Vets4Pets Newport

22/11/2024

✨REUNITED✨ This is Cosmo , cosmo has been missing since February. His family has been absolutely heartbroken 💔. Yesterday a kind lady brought Cosmo to our vets as the cat had been a stray near her home for quite some time and was concerned for his wellbeing due to the cold weather. Thankfully Cosmo is microchipped 🙏🏼 We got to contact his owners and just like that he is back home where he belongs. Microchipping your pet is so important. If your pet isn’t microchipped let this be your encouragement to book an appointment 🙏🏼🐾❤️

21/11/2024

Is that puppy advert as it seems?

“The available estimates indicate that Europe’s pet trade (cats, dogs, exotic) is the third most profitable illegal trade in the EU, after narcotics and weapons,”

The crimes it encompasses are numerous and complex, including smuggling, tax evasion, market fraud, consumer fraud, animal abuse, and danger to individual and public health.

The volumes are staggering: some eight million new dogs are required annually to supply the European market, but only about 1.1 million are produced by official breeding facilities. A smaller portion are adopted from rescue shelters or acquired from acquaintances, but that still leaves a vast, secretive supply chain that supplies millions of dogs every year.

The sales take place primarily on the internet, and the hand-offs are made in cars parks, highway service stations, and rented houses. The markup value can be no less staggering as that in the drug trade: a Hungarian puppy farm can create a French bulldog for 20-40 euros that, in one month’s time, will sell to a British buyer for 5,000-8,000 euros.

https://www.occrp.org/en/feature/the-canine-connection-europes-illegal-dog-trade

The Dogs Trust has been investigating this for a number of years and the information is shocking.

Check out the latest report:

Key finding include:

❎The total number of imports found was 91 (England 78, Scotland 13, Wales 0)- This works out as 29% of adverts in England, 7% in Scotland and 0% in Wales
❎14% of all adverts reviewed were for imported puppies
❎At least 18% of the imported puppies were confirmed by the seller as being under the minimum 15 weeks of age. Many others were suspected of being underage
❎Adverts for imported puppies were found on all four of the classified websites
❎The youngest puppy advertised was only 7 weeks of age when it entered Great Britain, too young to legally leave its mum
❎None of the puppies confirmed as having been imported could be viewed with mum
❎Only two of the 91 adverts for imported puppies included a photo or video of mum
❎None of the original advert text stated that the puppy had been imported, this was only revealed by further conversation

https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/downloads/puppy-smuggling-report-2020.pdf

Read more here:

https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/about-us/what-we-do/our-views/puppy-smuggling

20/11/2024

Ethylene glycol: Don't receive a frosty fright

The weather has turned, people may be defrosting their cars on frosty or snowy mornings. Many people reach for a product to speed up this defrosting process: antifreeze.

Antifreeze has its implications as a sweet tasting liquid our pets (particularly dogs and cats) often get into mischief with it.

Unfortunately ethylene glycol tends to have a low minimum toxic dose and is rapidly absorbed by the animals gastrointestinal tract. The toxic byproducts of this metabolism causes renal damage and metabolic acidosis.

Clinical signs are dose and time dependant.

If you have seen your pet ingest antifreeze OR you get home to find an empty destroyed container and are suspicious of a possible ingestion the best thing you can do is CONTACT YOUR VETERINARY TEAM IMMEDIATELY AND PREPARE TO GO DOWN ASAP.

You may have not seen the ingestion but the following symptoms suggest concerns (although can be suggestive of other issues too!). Again calling your wonderful veterinary practice immediately is the action to take.

❄️Lethargy
❄️Vomiting
❄️Polyuria (Urinating excessively)
❄️Polydipsia (Drinking excessively)
❄️Neurological signs
❄️Seizures
❄️Ataxia (Wobbly)
❄️Coma
❄️Dehydration
❄️ Abdominal pain

Untreated antifreeze toxicity can be fatal.

Your veterinary team may need to:

🌀Induce emesis (vomiting)
🌀Preform gastric lavage
🌀Start intravenous fluid therapy
🌀Start ethanol treatment
🌀Provide symptomatic treatment
🌀Take regular blood samples
🌀Take regular urine samples

How can I prevent it?

Firstly appropriate storage and disposal is essential. Ensuring you clear up any spillages on the ground so cats (and other animals) don't lap it up and ensuring any products you have are up high and out of reach for inquisitive paws is essential.

16/11/2024

We are nearing the Winter months unfortunately which means different hazards to keep you pet safe from!❄️⛄️

16/11/2024

‘Don’t take it out on our staff!’: How did Britain become so angry?

💬 Shopworkers, GP surgeries and call centres have all reported an alarming rise in abusive behaviour directed toward them. How can we calm this national rage?

➡️ Read in The Guardian :
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/aug/04/britain-angry-abusive-behaviour-staff

Social media is wonderful, it can be an area for connection, learning, education, support, positivity. But we all know that there is another side. A much darker, sinister side. A side of misinformation, of mob mentality, of hiding behind a screen and incitement of hatred and violence. A side of scaremongering and misinformation. An unacceptable side, and a dangerous side.

The British Veterinary Association - BVA reported that 1 in 2 vets working in clinical practice experienced online abuse in the last year alone (at the time of writing).

‘Vet Bashing’ is a term that usually describes online berating or abuse of veterinary staff or practices.

Any social media post that involves the cost of veterinary treatment and/or the death of an animal can be hugely emotive. This is the perfect combination to create a clickbait article that is likely to go viral. The majority of the time the posts are driven by emotion, anger or financial disputes that lead to public uproar. They rarely tell the full story, but the damage caused to individuals can be catastrophic.

The Guardian article states:

💬Perhaps, too, the dehumanising effects of communing online, which makes dishing out bile to strangers as easy as a “frictionless” online payment to a lot of people.

➡️ Over 90% of veterinary professionals polled in Veterinary Voices UK reported they live in fear of online complaints and social media abuse.

Remember that shaming or abusing a veterinary practice on social media will not help to resolve your complaint, and the resulting barrage of online abuse will cause a huge amount of stress and upset to all the staff who work at that veterinary practice.

➡️ Abusive behaviour does not need to be tolerated by any profession.
This could result in a practice withdrawing their services and may result in you having to find another practice.
Given the immense pressure our UK veterinary teams are under this could delay treatment. There are much more appropriate ways to discuss if you feel dissatisfied by a service, none of which includes verbal or physical abuse or threatening behaviour.

Read our article below to understand:

➡️Veterinary professionals are among the most diligent and dedicated professionals
➡️Why complaints occur
➡️What warrents a complaint
➡️How to handle a genuine complaint, in a calm and constructive manner

✅ Veterinary Voices UK: Stop Social Shaming

https://www.vetvoices.co.uk/post/stop-social-shaming

We stand together.
We stand against abuse.

13/11/2024

10/11/2024

04/11/2024

01/11/2024

Joint supplements can have a huge positive effect on our cats and dogs.
Yumove advanced 360 max strength is the supplement we use and trust in our own pets. We are currently working with Yumove to offer our clients the chance to try the product and get a second box for free (for new users only).

30/10/2024

28/10/2024

In the run up to Halloween night, on a weekend we expect some spooky goings on.... Remember the dangers to our pets and the signs of unhappy, scared or uncomfortable pets.

🎃Happy Halloween: Petrified Pets?

Halloween is a fun celebration however we do need to take our pets into consideration in amongst the ghosts and ghouls!

🍬 Trick or treat🍫

Risks to our pets include chocolate toxicity and ingestion of sweets that could contain xylitol.
Please call your vets for advice if they get hold of any human food however as usual prevention is better than cure so keep animals away from Halloween treats!

🐕 Knock knock. Who's there? 👻

Because of possible disruption and fireworks dogs and cats should be kept inside where possible during Halloween night. It is also advisable to keep your pet in a separate room during trick or treating with a safe space to sleep. This may minimise the stress of the continuous opening and closing of the door as well as ensuring your pet cannot bolt from your home if frightened by strange and scary looking visitors.

🕯️Care with Candles🕯️

Candles add a spooky feel to many Halloween decorations however are a risk for both children and pets to knock over!

❌ Creepy Costumes

Although cute looking, a huge percentage of pets would much rather not be dressed up. Please be considerate of pets body language and ideally let them have a relaxing night away from the stress.

🔥 Fireworks🎇

People often use fireworks around Halloween.
➡️Please tell your neighbours in advance of you plan to use fireworks.
➡️ Consider silent fireworks
➡️ Always check bonfires for wildlife before setting alight
➡️Tell local livery yards and farms if you plan to set off fireworks

If you are an owner:

✅ Walk your pet in the light before treat or treaters and fireworks
✅ Provide a safe place for your pet
✅ Contact your vet in plenty of advance if your pet needs a prescription for firework anxiety.

27/10/2024

It's almost - but do you even need to have a bonfire this year?
The fewer bonfires there are, the fewer wildlife casualties there are too.

Check out our ideas for a more -friendly way to mark the occasion 👇
https://buff.ly/4gOztBx

23/10/2024

If you're celebrating or Guy Fawkes night with a bonfire, only build the fire on the day it's to be lit!
🦔
Always check for hedgehogs & other animals, including pets, before lighting.

❗ & save the lives of & other wildlife.

22/10/2024

🎆Fireworks and Fear: Petrified Pets 🎆

In the lead up to fireworks season - are you prepared?

Fireworks seem to now occur regularly throughout October-December with Halloween, Bonfire night, Christmas and New year.

Although spectacular to watch they have very real implications for the welfare of our wildlife, livestock and pet animals.

⬇️Here is some advice this firework season. Stay tuned for more individual advice on each section in the coming weeks.

🐱Cats
✅Check microchip details are up to date
✅Try and keep them inside after dark. We understand this can be difficult. You may need to provide more play and calming aids to help them with a change in routine
✅Close all doors and windows to prevent them bolting
✅Shut curtains to dim the noise and flashes
✅ Give them a safe hiding place or don't disturb them if they find their own safe place to settle. Cats often like to be up high

🐶Dogs
✅Check microchip details are up to date
✅Walk before dark. If toileting outside go out with them on a leash to avoid them bolting if a firework goes off unexpectedly
✅Use calming aids
✅Give them as safe place to stay that is covered, dark and quiet. Do not lock them in here.
✅Watch that all doors are closed to avoid escape
✅You can comfort your pet, just ensure you stay safe if they are extremely agitated

🐭Small Furries
✅You may need to bring any animals inside if it doesn't cause them too much stress
✅They may require more bedding
✅Cover accomodation to prevent the lights from upsetting them
✅Move indoor enclosures away from windows to dull the noise and light

🐴Horses
✅Check local fire displays and prepare
✅Keep to a routine
✅Check the field or Stable is free from hazards
✅Give your vet notice if you require medication for your horses anxiety
✅Check on them regularly or stay with them if they are known to spook so you can react quickly if they become upset

🐮Livestock
✅Tell local farmers if you intend to have a Firework display and try to avoid the loud fireworks. Do not set fireworks off around fields containing livestock.

🦔 Wildlife
✅Check bonfires before lighting for any wildlife such as rodents or hedgehogs
✅Avoid setting fireworks off near known wildlife areas like nature reserves

🧑‍⚕️ How your vet can help
✅If your animals experiences distress then there are medications we can prescribe
✅You will likely need a prescription check even if you have it yearly
✅Veterinary professionals are also well placed to give you individual advice on how to help your pets

🎆If you plan to have a firework display:

➡️Please tell all your neighbours in advance that you plan it.
This will ensure they have had time to adequately prepare their animals for the event.
If possible please consider using alternative options such as silent or low noise fireworks if you know you are surrounded by families with cats, dogs, other pets or if you live by a farm or livery yard.

➡️Please tell owners how long the display will go on for and don't go beyond that so they know when it is safe to let their pets out for toileting or grazing.

➡️ Please do not release sky lanterns

https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/litter/skylanterns

🚒👩‍🚒 Please also be fire safe!

🔥https://www.gov.uk/fireworks-the-law

🔥https://www.rospa.com/home-safety/advice/fireworks-safety

Other links:

➡️ https://www.rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/campaign/fireworks

➡️ https://www.rspca.org.uk/getinvolved/campaign/fireworks

➡️ https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/storms-and-fireworks/

18/10/2024

The dogs internet search history………! 😂

02/10/2024

Lovley little bird handed in today found in pill area of Newport , if this is your bird please get in touch 🐥

01/10/2024

How important is that phone call to your vets?

“Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.”
Margaret Cousins

➡️We think it's hard to put into words the gratitude we feel towards our Veterinary Reception Team. Their work is exemplary and utterly important to the smooth running of a practice.

➡️These individuals are invaluable and integral members of our team.

They are often:

✅ Your first point of contact
✅ Your reassurance
✅ A sympathetic ear
✅ Excellent at triage of patients
✅ A pacifier in emotive confrontations
✅ An expert multitasker
‼️ And so much more

We are eternally grateful to Veterinary Receptionists across the country who help the practice run successfully - the role is challenging and the requirements and versatility of the job vast.

Please show your appreciation today for your reception team, they deserve it!