Ivy Lodge Veterinary Clinic

30/08/2024

A message to all of our lovely clients.
As some of you may know already, it is with heavy heart that we announce the sad and sudden passing of the owner of Ivy Lodge Veterinary Clinic, Gerry.

Gerry has been a passionate and personal equine veterinarian for over 40 years and was very dedicated to his clients and patients. We have heard some wonderful stories from his long-term equine clients, how he would go out of his way at any time or day to assist, no matter how big or small the problem was. He provided care to his patients like they were his own, and his clients like family.
Gerry started Ivy Lodge Veterinary Clinic from scratch 40 years ago to be able to care for horses and build a team to care for small animals with the help of companion veterinary surgeons.

Rest assured that this is not the end of Ivy Lodge. We have a brand new management and team taking over as of the beginning of September to continue and provide high standards of veterinary care, and we're sure you will hear from the new team through socials soon with their plans for the practice.

On behalf of Gerry, we would love to thank all of our small animal clients and equine clients, especially those that have stayed with Gerry for 40 years of loyalty and service.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the practice on 01708 373671 and we would be happy to assist.
Love from David, Julie, Ellie, Alex & Jess at Ivy Lodge x

22/05/2024

Bank holiday has come round again - please be advised we are closed bank holiday Monday, see below for our opening hours.

If you need to order repeat medication please order today to make sure you have time to collect it before we close Friday.

As always in an emergency you can phone our number and will be redirected to our out of hours service.

08/05/2024

Meet Teddy...

Teddy came in for some x-rays of his hind limbs and was diagnosed with luxating patella, this means that his knee cap slips out of alignment when he bends his knee.

Teddy's owners brought him in because the noticed he was skipping when he ran in the park.

Depending of the grade of patella luxation depends on the treatment course; this could be conservative management if it is low grade or surgical management if it is higher grade - both options are catered for here at Ivy Lodge Veterinary Clinic.

03/05/2024

Meet Toffee...

The beautiful Toffee came in a few weeks ago for a castrate and has been recovering well at home. Toffee was a star patient and loved all the attention he got while he was with us for the day.

See you soon Toffee 🥰

02/05/2024

We have a fully equipped surgery suite with lots of instruments for all sorts of soft tissue surgeries.

If you think your pet may need any of these surgeries we can have a consultation to discuss this with you and give you an estimate for the cost.

01/05/2024

Please be advised we are closed bank holiday Monday, see below for our opening hours.

If you need to order repeat medication please order today to make sure you have time to collect it before we close Friday.

As always in an emergency you can phone our number and will be redirected to our out of hours service.

30/04/2024

Are your cats seeming bored? Here are some great tips on keeping their mind and body active.

For more information please visit - https://icatcare.org/international-cat-day/icd-2022/play-tips/

25/04/2024

Along with soft tissue surgeries we also have equipment for a wide range of orthopedic surgeries.

If you would like further information about any of these surgeries please contact us on 01708373671.

23/04/2024

Here are some useful tips on keeping your cat happy with they are using their litter trays.

For more information please visit - https://icatcare.org/international-cat-day/icd-2022/toileting-tips/

22/04/2024

19/04/2024

As promised, here is some information on routine bloods testing of your pets.

We recommend 6-12 monthly blood testing when they get older so we can catch deteriorations within their health, allowing for early treatment where necessary, leaving as little detriment to your pet as possible.
These routine tests give us a good indication of liver & kidney function, as well as look out for signs of different endocrine diseases, eg cushings, diabetes, hyper- & hypothyroidism, which are all common disorders of our cats and dogs which are age related.

Our vet, Ellie, brought in her 15 year old dog for a yearly blood test this week - thankfully there were no concerning changes & her organs are functioning well, she continues to be the old princess at home.

18/04/2024

Here at Ivy Lodge we can perform a range of diagnostics - many of which can be done in house or if not we are serviced by a specialist animal laboratory which allows us to offer clients even more diagnostic options.

Diagnostics are great for when a pet is unwell or as part of routine examinations to allow us to get a greater picture of your pets internal and external health.

Look out for a post tomorrow on routine blood testing in pets.

18/04/2024

Hello from Ivy Lodge Vets -

We have set up a mailing list to be able to let our clients know about any offers or events we might be running and to keep you informed about useful information - don’t worry we won’t be constantly emailing.

16/04/2024

If your cats gobble their food too quickly or get bored easily during the day, here are some ways to slow feeding and add enrichment to their day.

For more information please visit: https://icatcare.org/feeding-tips/

15/04/2024

Did you know we work with PetPlan to offer 4 weeks free insurance to all of our new puppy & kitten clients. This can be offered to anyone with a pet who is not already insured and between 6 weeks and 1 year of age at a vaccine or general health check appointment.

If you would like to take advantage of this, please get in contact with us.

12/04/2024

Lady didn't look to happy to be helping with the phones when she came in with Alex, our student nurse, for her first puppy vaccinations! She loved her day with us really🥰

11/04/2024

Did you know we are able to perform a wide array of emergency surgeries?

If you are ever concerned of an emergency, please call us, on 01708 373671, so we can assess and advise the most appropriate next steps.

10/04/2024

*WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT*

Pyometra:
These images show a pyometra which is an infection in the uterus of non-neutered female cats and dogs. Pyometra most commonly occurs in older females but can happen in younger females too, it can be life threatening if untreated. This is because if the uterus becomes too full of puss the uterus can burst and cause infection in the abdomen known as peritonitis. The only way to stop pyometras from happening is spaying your cat or dog at an appropriate age.
The first image is before the uterus has been fully removed from the body, showing one large infected horn, which was close to rupturing and one smaller horn. The second image is after removal, it shows the contents of the uterus (puss like material) and how the wall is abnormal.

09/04/2024

It is important our cats feel safe and comfortable when in their home - here is a few tips on how to do this.

For more information please visit - https://icatcare.org/international-cat-day/icd-2022/safety-comfort/

08/04/2024

Did you know we have an in house lab where we can perform different diagnostic testing? One piece of equipment we have is a microscope - this allows us to looks at cells and micro-organisms under high power magnification, from different sources for example blood, urine and skin/ear cytology. This allows us to look for different types of infections, causes of inflammation, parasites, cell formation, amount of certain cells and much more.

Description of images below:
Image 1: X100 magnification of abnormal red blood cells from a cat that had anemia.

Image 2: X100 magnification shows moderate yeast/malassezia that has the characteristic ‘snowman’ shape and has taken up the dark purple staining. Surrounding are lighter-stained keratinocytes.

Image 3: X100 magnification showing a vast number of red blood cells without their central pallor as they’re forming the feathered edge. 18 platelets, 2 Neutrophils with mild toxicity, 1 Eosinophil, 1 Lymphocyte with moderate reactivity, and what looks to be a Megakaryocyte or damaged Neutrophil just left to the centre of the image can be identified here.

Image 4: X40 magnification shows the medulla of the hair follicle. Red ‘cloud’ shows multiple layers of erythrocytes. Nothing abnormal seen.

Image 5: This is an otodectes cynotis mite (ear mite) in a urine sample. This could be from a contaminated urine sample as it was collected from a cat’s litter tray. Surrounding the mite are cocci bacteria and artefacts.

Image 6: X100 magnification of urine, in the centre of the field is a hyaline cast (or structure crystal) and surrounding it are coccus and diplococci bacteria.

05/04/2024

More thank yous from a wonderfully generous client, who was overjoyed with the surgical outcome for her dog. A simple thank you is enough to make our days so we really appreciate the big thank yous 🤩

04/04/2024

A massive well done to Alex who passed her maths exam last month. This means she could officially be registered with the RCVS and start performing student nursing tasks. Alex took her first blood sample last week and done amazingly.
Well done again Alex🤩

03/04/2024

Unfortunately a un-microchipped cat has been found deceased after sustaining a road traffic injury by the split between Warley Road and B186. The cat is a male entire, adult. He is black with all 4 white socks, chest and belly. Unfortunately his face is unrecognizable.
If you think he is your cat, please contact us on 01708 373671. We are so sorry for their loss 😔

03/04/2024

Did you know not all consultations require you to see a vet? We offer nurse clinics where appropriate. Here are some of the many clinics we can offer with Jessica and Alex.

If you would like any further information or to book in please call the clinic on 01708 373671.

02/04/2024

Encouraging your cat to scent will help to make them feel comfortable in their own environment and help to stop scratching in undesirable locations.

For more information please visit: https://icatcare.org/international-cat-day/icd-2022/scent-communication/

01/04/2024

We hope our clients and staff have had a lovely, well deserved Easter break 🐥
We are back open from 8.30am tomorrow so look forward to welcoming you all through our doors!

29/03/2024

Happy Easter from us all at Ivy Lodge Veterinary Clinic.

Please remember we are closed for the Easter break but you can still call the practice (01708373671) and be redirected to our emergency line if you have any concerns about your pets. Or if you would like to book future non emergency appointments or order medication you can contact us via email ([email protected]) and we will respond to this when we arrive back on 02/04/24.

28/03/2024

With Easter fast approaching, this is the time where many families start to get Rabbits. Please remember bunnies are not just for Easter, they need a lot more care and maintenance than people initially think.

For information on keeping your bunny happy and health please follow this link to the RSPCA -

Learn all about rabbit health and welfare by reading our tips on what your rabbit needs to live a happy, healthy life.

27/03/2024

⚠️Last call for repeat prescriptions for your pet before the Easter bank holiday!

After today, we cannot guarantee your prescription until Tuesday 2nd April.

Please call us on 01708 373671 to request your pet's medication.

27/03/2024

A lovely gift from our wonderful cremation company - Resting Pets

Even though we are closed over the Easter bank holiday period, Resting Pets can still help you in your time of need. If your pet passes away at home you can call Resting Pets directly to arrange cremation. They are open 10am - 12pm on Saturday 30th March and have an on call service outside of these times.