Mercury Vets

04/09/2024

Useful for some of our lovely owners with horses 🤩

This Thursday!! Don't miss it, because goodness knows when I'll get around to doing this again!

An essential guide to all things peri/post/menopause related for riders.

- What happens and why
- What you can do about it all
- Ways to maximise your health and fitness
- Where to focus your rider fitness training
- Pelvic floor essentials

Tickets are available for £15
https://buytickets.at/louisetowlphysiotherapy

13/08/2024

Have you heard of leptospirosis? 😧

Leptospirosis, often shortened to lepto, is a disease caused by bacteria that damage vital organs, such as the liver and kidneys. It’s very serious and often fatal in dogs.

Dogs can catch leptospirosis from:

- Another infected dog
- Sniffing/licking the ground where an infected dog has urinated
- Urine from an infected cow, pig or rodent
- Infected wet ground or fresh water - lepto can live in wet ground and fresh water for several months

Leptospirosis can also be spread to other dogs by infected dogs, mice, rats and cows but can also be caught from infected water. So, if your dog lives on a farm, kills rodents or spends a lot of time swimming, they’re at a much higher risk of catching it ⚠️

There are a few different types of leptospirosis bacteria and each one is slightly different. Fortunately, we can vaccinate against the types of lepto bacteria commonly found in the UK. Find out more: http://pdsa.me/rwlP

[Visual description: Black and brown dog, Kelpie, in the back of a vehicle on a cattle farm.]

15/06/2024

🎉WERE AT WOOFSTOCK🎉
Come and say Hi 👋🏼

04/03/2024

📅 The countdown is on – from 10 June 2024 all pet cats over 20 weeks old must be microchipped and registered on a compliant database.

🐾 Microchipping is the quickest and most effective way of ensuring lost pets can be identified. Animals that are microchipped are more than twice as likely to be reunited with their owners.

🐈 Read about Simba, who was reunited with his owner thanks to his microchip: https://www.cats.org.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/around-25-million-cats-remain-unchipped-as-the-compulsory-microchipping-countdown-begins

25/01/2024

Lovely Sally came in to see us this week 🐶 💜

Sally had a tooth removed at another vets some time ago, and since had had an abscess that has come up and gone down with antibiotics a number of times on her face. Frustrated her owners brought her to see us.

Alex our vet thought that it was likely that a fragment of root remained when the tooth was removed. So she was booked in to have it investigated.

Alex x-rayed the area under sedation, using a needle to pinpoint where the abscess was. The results showed 2 fragments remaining from the removed tooth. Sally was then taken in straight away for a dental to remove these roots.

It is important to remove all roots from dogs teeth when the crown is removed or the dogs can end up with a constant low grade infection that causes tooth root abscesses. Imagine having an on and off toothache for months! 🦷

Hopefully Sally feels much better in a couple of days, and thankfully we could help the owners with a problem we could cure! 🎉

24/01/2024

Everyone knows Ann! So knowing Ann, you might know she loves Dartmoor, and knowing that Ann is destined for a challenge (whether it be a spicy cat or a scary dog) she has set her sights on the Ten Tor challenge.

Despite the prospect of impending blisters and many a wild wee, she is going to face the mostly wet challenge she has outlined below, for an excellent cause….

Hi dear friends, loving Dartmoor as I do, and being an outdoors and country girl, I’ve always wanted to complete the Ten Tors challenge, but thought I’d missed the chance due to my age. I was so happy when I discovered I can complete the full 35 mile challenge as an adult, and raise money at the same time, which will go entirely to support young people in completing their Ten Tors dream. Not every family can afford to supply their teenagers with all the necessary supplies and equipment to do Ten Tors/DofE, and by supporting me with my fundraising, you’re helping support and shape our Dartmoor family of the future. Anything you can give is very much appreciated. Thank you. Ann x

https://www.justgiving.com/page/ann-watson-1702314608640?utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=page%2Fann-watson-1702314608640&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=pfp-share&fbclid=IwAR2Nfo83lKgIsQHtxFYSyJtTcbROnTkJtsDPYKxGDGy36fS0tfr2kCAqoNw_aem_AcmFqjFpMLmAQzjARYssY9du9bQVQlYh60jUo_pJWaL074wwz6CGKqR6yFQE_Utq_1s

02/01/2024

We are experiencing intermittent power cuts! Please if you can’t get through call us on our mobile 07703988387

Meanwhile take a weight off, and have a New Year Nap 😴

30/12/2023

We hope you have all had a lovely Christmas and want to thank you all for your continued support.
We want to wish all of our clients and they’re lovely pets 🐶🐱 a HAPPY NEW YEAR 🥳🥳

04/11/2023

02/11/2023

Keep everyone safe this week!

28/10/2023

28/10/2023

Halloween can be a scary time for most dogs - we have created this poster to display in your window/door for trick or treaters which can be downloaded and printed 👻

04/09/2023

⭐️ To insure or not to insure?

💸From supermarkets to supercars, prices are rising for everything, and we don’t think your pet needs to feel the pressure as much 💰

💳Some people know that they will need to pay for vet bills out of their own pockets while others may choose to get insurance to cover the biggest of costs. Others still put the money they would spend on insurance into their “pet accounts” 🏦

Pros and Cons of pay as you go:

- you may end up with one of those lucky dogs that never gets ill so you end up with the money in your pocket not the insurance companies’. 🍀

-you may end up with one of those unlucky dogs that have ongoing expenses, broken legs/bad skin/lumps and bumps, meaning you could spend thousands forking out time and time again. 🙈

Pros and cons of pay it into an account:

-the money if not spent is once again not in the insurance company’s pocket
-the money will build up over time and you will end up if not spent before a reasonable chunk to spend on one or two events at the vets. 💰

-if your dog gets poorly or injured before your account has built up, you still have to fork out of your pocket
-the pot is not likely to get that big (depending on what you put away), so once spent on one condition it may not be enough for any more. 🏥

Pros and cons of insurance:

-most companies offer quite a lot of coverage for each condition (depending on the policy) so you will get a pay out for more than one illness/injury, for a lot of money 💰💰💰
-if it is a lifetime policy the company will continue to pay it out year on year
-some companies offer good veterinary advise over the phone 24/7 for free 📞
-very expensive procedures, for example spinal surgery, are now more reasonable financially and offering better outcomes for your pets
-they cover additional treatments like hydro/physiotherapy etc
-third party insurance is huge for accidents caused by your dog, for example car accidents or sheep chasing🐑

-not all the vet bills are covered - vaccinations for example 🩼
-the excess normally increases when your pet gets older, or you end up paying between 20-40% of the bill anyway (depending on your policy)
-some companies are a disaster at paying and end up not paying out anyway
-some pre-existing conditions won’t be covered if you insure older pets
-comparing policies can be difficult and bamboozling if too don’t know what you’re looking at ❓⁉️

Whether you choose to insure or not, be aware that prices are more than expected for most things at the moment. For example referring your dog for a broken leg might end up costing closer to £10k than £1k, and 3 days in a hospital on a drip may cost more like £2k than £200.

If you want any more help then please contact us for more advice.

04/09/2023

Heat stroke, and dispelling the myths 🥵

✅❌Truth or Myth are you ready?

“Cooling your dog too quickly can be dangerous when they have heat stroke” MYTH

“You shouldn’t ever submerge your dog in cold water if they are suffering from heat stroke” MYTH

“The best thing to use is tepid water on towels to cool your dog” MYTH

“Contact your vet immediately if you have concerns” TRUTH

🐶 There is a lot of outdated first aid advice on how to cool dogs (as well for people!). The latest research shows the the best advice is “Cool first, then travel” 🚿 🚗

⭐️ If you are concerned, completely drench your dog in any water that you have - river/bottled/sea/bath - and put the fan on in your car or have the windows down to increase the evaporation from the skin and help cooling while you are on your way to the vet.

Please share this advice far and wide, together we may save some lives 🦸‍♂️

(Just so we’re all on the same page with regards to heat stroke this summer, you can read the latest advice from the Royal Veterinary College here https://rvc.uk.com/hot-dogs-cool-first-transport-second )

☀️ Please be safe in the hot weather, dogs most at risk are: large breeds 🐕 hairy breeds 🐩 dark coated dogs 🐕‍🦺flat faced breeds 🐶dogs with underlying heath conditions especially heart and lung conditions 🫀the very young or very old dogs 🐾

05/07/2023

I’m sure everyone has met Michelle after 8 years with Mercury Vets, however, tomorrow is her last day with us 😢

I’m sure you’ll all agree, Michelle’s smiley face and sense of humour has been only one of the reasons that you opened the door for her time and time again! Her knowledge and wealth of experience has been an absolute asset to our team for so long, and we’ll be incredibly sad to see her go.

Unfortunately, new horizons are ahead for her, and I’m sure I speak for everyone to say we wish her the best of luck and hope she enjoys her new job.

🐶 Perhaps as much of a wrench for the staff is saying goodbye to our practice’s ever present, born and bred Lurcher, Mike! Michelle has had Mike since a pup, who was bred by none other than Mercury Vets founder Alison. Since then Mike has been keeping toes warm in the office every day.

We’ll miss them both immensely! Good luck Michelle!
⭐️ 🍀 ⭐️

27/06/2023

It’s coming to the end of Pride month; we would like to kindly remind everyone that we don’t care who you love, just as long as you love your pets more! 😜🏳️‍🌈

27/06/2023

These pictures show an overbite in a 9 week old Labrador puppy.

As you can see the canines (fang like teeth) on the bottom jaw sit behind the top canines, when normally a dog should have a scissor bite where the lower canines slot just in front of the upper canines.

This abnormality can be more mild or much more severe than this but it is important to notice. In this instance surgery was required to remove the baby canines from the bottom jaw to stop the canines causing a hole in the hard palate (this can be seen starting to happen in the photos).

There is a good chance that surgery will be required to remove the adult canines from the bottom too when they come through for the same reason.

This will not affect how the puppy eats or how it grows in the future but is really important to correct early to prevent further problems.

He is recovering well from his procedure with his breeder and is getting lots of cuddles and love!

26/06/2023

These teeny tinies were found wondering near a rescue centre we work with. Last week our vet and nurse did a health check on them and predict they’re only about 5 weeks old. 2 girls and a boy, we have no doubt they’ll have amazing homes soon!

25/06/2023

Please be aware of blue-green algae and the risks in all your swimming pets!

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) is urging pet owners to take steps to keep their dogs safe when walking near freshwater bodies this summer, as the warm weather brings with it an increased risk of toxic blue-green algae growth.

24/06/2023

Tiny, massive problems!

23/06/2023

Please give us a call or send us an email if you would like any further advice on any of these dangers! Or if you think your dog is suffering from anything here!

22/06/2023

This is a beautiful Devon Rex cat our vet and nurse recently visited. We don’t see many of this unusual breed so thought we’d share him with you too!

21/06/2023

This beautiful girl, Honey, came in to see us a little while ago for hip and elbow X-rays for BVA scoring!

As you can see we take this procedure very seriously and try our best to keep the sedation swift and stress free.

Mercury Vets carry out these specialist X-rays routinely both at our base and at various clinics around Devon, please let us know if we can help with your pre-breeding X-rays or to see how your pet dogs hips and elbows are looking! Please feel free to share this with anyone who you think might need BVA hip and elbow scoring.

18/06/2023

All set for another fun 🐶 🐶 filled day at Woofstock!
Come and say hi 👋🏼👋🏼

16/06/2023

We are very excited, we will be at Woofstock this weekend! Pop by and say hi 👋🏼

14/06/2023

Please share this far and wide!

11/05/2023

How do I know the time is right?

There are several factors you might consider when assessing your pet’s quality of life, in no particular order:

• Appetite and thirst – are they eating and drinking enough to maintain their strength and body condition?

• Restfulness – are they able to rest or sleep comfortably and contentedly for sufficient lengths of time?

• Dignity – are they able to maintain their own personal hygiene and toileting requirements?

• Pain – are they free from persistent pain?

• Mobility – can they move themselves around without assistance from you and in such a way to maintain the points above?

You may find that not all these parameters apply to your pet but there is much overlap between them and it often becomes apparent when considering each, that other aspects of their life are being affected too.

Our decision to finally put our pet to sleep should always be made with their welfare at the forefront of that decision.

We will often see the silver lining in a dark situation as a reason to delay our own heartache but if we approach the decision through our pet’s existence, it is much easier to make the correct decision for our pet.

And of course our vets are always available to guide you where you may feel uncertain about symptoms you may be seeing in your pet.

Please call us if you would like to discuss any difficult situations with our vets on 01626 832444.

Please feel free to share this with anyone who you think might value our home euthanasia service.

07/05/2023

⭐️ May is Veterinary Nurse Awareness Month! ⭐️

No matter how long you have been with us, you will well and truly know just how important our nursing team is!

Each of our nurses: Stacey, Sarah and Ann, help to provide vital care and assistance to your pets. With hundreds of jobs throughout their day, from monitoring anaesthetics, bandaging paws or even tidying up after the vets; they are invaluable and allow our team to provide the best care for your pets.

I’m sure you will all agree they are awesome! Give them an extra thank you next time you see us!