Vets4Pets Perth

12/07/2024

Hello everyone

Useful information from Cat the Vet, for those who have poultry 🐔

Do you have pet poultry?

All backyard flocks now need to be registered with Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the APHA.

This is to help vets to be better able to track and limit the bird flu outbreaks that we seem to be seeing most winters.

Registration only takes a few minutes (I have done it for our chickens!), is free and need to be done by 1st October this year.

Follow this link to get it done;

https://poultryregistration.defra.gov.uk/

Announcement of the change;

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-measures-to-help-protect-poultry-industry-from-bird-flu

06/07/2024

*UPDATE: DOG IS NOW WITH PADS*

Hello everyone

We’ve had a dog handed in to us, found running around on the Crief Road, microchipped but owner not answering. We have left a voice mail and sent an email. It’s a Female Cane Corso. She is wearing a collar and has distinctive marking so will need proof of those before collecting.

Please share, thank you 😊

01/05/2024

Hello everyone

Could you please keep a wee look out for this wee girl and call the practice if you have any information.

Thank you ☺️

22/04/2024

Hello (OWNER HAS NOW BEEN FOUND 🥰)

We’ve had a wee cat handed in over the weekend. Castrated male, is microchipped but we haven’t been able to get in touch with the owner. Missing Pets have been informed.
Please call the practice on 01738-783-826 if this sweet pea belongs to you.

01/04/2024

Next up for a finalist nomination is our own wee ray of sunshine, Samira 🥰 Samira has been nominated for VCA of the year! Well done Samira, keep being fabulous!

If you would like to vote for Samira or any of our other finalists and even the practice as a whole, please head over to the voting page (link on a previous post) and vote now!! There’s only a few weeks to go until we head off to the award ceremony…. Good luck everyone! 🍀

Finalist Announcement: Samira Brooksbank of Vets4Pets Perth for Veterinary Assistant of the Year.

29/03/2024

Hello everyone

We hope you all have a lovely Easter weekend

Just a reminder of our opening times:

Friday 29th March- 9am to 5pm/ 6pm-7pm emergencies only as the store will be closed from 6pm
Saturday 30th March- 9am to 5pm
Sunday 31st March- CLOSED - Vets Now Dundee will be handling all emergency calls
Monday 1st April- 9am to 5pm / 6pm - 7pm emergencies only as the store will be closed from 6pm

If you have any concerns, please don’t hesitate to call and speak to a member of staff.

Many thanks

Vets4Pets Perth team 🐾

28/03/2024

28/03/2024

Voting for finalists is now open!

We would love it if you could vote for any or all of our finalists and for the practice itself!

Thank you so much to all our wonderful clients and their furry friends for all your support 🐾

The wait is OVER! Voting is OPEN for The Local Pet Awards Scotland 2024! Visit www.thelocalpetawards.com/vote

28/03/2024

We have received another nomination for a member of the team, this time it’s for Flo, our Head Veterinary Nurse and Joint Practice owner.
Please can we all take some time to congratulate Flo on this fantastic achievement 👏

Voting for finalists has now begun, and we’ll post the link shortly.
We would be extremely grateful for your votes and support.

Well done Flo, keep being fabulous 🥰

Finalist Announcement: Flo Aivaliotis of Vets4Pets Perth for Veterinary Nurse of the Year.

06/03/2024

We have received another nomination for a member of the team, this time it’s for our wonderful Vet, Philippa Herd, for Vet of the year.
Please can we all take some time to congratulate Philippa on this fantastic achievement 👏

Voting commences in March. Once we receive the link for voting, we will upload these to our Social Media pages. We would be extremely grateful for your votes and support.

Well done Philippa, keep being fabulous 🥰

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/AnNg37nbGd7G8871/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Finalist Announcement: Phillipa Herd of Vets4Pets Perth for Vet of the Year.

06/03/2024

Did you know that from the 10th June 2024, all cats must be microchipped?
If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to speak to a member of clinical staff who will be happy to help 🐾

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/Twe518EaXmRFhapD/?mibextid=WC7FNe

📅 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

28/02/2024

The Local Pet Awards second nomination is for Lennox, one of our Registered Veterinary Nurses. Lennox has been nominated in the ‘Veterinary Nurse Of The Year’ category. Please can we all take some time to congratulate Lennox on this fantastic achievement 👏

Voting commences in March. Once we receive the link for voting, we will upload these to our Social Media pages. We would be extremely grateful for your votes and support.

Well done Lennox, keep being fabulous 🥰

28/02/2024

Recently, our practice and some of our members of staff have been nominated in The Local Pet Awards.

First up, we have our Practice Manager Leia who has been nominated in ‘Receptionist of The Year’ award category (There was no Practice Manager of the year award category). Can we all take some time to congratulate Leia on this fantastic achievement 👏

Voting commences in March. Once we receive the link for voting, we will upload on to our Social Media pages. We would be extremely grateful for your votes and support.

Congratulations, Leia 😁

Keep your eyes peeled for more of our fabulous staff member nominations 👀

25/02/2024

When Kelly from our Colton store's Pets Grooming salon discovered a lump on the tail of nine-year-old Rufus she suspected something wasn't right, so alerted his owners Les and Andrea so they could get it checked out. They brought him to Vets for Pets Leeds Colton where it was confirmed he had a cancerous tumour which needed surgery.

Les, who adopted Rufus from Dogs Trust in Leeds as a puppy, said: “Rufus is such a big part of our life; we’re absolutely besotted with him. We probably wouldn’t have noticed the lump if not at the groomers as the tail isn’t somewhere you would usually stroke and feel. Kelly loves Rufus and really looks after him, so we want to say a big thanks for spotting it. Who'd have known what would have happened if she hadn’t noticed.”

Rufus had to have his tail removed, but is now making a good recovery. He's been visiting Kelly for a groom every six weeks for the last three years. She said: “You get to know everything about a dog as you groom them. I’ve discovered similar things before on other dogs so I mentioned it to the owners so they could get it checked out. Dogs are my life and you do worry; I’m so pleased they caught it. Now he’s got a fully docked tail like a little bunny rabbit. It’s lovely and suits him – when he gets washed he wiggles his bum.”

21/02/2024

Arthur's owner Louise says he "looked like a brand-new tortoise" after having his beak filed at Sutton in Ashfield Vets4Pets.

Louise adopted the four-year-old Horsefield Tortoise from a family member in October. Although she has had other pets, Arthur is her first tortoise, so she has been doing some research on how to best care for him.

Louise said: "I noticed Arthur's beak was unusually long, so I brought him in to Vets for Pets; I bring all my pets there. When he came out, I thought 'you beautiful boy, look at you – you look so handsome!"

Vet Steph, who looked after Arthur, says that tortoise beaks continuously grow and normally grind down themselves while they're eating. She said: "Arthur needed a little help as his jaw isn't perfectly aligned; his lower jaw is further out than his top jaw, so I filed it around half a centimetre. He was really good; a real cutie."

18/02/2024

Owner Claire says she couldn't be more grateful to Vets4Pets Hamilton after their quick diagnosis saved the sight of six-year-old Alba.

Claire knew there was something terribly wrong with her miniature dachshund cross when she called her in from the back garden last summer and Alba ran headfirst into a closed patio door. She rushed her to the vets, where investigations led the team to diagnose her with uveitis – an eye condition which causes inflammation of the middle layer of the eye.

Claire said: "It all happened so suddenly; Alba must have heard my voice and guessed where to go. It was quite scary seeing how bad she was. We couldn't be more grateful for the team in Hamilton spotting the uveitis as quickly as they did, otherwise Alba would have gone blind within a matter of days. Their knowledge saved Alba's sight. I still can't believe it happened. It's taken months of treatments, but it's such a relief to have our girl back to being her funny, bossy self."

Vet Neil, one of the team who treated Alba, said: "Alba's pupil was really narrow and wouldn't respond to light properly, which can be a sign of uveitis. Once we had ruled out other conditions, we were able to get her to an eye specialist for ongoing treatment. She's now doing really well."

16/02/2024

Ducky's owner Antonia was in a state of panic when she saw a fox had dug its way into the field where she keeps him – killing two of her other ducks and chickens.

Antonia was about to move her brood into their pen for the evening when she saw what had happened and noticed that Ducky had severe bite wounds under his wing. She rushed him to Vets4Pets Vets Milton Keynes for emergency surgery – and after having his wound stitched up the one-year-old duck is now making a good recovery.

Antonia said: "I was so worried. You don’t often hear of ducks recovering from fox attacks, but there is something about Ducky and the way he was so brave. I'm sure he was protecting a lady duck, as he's a bit of a romantic. It's the first time we've gone to Vets for Pets, and the team were amazing; they've done an incredible job."

Vet Becca, who treated Ducky, said: "He's a really lucky duck, as it was quite a big wound. When he first came in, he was understandably subdued and quiet but when he came back for his stitches to be taken out, he wanted to explore and tuck his head into everyone’s shoulders."

07/02/2024

Well done to the team at Vets4Pets Guildford who've been awarded a silver level certificate for being a rabbit-friendly clinic.

After head veterinary nurse Ella noticed that more customers were bringing in rabbits the practice took a series of steps to give them as stress-free an experience as possible. Ella, who also fosters rescue dogs in her spare time, said: "There was a long list of things that we needed to prove that we did from making sure the rabbits are kept separate from other animals and not booked in at the same time as barking dogs, to providing heated kennels for those who need to stay in, and using special equipment made especially for rabbits."

Practice manager Kevin said: "All of our vets have plenty of experience with rabbits we have some real rabbit geeks here, so it was a big thing to us. There are so many good people in this world and I'm so proud to be around them."

28/01/2024

Beautiful Bear was born deaf, so he's learned to follow his owner Lisa's visual commands.

Lisa, who shops at our Tamworth store – "it's my second home!" – got two-year-old Bear as a kitten and suspected he was deaf when he didn't respond to her voice. She had it confirmed by her vet soon after. She said: "He was very scatty, and scared of people he didn’t recognise. He wasn’t bothered by loud noises like my other cat Emily and when I came home from work he wouldn’t hear the door open.

"He's doing really well though. I try to do some sign language with him – I point at him and do a solid hand sign at him to stop. He picks up on vibrations and scents too. He meows, making a really loud chirping sound which I’ve never heard a cat do before, and he’s always rubbing his head against my legs and following me everywhere. I was advised not to let him out because he wouldn’t hear cars or other dangers, so he comes outside with me every morning to have a sniff around the garden and always comes straight back in." Bear and Lisa's other cat Emily are on Instagram as

27/01/2024

Ten-year-old Dutch rabbit Alfie has been visiting vet Kate at Vets4pets Wolverhampton for dental treatment for the last eight years – and she says he's such a loveable character that he's become "part of the family".

He's one of the oldest rabbits treated by Kate and the team, and she says his longevity is down to the care and love he gets from his owner Tracy and her family. Kate said: "Alfie is famous in this practice – everyone knows him. We and his family are dedicated to making sure her little old man is happy. The beautiful thing about being a vet or vet nurse is you build these relationships with the owners and their pets – they become your surrogate pets."

Tracy's been keeping rabbits all her life, and says that having space and routine is key. She said: "Alfie is an old man now and has a routine. He goes into a hutch at night and is let out in the morning. He's out all day and has his favourite spots in the house. We clean him out every day and give him a lot of attention. When he was younger he would follow us around; if I was clearing a cupboard out he would be in the cupboard to help. Now he's old and wants to be warm and watch instead. I can't thank Kate and the practice enough. Kate's been fantastic with him."

26/01/2024

Eight-year-old Winnie the Schnauzer cross is running around like a puppy again thanks to laser treatment and physiotherapy after two successful knee operations at Vets for Pets Basildon.

Worried owner Tracy brought Winnie in to the practice after she collapsed on a walk last year – and the team discovered the cruciate ligament in a knee had ruptured. She’s since had ops on two knees and is on a recovery plan led by vet physiotherapist Izzy.

Tracy said: "Winnie has had a tough year with 15 teeth removed, two cruciate ligament operations and two bouts of pancreatitis but thankfully she's hardy. She’s treated fabulously at the Basildon practice. Izzy is great with her – she totally relaxes in her hands and does little snores with her eyes open. Winnie has a new lease of life again and is running around like a puppy."

Izzy said: "When pets have surgery or injure themselves they move differently which causes them to be sore in other places. Winnie has laser therapy then a massage to help the healing process. Laser treatment is a specialist service that not enough people know about – it can help in so many ways after an operation.”

24/01/2024

Hello everyone 🐾

We are very pleased to announce that we have been nominated for Vet Practice of the Year at the Scottish local pet awards!
Just to be nominated is wonderful but to win would be the cherry on the cake!

If anyone would like to vote for us as a practice or Vote for a member of the team, head over to the following link as there are many categories such as Best Vet, Best Nurse, Best Receptionist… let’s see if we can win! 🥰

Highlighting the dedication and commitment of those working within the local pet sector. In 2024 we will be hosting separate events in Northern Ireland, Ireland, and Scotland - shining a light on the best in each area.

18/01/2024

Veterinary nurse Mel from Vets4Pets Bristol Longwell Green loves cats so much she's helped the practice make a number of improvements to give cats as stress-free an experience as possible when they're brought in.

Mel, who has an Advanced Certificate in Feline Behaviour for Veterinary Professionals, helped introduce facilities like a separate feline waiting area and cattery and the use of quiet clippers – and the practice now has a silver level certificate for being a cat-friendly clinic. She said: "I love dogs but I'm really a cat person. Cats can be misunderstood which can lead to them having quite a stressful life, so if we can make things easier for them and help people understand what cats need then everyone will be happier.

"As animal lovers there's always more to learn and understand about what makes them happy. Enrichment at the home is important for a happy cat – and as cats are naturally solitary animals if you live in a multi-cat household it's important to understand what they need. The rule is to have a resource per cat, plus one spare. So if you have two cats you should have three feeding stations, three litter trays and three scratch posts spread around the house so they have the opportunity to move around to wherever they want to go. Scratching is as natural a thing for cats to do as going out hunting is, so if they're unable to go out it's about providing the chance for them to behave as naturally as possible."

07/01/2024

Four-year-old Sebastian the Jack Russell is back to his usual boisterous self after being treated at Vets4Pets Abingdon for a condition that was causing the knee caps on his back legs to dislocate when he walked.

The condition, known as medial patellar luxation, would cause him to hop or skip when exercising. It's quite common in terriers and small dog breeds, but Sebastian's case was quite severe and he was given surgery by orthopaedic surgeon Joe to deepen the groove his patella runs in on his right hind leg, and also to move and reattach his patellar tendon.

Sebastian is owned by practice vet Hannah who said: "After the operation he just wanted to get back to normal straight away but he couldn't ... and that's where we struggled. He wanted to be out and about, charging around and playing with his toys but he needed to rest." Hannah had to give him medication for six weeks to give his knees time to heal. She said: "He's absolutely fine now – he's fully recovered and running around like a lunatic again!"

05/01/2024

When 11-year-old lurcher Jess was brought into Vets for Pets Leeds Birstall 24/7 Small Animal Hospital on Christmas Eve feeling very poorly with pyometra – a life-threatening uterus infection – the team knew they had to act fast; so vet Emily and nurses JD and Hannah headed straight in to perform emergency surgery on her in the early hours of Christmas morning.

The operation went so well that by lunchtime nurse Krishna was able to call her owner Beth to say she was well enough to come home to recuperate – and Beth made the hour-long drive from her home in Keighley so she could bring Jess home before the family sat down for their Christmas dinner. Beth said: "It was a stressful start to Christmas, as we were worried about Jess because of her age and because she's never had anything wrong with her before. We're so grateful for everything – it was so nice of them to come in on Christmas Day to operate on her, to look after her so well and to get her home on top form. The vets were fantastic from start to finish. Jess is recovering nicely – you can see the happiness is back in her!"

Krishna said: "Our night team always do an amazing job, and performing serious surgery like that at that time of night and on Christmas Day of all days is just brilliant. Jess did amazingly well to bounce back so quickly, and it was amazing being able to call her owners to say that she could come home to spend Christmas with them. It's the sort of call we all love to make, but doing it on Christmas Day was extra nice."

03/01/2024

Six-foot-long boa constrictor Astrix was the centre of attention when he called in for a routine "top to tail" health check at Vets4Pets Penzance.

Astrix, who's four, is part of a menagerie of six snakes, bearded dragons and six dogs belonging to veterinary nurse Lowenna, who works at the practice, and her partner Mark. The team looked at Astrix's eyes and mouth and checked his breathing to rule out any respiratory infections and also checked his scales.

Lowenna said: "He got a clean bill of health, he was absolutely fine and everyone had a turn holding him. Asterix is quite reserved, a little bit shy usually. He did really well when he came in as everyone wanted to touch him and he was like 'okay I quite like the attention.' Astrix has got a lovely big set-up at home. He's quite a big boy, weighing in at nearly 10 kilos, so the vivarium is more than seven foot long. We have a reptile room and he has the run of it. He has a large bucket of water too if he ever wants to submerge himself."

02/01/2024

This brave girl is collie-cross Sherpa, who the team at Vets for Pets Livingston say was "impeccably calm" when she was rushed in for emergency injury after hurting her eye in a freak accident.

Sherpa's owner Caroline was taking Sherpa for a walk when Sherpa caught her eye on a stick as she went exploring a bush. She was quickly admitted into surgery where she received X-rays and, after a two-hour procedure by practice owner Dr Adam, aided by nurse Erin, the stick was removed. Adam said: "Sherpa was amazingly tolerant following an extremely random occurrence. It was astonishing." Sherpa didn't lose her sight and is now making a great recovery.

Caroline said: “We were suddenly thrown into the worst living nightmare, it was absolutely horrifying. It’s truly a miracle what Adam and the team achieved from the moment they answered our call for help. They gave us hope."

31/12/2023

Happy Hogmanay to you and your furry friends.
We would like to thank each and every one of you for your continued support this year and hope to see you all next year. Take care and best wishes from all the team here at Vets4Pets Perth.

26/12/2023

Hello everyone 🥰
Here’s Dàfni (you you may have seen and definitely heard her in practice 🤭 ) enjoying her first Christmas…
We’d love to see some pictures of what your furry friends have been up to this Christmas 🎄

25/12/2023

Everyone here at Vets4Pets Perth would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and thank you all for your continued support. We all hope you have a lovely time and Santa has been kind to you and your furry friends. Take care and best wishes to all.

24/12/2023

Some great advice from Cat The Vet as usual 🥰 If you don’t already, give her a follow as she talks about some really interesting topics and has a lot of great advice for pet owners. ▶️ Watch this reel https://www.facebook.com/share/r/w35XSzBASBZ6FXHd/?mibextid=UalRPS

24/12/2023

This little Christmas cracker is Molly, who survived against the odds and gave birth to three premature puppies after being brought in to Vets for Pets Cirencester as a pregnant stray with severe injuries from a fight with other dogs.

Martina, who owns the practice, said: ”It was really touch and go and we thought Molly might not make it. The team treated mum first, got her on a drip and stabilised her before successfully managing to deliver the puppies – two boys and a girl – by caesarean section."

Molly, who's a Cairn Terrier, and her three pups are recovering well at home with Martina. “As they needed 24/7 care I took them home and emptied the whole spare bedroom so there was a nice, warm and comfortable quiet place for Molly and her puppies. I was attached to her for the first five days – my husband Matt even brought food up to the bedroom for me as I stayed there all the time. It was really hard work but it was all worth it. They’re absolute darlings and doing really well now – mum is already brave enough to go on dog walks.”

Martina says Molly will continue living with her in the future, and the puppies will be adopted when they are stronger.

23/12/2023

The whole team at V4P Perth wanted to say a massive CONGRATULATIONS to Samira for completing her Veterinary Care Assistant course.
Samira is now a qualified VCA and is one of the best people you could find to look after your beloved furry friends while they’re here with us. Samira has showed outstanding commitment and dedication to completing her course and we are so pleased for her. Here she is receiving her shiny new stethoscope. Well done Samira 🥰

23/12/2023

Hello everyone 🎅🏻

We just wanted to remind you that we are closed from 1pm today… this is the last chance to collect any medication or food that you have already ordered before we’re closed for the festive period.

During out of hours, Vets Now Dundee will be on hand to help with and queries and emergencies: … 01382690723

Also, look at this beautiful cake that was gifted to us by Samira our VCAs parents- it was the best cake we’ve ever tasted and lasted only a few minutes before it was all gone 🤭😋

Thank you 🐾

22/12/2023

Santpaws and his elves came to visit us on Tuesday to deliver our secret Santa’s
Thanks Santapaws, we had a great time!

19/12/2023

This beautiful buzzard is on the mend after undergoing surgery on a broken wing at Vets4Pets Newmarket after he was hit by a car.

A member of the public rescued the buzzard and brought him in to see if the team could help. After a successful operation and five days of recuperation he's ben taken to The Raptor Foundation rehabilitation centre to continue his recovery.

Practice manager Natalie said: "We put him under general anaesthetic and performed orthopaedic surgery. We'll see him again next month to see how he's progressing and then hopefully he'll be released back into the wild. We wish him a speedy recovery as he's such a handsome chap.”

17/12/2023

Here's a salutary tale in the run-up to Christmas Day ... the story of poor little Tego, who had to be rushed to Vets for Pets Morpeth for emergency treatment after snaffling 48 Quality Street chocolates, their wrappers and part of the box.

Owner Sarah realised chocolate was toxic for dogs so phoned the vets who told her to get the five-year Tibetan Terrier there immediately. Sarah said: "They were brilliant with him. The chocolates were a birthday present for my daughter Olivia, and they were all wrapped up and put in the lounge with the door shut. I went to work and when I came back Tego had somehow managed to get in the room and rip into them."

Vet Eleni and the team helped Tego cough everything up and took blood tests and put him on medication before he was allowed home. Eleni said it's a useful reminder to keep chocolates well hidden – and to act fast if your dog eats any and induce vomiting within one to two hours to prevent the body from absorbing the toxins.

16/12/2023

Five-year-old Buddy will be thinking twice about picking up sticks in future after one pierced his tongue and he had to be taken for treatment at Vets4Pets Lisburn.

Owner Danielle says Buddy doesn't normally play with sticks but one day he saw other dogs having fun with sticks and ran over to join in. "We heard a loud yelp and he came sheepishly over to us, with his tail between his legs, and we realised he was in pain. We took him to the practice where Becky the vet found the hole under his tongue and treated him with dissolving stitches, antibiotics and painkillers. Becky was so lovely."

Danielle says: "Buddy is doing absolutely great now and we are keeping an extra eye on him – we've even bought him a fake fabric bendy stick from Pets at Home!"

10/12/2023

This is gorgeous Ghost, who's been regularly visiting the team at Leeds Vets4Pets for some desensitising and socialising.

His owner Abbas said he often pops down to the practice so Ghost, a seven-month-old German Shepherd, can get used to the surroundings. Abbas said: "After he'd had his vaccinations, one of the nurses mentioned that it could be good to bring him in every now and again while he was a puppy so he's not timid or scared of the vets should he need any procedures in the future. Before he was quite nervous going to the vets, but now he gets excited to go in. Everyone at the practice is so welcoming."

Veterinary nurse Alys says: "Puppies who come in just for their vaccinations are understandably much more scared to come back in as they get older, as they associate us with injections. When Ghost comes in we make sure he has lots of positive interactions with the team – and now he walks in happily with his tail wagging and actively seeks everyone out for attention."

05/12/2023

Paddy the Shetland Sheepdog is well on the road to recovery after undergoing a life-saving operation to remove his gallbladder at Liverpool Vets4Pets.

Owner Stephen took him to see the team as 11-year-old Paddy was extremely lethargic and his usually "beautiful blue eyes" had gone yellow. After an ultrasound and bloods, Paddy was diagnosed with a gallbladder mucocoele – a life-threatening condition. Paddy spent nearly two and a half hours in surgery but has since made a great recovery. Vet Andre, who performed the surgery with colleague Chloe, said: "It was a great team effort and our nursing staff were wonderful. Thankfully he's doing really well now. He is lovely – he's the sweetest dog."

Stephen, who's had Paddy since he was a puppy, said: "I can't thank the team at Vets for Pets enough for what they did – they saved his life. He's now walking around, eating well and getting back to his usual self."