Falkland Veterinary Clinic

03/09/2024

Spread the cost of your routine pet care, such as vaccinations and parasite treatment, with a Healthy Pet Club membership.

Your pet can be signed up in your local practice, or find out more at: vetcollection.co.uk/health-plans-and-products/healthy-pet-club

01/09/2024

Some Sunday fun! When little met large 🐶🐕‍🦺

29/08/2024

Momo and Mochi came in today for neutering and microchipping.

They were absolute angels and loved cuddles 🥰🥰 how adorable are they?!

27/08/2024

➡️ Renal diets – why they’re important!

➡️ It’s really important for cats diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD) to eat a diet that has been recommended by their veterinary team and is specially produced for their condition.

➡️ We know that diet changes for cats with CKD can help slow down disease progression and increase longevity. Not only can dietary modifications extend your cat’s life, but they can also improve their quality of life by reducing the build-up of toxins that cause nausea, and providing extra electrolytes and vitamins that can be lost in the urine.

➡️ The kidneys are responsible for filtering excess phosphate out of the blood. When they stop working properly, this phosphate can build up causing all sorts of problems and worsen kidney function. Veterinary “renal diets” are produced specifically for cats with kidney disease and contain reduced amounts of phosphorus. While phosphate restriction is the most important feature of renal diets, there’s much more to them than that. Good quality renal diets are carefully formulated with a variety of functional ingredients that all have a part to play in supporting the patient’s health – see here for more:

https://www.vetvoices.co.uk/post/diet-and-chronic-kidney-disease

Cats can be fussy and slow to accept a new food. This is especially true if they are feeling unwell.

✅Some top tips to improve acceptance:

✅ It can take months for a cat to accept a new food, so don’t expect it to happen in days. It doesn’t mean the new food isn’t tasty, or that the cat won’t come to enjoy it, given time. As diet is such an important factor in the disease, it's really important to persevere.
✅ If possible, don’t make diet changes when your cat is stressed or unwell and avoid feeding the new diet at the same time as medications. These can all cause aversion to the food.
✅ Choose the right diet. Your vet practice should recommend a high quality, science-based diet that is tested for palatability and available in wet and dry formats to suit all preferences.
✅ Smell is important to cats. Let the food reach room temperature before serving or gently warm a small amount to body temperature to increase the aroma.
✅ Sometimes tasty toppings can be added to your cat’s diet. You must check with your veterinary team before adding anything. They may recommend a palatability enhancer that is formulated to be safe in cats with kidney disease.
✅ Slowly substitute the old food for the new one over at least one week. Try putting the foods in separate bowls if your cat doesn’t like them mixed.

💦Furthermore, when we have cats with renal disease, we become even more aware of maintaining hydration💦

💦When cats become dehydrated, they can be slow to initiate drinking and have a low thirst stimulus. When they do start to drink, they are not very efficient as they cannot create a suction with their tongue!

💦Behaviour also has an impact; cats can feel vulnerable when drinking from a bowl of water and can be sensitive to the presentation and taste of the water.

💦Dehydration can be associated with several conditions including chronic kidney disease!

💦When we are managing feline cases holistically, looking at their environment is essential and this includes water intake!

💦Increasing a cat's liquid intake should be considered as a key factor to reach a correct level of hydration, together with a healthy diet and proper environmental management.

So what can we do?!

💧Cats can feel vulnerable while drinking, so giving them privacy can help

💧Cats don't like their food source near their water so having separate food and water stations can help

💧Having water stations in different areas of the house. This is especially essential if you have a multi-cat household to prevent resource issues and inter-cat conflict

💧Proving them with different types of bowl - wide (so their whiskers don't touch), and different material in case they don't like the taste or reflection of water in them

💧Changing the water regularly so it is fresh and cool

💧Flavouring the water or providing them with a hydration supplement to encourage drinking such as Purina Pro Plan Hydra Care

💧Providing them with running water such as water fountains

💧If we have mobility issues such as osteoarthritis, we might struggle or be reluctant to jump up and take water from a bowl on a high surface or a tap - please remember that as we get older we may need changes to our access

Read more about the science behind feline drinking and how to get your cats drinking more below 👇

https://www.vetvoices.co.uk/post/help-i-need-my-cat-to-drink-more

26/08/2024

This little kitten has been missing since Tuesday from near Victoria Park. Call the clinic if you have any information.

17/08/2024

Happy black cat appreciation day 🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛ let’s see all your little void cats 🐈‍⬛

08/08/2024

Happy international Cat day!

We would love to see your cat photos 🐈‍⬛ 🐈

06/08/2024

We're looking for UK cat owners currently caring for a cat with chronic kidney disease (CKD) to complete a survey to help veterinary researchers gather more information on this condition, which commonly affects older cats.

If you can help and have 15–20 minutes to spare, please consider taking the survey 👉 https://forms.office.com/r/JFUMCZBxUs

Thank you for taking the time to collaborate for cats! 😺

03/08/2024

‼️‼️Another stray‼️‼️

This kitten was found near the racecourse - unneutered male with no chip

Please call the practice if you have any information

03/08/2024

‼️‼️STRAY‼️‼️

This young neutered male cat has been hanging around Dickens walk - unfortunately does not have a microchip

Please call the practice if you have any information

31/07/2024

🎉🎉Fantastic news!! 🎉🎉

We have been awarded Dog Friendly status! A massive thank you to Lauren and her dog friendly team for organsing this

🐶What is the Dog Friendly Clinic Scheme?🐶

We have joined the Dog Friendly Clinic Scheme, this is an initiative run by Dogs Trust and the British Veterinary Behaviour Association (BVBA), to ensure the most comfortable veterinary care experience possible for dogs and their owners.

Many dogs find vet visits stressful, which can result in them being unwilling to enter clinics, being difficult to examine, and worried during treatment. The Dog Friendly Clinic scheme helps practice staff develop dog behaviour knowledge and skills so they can recognise and address early signs of anxiety and improve the welfare of dogs whilst in the clinic. This means improved safety for staff and customers and helps the client-clinic bond.

Through the scheme created by Dogs Trust and the BVBA, canine experts provide the tools for clinic staff to learn more about dog behaviour, including how pain and health conditions can be contributing factors to behaviour, and how to reduce the impact of visiting the vet for dogs.

Through the subscription service, available to all veterinary professionals, advice is provided on how to help dogs remain calm in clinics as well as guidance for dog owners on preparing their pets in advance. Benefits of the Dog Friendly Clinics membership include access to dog behaviour CPD, a certificate and badge to demonstrate a commitment to clients to improve the clinic experience for dogs.

Dr Rachel Casey, Director of Strategy and Transformation at Dogs Trust said:

“Veterinary care is an essential part of dogs’ lives, but some find visits to the vets stressful. We are very pleased to collaborate with the BVBA to create the Dog Friendly Clinic scheme to help veterinary practices embed the principles of behavioural medicine into clinic life.

“Vet clinics are at the forefront of recognising and preventing the development of problem behaviours in dogs, and this scheme will help them develop the skills and knowledge to optimise the wellbeing of the dogs in their care.”

Chris Laurence, Chair of BVBA said:

“Encouraging welfare-friendly treatment of dogs in veterinary practices is one of our primary objectives so every additional practice means many more dogs will benefit.

We’re delighted that Falkland Veterinary Clinic has joined our dog friendly community. By doing so, they are helping ensure every dog has as positive an experience as possible within their clinic. “

Carl, our clinical director said:

“Dog anxiety when visiting the vet can be traumatising for everyone involved and may even put off owners seeking veterinary help when needed.

“By becoming a dog-friendly clinic our team are committed to optimising our knowledge, skills and resources to ensure vet visits are positive for both dogs and clients. Our clinic team will also benefit from a better understanding of dog behaviour, helping them prevent the development of problems, spot issues early, help owners with up-to-date advice, and have a safer working environment.”

To find out more about the Dog Friendly Clinic Scheme visit www.dogfriendlyclinic.org.uk

30/07/2024

Heat stress starts as a reversible condition, but if not managed it will develop to heat stroke, which is extremely dangerous.

If your pet shows any of these signs, they should be moved to a cool area and offered plenty of water to drink.

Find out more about keeping your pet safe in hot weather here: vetcollection.co.uk/health/keeping-pets-safe-in-hot-weather

30/07/2024

7 simple steps to keep your pet safe as the temperature rises...
• Make sure pets always have plenty of fresh water to drink
• Provide adequate ventilation at all times
• Avoid exercising dogs in the heat of the day: especially older pets, brachycephalic breeds or dogs that you know have heart or lung problems
• Provide shade from the sun in the hottest part of the day
• Watch out for early signs of heatstroke, such as heavy panting, restlessness and lack of coordination
• Never leave dogs in vehicles: "Not long" is too long
• Contact a vet immediately if your animal does not respond to efforts to cool it down.

Image credit: British Veterinary Association - BVA

24/07/2024

Has anyone seen this cat? Please contact the practice with any information

19/07/2024

🎉 MASSIVE Congratulations🎉 to our student veterinary nurse, Zoey. She first started as one of our receptionist, then moved onto the nursing team as a patient care assistant (PCA) and then was enrolled onto college as a student veterinary nurse.

She has been studying for the past 3 years to become an RVN (Registered Veterinary Nurse) and found out today she has passed the final exam!

All the hard work has paid off. Well done, Zoey - very well deserved and we are so proud of you 👏🏻

(doesn’t she look good in her new colour of scrubs 🤩🤩🤩)

19/07/2024

19/07/2024

We are currently experiencing an email outage on our enquiries email. Please call if urgent

We are not sure when they will be back in operation. Thank you for patience

18/07/2024

With the weather set to heat up in some parts of the UK over the next few days, it's important to remember the risks of heatstroke with your pets. 👇

11/07/2024

We have this entire male stray cat in found near Penwpod Stores. No microchip.

We also have a black and white female cat, no chip, which was in a car accident. Harts Lane, Burghclere.

As always please contact the clinic if you have any information.

10/07/2024

We said goodbye to one of our lovely receptionists today. Kenny is off to pastures new and we wish her well.

10/07/2024

It’s national kitten day! Let’s see all your kitten photos 🥰

Here’s our head nurse Becca hand rearing two 3 day old kittens - she ended up keeping one! This is Tito 🐈‍⬛

07/07/2024

We have a young male stray in found in the Oaks. If you recognise him please contact the clinic on 01635 46565

29/06/2024

🔥It's going to be hot for the next few days!

❄️Here are some tips for keeping your cat cool:

💧Make sure there is plenty of fresh water available both inside and outside of the house. Try offering water in different types of containers to see what your cat's preference is.

🌳Make sure there are plenty of shaded areas outside. Garden furniture, large plant pots, trees and bushes all provide good shade.

📦Cardboard boxes also provide shade and can be left out on their side for your cat to use as shelter from the sun.

❄️Place cooling mats in beds and areas where your cat might like to sleep, these are available in most pet stores and online.

💧Make some tuna water (not brine) or liquid treat ice lollies for your cat to lick.

❄️Place some ice cubes made from tuna water or unseasoned meat broth in your cats water to keep them cool and encourage them to drink.

🌞Keep your cat out of conservatories and out of the midday sun where possible.

🐾 Be especially careful with the older cats who may be less able to move to cooler areas of the house or garden.

🐈Long haired cats are particularly susceptible to overheating , so should be monitored and given access to cool areas to rest out of the sun.

🐈Make sure white cats or those with pink skin on their ears or nose are kept out of the sun, and use pet friendly sun block as they are more prone to sun burn

🐈Reduce playtime, especially with kittens as they are more likely to overheat.

⚠️If you have more than one cat, make sure they all have easy access to their own water and shaded resting areas, plus a spare.

What do you do to make sure your cats stay cool in the summer? 🐱

28/06/2024

Is it true that if we use cold water on heat stroke pets they will go into shock?

One of the most common things we still hear is that we can only use tepid water on a pet with heat stroke, incase they get some complications like hypothermic overshoot, peripheral vasoconstriction hindering a cooling response, and cardiogenic shock...

We have heard not to use cold water in case it causes shock... this rarely happens!

But guess what? In a recent study over 26% of dogs presented with heat stroke died, with flat faced breeds making up nearly half of heat stroke cases seen in the study.

You should:

💧Get someone to call the local veterinary practice and tell them you're going to travel down with a heat stroke patient
💧Pour, hose or if possible immerse the pet in very cold water (this should obviously be done under constant supervision, ensuring the head is fully above water and immersion should not be attempted if the animal is too large, or you are unable to do so without hurting yourself)
💧NB: If using a hose pipe, make sure it has run through until cold, as they can often contain water that is extremely hot in the tubing initially
💧Do not drape in towels and leave them in situ. Keep the cold water flowing.
💧Move to a cool, shaded area
💧Prepare to transport to vets in a cold, air conditioned car

In studies they found that:

🌅International consensus from sports medicine organisations supports treating EHS with early rapid cooling by immersing the casualty in cold water.
🌅Ice-water immersion has been shown to be highly effective in exertional heat stroke, with a zero fatality rate in large case series of younger, fit patients.
🌅Hyperthermic individuals were cooled twice as fast by Cold Water Immersion as by passive recovery.
🌅No complications occurred during the treatment of three older patients with severe heat stroke were treated with cold‐water immersion.
🌅Cold water immersion (CWI) is the preferred cooling modality in EHS guidelines and the optimal method applicable to UK Service Personnel
🌅Studies suggest using either ice-water or cold-water immersion

The best intervention is PREVENTION, but if you find yourself with an animal with heat stroke, using cold water either by pouring, hosing or ideally (if safe) immersion then this may help reduce their temperature to safe levels while you transport to a veterinary practice.

Read more below:

https://www.vetvoices.co.uk/post/cool-icy-cold-or-tepid

28/06/2024

Neutering means removing the reproductive organs; this is
either the ovaries in females (known as spaying) or the
testicles in males (known as castration).

Neutering is a routine procedure that does not require overnight
hospitalisation, with an average recovery time of 5-10 days.

Find out more about the benefits and risks of netuering your
rabbit here: vetcollection.co.uk/health/should-i-neuter-myrabbit

27/06/2024

Both indoor and outdoor rabbits require vaccinations to keep
them safe from infectious disease. Young rabbits are particularly
vulnerable to serious illnesses, so it’s important to get them
vaccinated early.

Rabbits can be vaccinated from five weeks old and will need
yearly booster vaccinations throughout their life to maintain
immunity.

Find out more about vaccinations for rabbits here:
vetcollection.co.uk/health/vaccinations-for-rabbits/

26/06/2024

Since you cannot check your rabbit’s teeth at home,
it is important to look out for signs of dental disease.
There are many things that you can look out for that
might indicate that your rabbit has some sort of
dental health issue.

If you notice any of these signs, it is important that
you bring your rabbit to your vet for an oral
assessment as soon as possible. Stopping eating
altogether is an emergency.

For more information about Dental Disease:
vetcollection.co.uk/health/dental-disease-in-rabbits

25/06/2024

The theme of this year’s Rabbit Awareness Week is ‘Healthy Diet, Happy Bunnies’, with the aim of highlighting how the lives of pet rabbits can be improved by feeding the correct, balanced diet.

A long-term study at the University of Edinburgh found that muesli-type diets have multiple adverse effects on rabbit health and may play a role in many disease processes. This study explored the impact of four diets (hay only, extruded diet with hay, muesli with hay, and muesli only) on various rabbit health and welfare conditions, through a controlled feeding trial on 32 Dutch rabbits.

Read more 👉 https://ow.ly/uhvL50RFBAp

25/06/2024

Microchipping rabbits is not a legal requirement but
is strongly recommended. Rabbits are excellent
escape artists and, if they manage to escape the
garden, it can be difficult to identify where they
have come from.

Find out more about getting your rabbit
microchipped here: vetcollection.co.uk/health/microchipping-rabbits

23/06/2024

Flystrike happens more often in warm weather, and in
rabbits who have soiled fur (often due to poor diet, obesity
or arthritis).

Throughout the spring and summer rabbits must be
checked twice daily and any soiled fur cleaned. If you find
any sign of fly eggs or maggots you must arrange for your
rabbit to see a vet as soon as possible.

For more information about Flystrike:
vetcollection.co.uk/health/conditions/flystrike