Companion Care Vets, Royal Tunbridge Wells

14/07/2024

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🐶🐶 COME ON ENGLAND 🐶🐶🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

06/07/2024

They think it’s coming home! Do you?🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️

Little rubble in the last photo does have his doubts…

05/07/2024

July 5th (Today) is Pet Remembrance Day 💔

On Pet Remembrance Day, we honor our furry friends who have crossed the rainbow bridge too early. Thank you for all the sloppy kisses, endless cuddles and companionship. We miss you! 🤍

We'd love you to share your photos and stories about your much missed pets.

14/06/2024

Sadly we have had a Ginger unneutered male cat brought to the surgery deceased following a RTA. 😢 Happened on Longfield Road just before 6 pm this evening, if anyone has a cat matching this description

05/06/2024

Laparoscopic neutering🤔 what is it?

This is when the vet preforms the surgery by making two very tiny incisions and uses a tiny camera and very advanced equipment to cauterise the ovaries and remove them 🤯Therefore, eliminating the risk of pregnancy❌

Benefit for a laparoscopic spay vs a traditional spay:
- Much faster recovery time 🦮
- Significantly smaller more manageable incisions 🩹
- Faster procedure ⏱️
- Allows for maximum precision with minimal invasion and trauma 🎯
- Less painful for your furry friend ❤️‍🩹🐾

Our vet here at companion care has also completed an additional certificate in this procedure, so you can be assured your pet is in the safest and most qualified hands! 📚📑

Have a scroll through our photos of a procedure recently completed! The end photos also included an image of the wounds fully healed so you can really see how tiny the incisions are! 🤩

Please feel free to call us to chat to one of our knowledgeable nurses if you wish to discuss the procedure further 📞

15/05/2024

‼️LESS THAN ONE MONTH TO GO‼️

As of 10th June 2024, it will be mandatory for your cat to be microchipped 🐾🤍🐈‍⬛🐈

We have appointments available!

12/05/2024

It’s going to be a warm one today!! ☀️☀️☀️

Please take into consideration your doggy’s health today! If they’re super fluffy, Brachycephalic or maybe slightly on the chonky side the weather could affect them faster than you might think! But even if you have a super lean fit dog don’t let that fool you! They can suffer just as badly❌

Walk them early in the morning or later in the evening once it’s cooled down! Ideally don’t walk them inbetween 1-4pm as that’s due to be the hottest part of the day today!

Have a lovely weekend ☀️🤍🐶🐾🐈🐈‍⬛

01/05/2024

May is national veterinary nurse awareness month!

"When do you become a vet then?", "Must be nice cuddling puppies all day!". These are two of the most common and most frustrating comments people can make when you tell them that you are a veterinary nurse.

The role of a veterinary nurse is so much more that what people think and we are most definitely not "just a nurse".

We are the ones caring for your fur babies whether it be their 1st trip to the vets for their first injections or their final trip for when its time to say goodbye. And we are there every step of the way and evey visit in-between.

Nurses go through years of training and exams to get the title of RVN. Learning about anaesthesia, drugs, surgery, chemicals to clean viruses, instruments, imaging, behaviour, CPR, emergency critical care, anatomy, law and ethics and honestly the list goes on but you get the gist... Its a lot!

"You have the best job in the world!" - Now, this is a quote that I can not fault. Nurses do their job for the love of the patients, the ability to work in an environment where you are always learning and every day being completely different from the previous.

So lets celebrate all their hard work this month! And next time you want to ask a veterinary nurse when they're becoming a vet.... dont ;)

27/03/2024

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL TERRIER DAY😆🐶

A breed that comes in many shapes and sizes, know for their loyalty and their huge personalities!

‘It sometimes takes days, even weeks, before a dog's nerves tire. In the case of terriers it can run into months.’

E. B. White

Give them some extra treats and love today 🤍🫶

Let’s see all your boys and girls in the comments!! 👇👇👇👇👇

04/03/2024

It’s nearly time 🕰️ Make sure your pet is microchipped and details are all up to date! Appointments are available 🐈❤️

From 10 June 2024, cats in England will need to be microchipped and registered on a database by the time they're 20 weeks old. You can be fined up to £500 if your dog or cat is not microchipped when they need to be! If you’re unsure if they are chipped we can check that for you too!

📅 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

25/02/2024

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

Thanks to Graeme and the wonderful team at TW, I’m celebrating my 11th birthday today. There was a question over whether I’d even make 10! Mum got me more squeaky balls; you can NEVER have ENOUGH SQUEAKY BALLS!!! 🎾😂🐕‍🦺🐾

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."

20/02/2024

Lauren, our amazing student veterinary nurse, placed her first IV cannula today on the handsome buddy 🎉👏(who has been a star patient today⭐️)

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."

14/02/2024

𝗛𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲'𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝘆 ❤️

You may have received flowers as a gift, a beautiful addition to brighten up any room in our homes. However, did you know that some can be highly toxic to our furry companions!? 😮

There are a variety of flowers that can be dangerous for cats, including popular bunches such as lilies, daffodils, tulips, plus many more. Last year, Vets Now saw a 60% increase in flower ingestion in the two weeks leading up to February 14th. 💐

It's essential to be cautious and aware of which flowers can be a potential hazard to our pets; that's why we've put together a list here: https://bit.ly/3upPhaz

If you find that your cat has ingested any part of a flower, whether it be pollen, petals or even the water from the vase, seek veterinary advice immediately.

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."

03/02/2024

Happy national golden retriever day!
Here are two handsome Goldens we have had in recently! Lets see all your golden boys and girls in the comments!

28/01/2024

Just some puppy love to brighten up your Sunday 🤍

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

Hi, my name is Sophie! I recently joined the team in November 2023 as a patient care assistant and I am hoping to study to become a veterinary nurse at some point in the near future. I live at home with my dog and chickens and enjoy going on long walks and cycling in my spare time.

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.”

25/01/2024

Hi I’m Izzie and I’ve been a VCA at companion care since October 2023 and I'm looking forward to starting my nursing course in September 2024. I really enjoy holding patients during consults, ultrasound scans and caring for them all through their post operative recovery.
I currently have a dog at home called Nala who loves her walks at the beach and I have previously owned and worked with horses.

24/01/2024

Hi everyone!
My name is Lauren and I’m a student nurse here at Companion Care 😊 I have been with the team since March 2023 and started nursing in September of the same year.
I am a crazy cat lady at heart with three cats at home, Kevin, Gremlin and Jazzy! When I’m not at work taking care of all your lovely fur babies, you’ll find me at home enjoying a cosy night in! ❤️

24/01/2024

January is Thyroid Awareness Month 🤍

Some great advice shared from International Cat Care to help support cats with hyperthyroidism 🐱

23/01/2024

Hi I’m Isobel! I have been a part of the companion care team since 2021. I’m just finishing my nursing training and should hopefully be a registered veterinary nurse in the next few months! I really enjoy emergency critical care and and am hopefully going to do further training in this area in the future.
Featured in my photo is my cat Norbert🐱 who I ended up taking home from work as a kitten after he fractured his leg! I also have two family dogs bill and coco🐶

23/01/2024

How stunning is little buster?! 🥰🐱He came in for his first health check today! ❤️

22/01/2024

Hi I’m Gemma and I’ve been a registered veterinary nurse since November 2020 😊I’ve been part of the companion care team since 2019 and I really enjoy taking care of our inpatients.
I have a rescue collie at home named frank who loves a belly rub and zoomies in the garden!

19/01/2024

Hi I'm Emma. I'm the practice manager here at Tunbridge wells however, my role does vary and I am often found on reception and also out the back helping with the patients as even though my main role is admin I love getting stuck in! I have worked at companion care since it opened. I have a lot of my own pets at home so I understand how important it is to feel like they are in the best hands when they're unwell!🐱🐶❤️

19/01/2024

The team at Vets4Pets Cramlington say greyhound Frank was "an absolute gentleman" when he came in for some dental work.

Seven-year-old Frank was brought in by owner Harriet to get rid of some plaque which had built up and to treat a gum inflammation. Veterinary nurse Vicki said: "Frank was a very good boy and left with clean, fresh and sparkly teeth. It's so very important to get your dog's teeth checked and we advise pets to have an annual dental check. Eighty per cent of dogs over the age of three have dental disease. Prevention is much better than cure and regular checks and routine cleaning keep your pet's mouth healthier for longer and can help to prevent extensive extractions later in life. We are always happy to offer advice on maintenance and dental care at home such as teeth brushing or dental supplements."

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."

18/01/2024

Take a look at this amazing before and after of one of our routine scale and polish procedures! 🤯🦷

Dental health is so important to monitor in your pets as their discomfort can so often go undetected. If you think your pet may need a scale and polish or have any queries on pet dentistry please feel free to book in a consultation with one of our nurses and they will be able to advise you!

17/01/2024

This was the beautiful Amber with our RVN Gemma after having her IV catheter placed ready for her laparoscopic spay procedure!
It is our practice protocol to place an intravenous catheter for any patients undergoing an anaesthetic or sedation so we have instant access to give medications for a smooth and safe GA!

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."

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.