here’s how to do it right:

1️⃣ Keep It Positive! 🌟
Make every new experience a good one. Keep interactions short and sweet, stopping before your pup gets tired, overexcited, or overwhelmed.

2️⃣ It’s More Than Just Dogs! 🏡🚗👶
Your pup should get used to all sorts of things—different people (including children!), noises (doorbells, fireworks, hoovers), car rides, vet visits, and even public transport if needed!

3️⃣ Vaccination Comes First! 💉
Any dogs your pup meets should be fully vaccinated until they’re protected too. Safety first!

4️⃣ Treats, Treats, Treats! 🍖
Reward good reactions with treats and praise—positive reinforcement is the best way to build confidence.

5️⃣ It Starts Early! ⏳
Puppies begin socialisation at just 4 weeks old! This is why buying from a responsible breeder is so important—they’ll already be introducing new experiences before you bring your pup home at 8 weeks.

6️⃣ One Thing at a Time! ⏸️
Don’t overwhelm your pup with too many new things in one day. Take it slow and steady.

7️⃣ A Safe Space is Essential! 🏠
A crate is a great way to give your pup a quiet place to relax and recharge.

8️⃣ Negative Experiences Matter Too! ⚠️
Pups learn from bad experiences just as much as good ones—so go at their pace and keep things positive to avoid fearfulness.

9️⃣ Teach Them to Be Alone! 🕰️
Gradually increase alone time, starting with just a few minutes and building up. This helps prevent separation anxiety in the future.

🔟 Routine, Routine, Routine! ⏰
Set regular mealtimes and bedtimes early on—it’ll make life easier for both of you!

1️⃣1️⃣ Supervise Doggy Playdates! 🐕‍🦺
Things can escalate quickly between dogs, so always keep an eye on playtime and step in if needed.

1️⃣2️⃣ Collar, Lead & Travel Practice! 🚗🚋
Get your pup used to a collar and lead early, and introduce them to car rides, buses, or trains—this way, they can go anywhere with you!

🐾 Socialisation is a lifelong journey—keep it positive, rewarding, and fun! 🐾



📸: paje victoria

11/03/2025

🤢Don’t look if you are squeamish!
🪱An AWFUL tapeworm burden for this lil guy. Hope he was ok after his treatment!

10/03/2025

🧐Why do we give wormers?
🪱Worms are ENDOparasites, this means they live INSIDE the body.
🤢Roundworms and tapeworms live in the guts, and tend to make puppies especially poorly.
☹️Some roundworms can also affect humans.
😭Lungworm can be fatal.

Symptoms include ⬇️
Weight loss
Diarrhoea
Vomiting
Pups not growing well
Pot belly
Scooting
Dehydration

⏰Most wormers start to work within 2-6 hours.
🪱Wormers only kill the worms currently in the body, your pet is able to go out and pick up more worms after having a wormer.
✅That is why it is advisable to worm regularly. We recommend at least every 3 months for dogs and cats, but if they eat gross things like dead animals, it is perfectly safe to worm monthly.

🤔Please have a chat with the vet at your next visit if you have any parasite questions.



📸: Yes and Studio

04/03/2025

🥰Just a panda eating a carrot 🐼🥕

03/03/2025

🧐Pet Food Marketing Mythbusters!
➡️ Those fancy pet food ads will try to convince you that you are a bad owner for choosing one food over another.

➡️ They will tell you that cheap=bad whilst pushing their more expensive food as much better for your pet.

➡️ ALL pet food in the UK is safe for human consumption (handy to remember during a hurricane/lockdown/war or zombie apocalypse!) - this is why you cannot buy pet food that contains pet medication such as wormers.

➡️ All pet food is the result of MILLIONS of pounds of investment, research, and development, meaning it is suitable for various life-stages, breeds, or allergies, etc.

🏆 The absolute BEST food you can buy for your pet is one that:
➡️ your pet will eat
➡️ you can afford
➡️ suits your pet (plenty of energy, no vomiting, nice coat, nice poos)
➡️ suits your lifestyle (if your dog is a grazer, you might not choose raw, as it will be sat out all day)


📸 ChatGPT

28/02/2025

🥰There are LOADS of great pet-friendly holiday destinations in Europe.
✅ EuroParcs allow dogs in all their holiday parks, and lots of their accommodations.
✅ Airbnb allows you search for pet-friendly rentals.
✅ Renting your own private villa or cottage usually allows you to take your pet along (perhaps with an extra deposit).
✅ There are now so many pet-friendly hotels in lots of different countries.

☀️❄️Remember to check (and pack for) the WEATHER in your destination country!


📸: Paul Buffington

27/02/2025

Check you have all the essentials for travelling with your doggy! 🐶🌍

26/02/2025

🧐Since the UK left the EU we have been unable to issue Pet Passports, and instead we have had to issue AHCs or Animal Health Certificates, which are a bit more complicated - so in this post we will try to break down all the steps for you!

➡️ Your dog must be MICROCHIPPED. Almost all dogs are now, as it is a legal requirement.
➡️ Your dog must have an up-to-date RABIES VACCINE. Your dog cannot travel until 21 days after the vaccine, and the day after the vaccine is counted as Day 1. This vaccine needs to be boosted every 3 years.
➡️ You need two appointments with a special vet called an OV (Official Veterinarian) - an OV is a vet who is up-to-date with all current travel requirements.
➡️ The first appointment must be within 10 days of your departure date. These appointments are usually much longer than a normal appointment, so make sure you book them well in advance.
➡️ The second appointment is around 5 days before your departure date, and is for the vet to give your dog a tapeworm treatment. You may also need to book an appointment with a vet in your destination country to give a treatment for the return journey, so it is also advisable to book that in advance too.
➡️ You will need to know your POE (Point of Entry) - this is the place through which you enter the EU eg. Calais
➡️ If your OV is at your regular vet practice, they should have access to your dog’s history and vaccine status. If not, you will need to bring all of your dog’s history with you to your appointments.
➡️ Your AHC is valid for 4 months to travel around the EU, but is only valid for ONE exit and entry to the UK, meaning if you go from the UK to Ireland and then to France - you will need another AHC if you travel back through the UK again.

APHA has a Pet Travel Helpline for any queries 03000 200 301

24/02/2025

🧐🌍If you are thinking of taking your pet abroad this year, here is a handy checklist to make sure you have everything covered to return home!

21/02/2025

🦅We see soooo many birds here at TVHC! From baby sparrows, to parrots, to kestrels, and peacocks!
Here are just a few 🥰🥰

19/02/2025