Vets for Pets Rustington

04/11/2024

01/11/2024

🎆🎆🎆 Fireworks can cause a lot of upset and stress to our animals. Here are a few tips that may help.

Try and stay at home with your pet and don't tell them off as this will only add to their anxiety
Mental stimulation with food either in a stuffed chew toy or puzzle ball. This can help keep dogs calm.
Make sure your pet is microchipped and your details are up to date. Even if you take every precaution possible, your pet could get spooked and run away (especially cats).
Keep windows, curtains and blinds closed.
Try using pet specific pheromone diffusers/sprays.
Create a safe space or spaces including somewhere for your pet to hide.
Play classical music.

In addition there are prescription medications that can help - please contact your Veterinary Practice to discuss further 🎆🎆🎆

31/10/2024

🐾👻🎃 Happy Halloween from all the Team at Vets for Pets, Rustington 🎃👻🐾

19/10/2024

🐾 We have just had a kitten handed in around 3 to 4 months old - perfectly healthy. No microchip and was found near the windmill bridge/Out of Bounds roundabout.

If you are missing a kitten please telephone 01903 777670. Proof of ownership will be required 🐾

01/10/2024

💚 Today is Veterinary Receptionist Appreciation Day 💚

We have a team of 12 amazing Receptionists. They are the first point of contact for all clients whether it is on the telephone or face to face when they come into the Practice. Their aim is make both you, the owner, and your pet feel at ease. All of our team are dedicated and committed to providing the very best care for your beloved pet and this starts at soon as they walk in to the Practice.

No two days are the same on Reception and it can often become extremely busy extremely quickly. Sometimes the telephone is not answered as quickly as we (or you) would want. This is normally because we are dealing with an emergency so please be patient.

Our Reception Team work closely with our Vets and Nurses to make sure everyone is kept informed with all the important information about your pet.

We really couldn’t do without them – THANK YOU 🐾🐾

27/09/2024

Can’t believe Nibble, Nourish, Thrive is almost coming to an end! We’ve enjoyed every moment of sharing and learning with all of you. 🐹

But wait, there’s more! their final topic focuses on companionship—from bonding tips to the ideal diet, they’ve got everything you need to keep your furry friends happy and healthy.

Did you miss their earlier posts? No problem, just scroll back to catch up!

And don’t forget, your likes, shares, and comments help raise awareness about guinea pig welfare. Join them in making a difference!

https://linktr.ee/gpaw

26/09/2024

We hope you're having a blast and enjoying ! It's day four, and today we're diving into Guinea pig health, from their peak to squeak. Let's talk about how your piggy's diet can affect their health! Don't forget to like, comment, and share their posts with your fellow guinea pig lovers! 🐹

https://linktr.ee/gpaw

25/09/2024

🐹 It's day three of Guinea Pig Awareness Week 2024 - Nibble, Nourish, Thrive! and they're jumping right into the importance of a healthy diet for guinea pigs! Stay tuned for more tips and info throughout the week, and don't forget to show your support by liking, commenting, and sharing their posts. Let's make the best one yet!💚

Whether you're a long-time guinea pig owner or just a piggy enthusiast, there's something here for everyone! So let’s spread the word and ensure all piggies are well-fed and thriving! 🥬

https://linktr.ee/gpaw

24/09/2024

Happy day two of Guinea Pig Awareness Week 2024! 🐹

Today, learn how you can create a thriving environment for your fluffy friends with the right nutrition. Let’s jump right into making mealtime both delicious and exciting for your guinea pigs! 🏡

https://linktr.ee/gpaw

🐹

24/09/2024

Yesterday was the start of Guinea Pig Awareness Week 2024.

Learn how to nurture positive habits and recognise the signs when something might be off.

Your furry friend counts on you to understand their needs, so let's get to it!

https://linktr.ee/gpaw

Like, share, and comment to keep the conversation going! 🐹✨

21/09/2024

Redness

Your pet’s eyes are as sensitive as your own, and are just as susceptible to irritation, allergies, injury, and disease. One of the earliest signs of many eye problems is a red eye. If your pet’s eyes appear visibly red or swollen get them checked ASAP by your vet, as some causes of a red eye are not only painful but can lead to permanent blindness if left untreated (such as glaucoma).

Common causes of redness:
• Conjunctivitis
• Allergies or irritants
• Foreign object in the eye
• Dry Eye
• Injury
• Uveitis (inflammation inside the eye)
• Corneal Ulcers
• Glaucoma
• Cherry Eye
We are taking part in in partnership with

20/09/2024

Dull, Cloudy or Colour Change

Healthy eyes should be bright, clear and shiny- if your pet’s eye suddenly looks cloudy or opaque this is a sure sign of an eye problem which needs to be examined by a vet!

Most often cloudiness is noticed in the cornea (the clear window at the front of the eye) or the lens - vision may be affected to varying degrees depending on the underlying cause.

Conditions most likely to cause cloudy or opaque eyes:
• Cataracts
• Uveitis- inflammation inside the eye
• Pannus- autoimmune inflammation in the cornea, German Shepherds are predisposed
• Injury or damage to the eye/s
• Corneal ulcers or scratches
• Dry Eye
• Glaucoma
Nuclear Sclerosis is considered a normal ageing change in older pets where the lens takes on a cloudy or blueish haze – it doesn’t affect vision but can often be confused with cataracts on first glance. Your vet can easily distinguish between the two conditions by doing an eye exam.

We are taking part in in partnership with

19/09/2024

Tear Staining

Tear stains are those reddish-brown marks that can appear on the fur around your pet’s eyes. These stains can be unsightly and noticeable, especially on pale fur.

Dog and cat tears naturally contain high amounts of porphyrins – these are iron containing compounds derived from red blood cell breakdown in the body. When tears sit on the skin the porphyrin staining will intensify in the presence of light.
Not only that, when tears sit on the skin around the eye, they make it damp which favours local bacterial growth – some bacteria can produce their own porphyrins therefore contributing to tear staining.

Tear staining is more likely to occur in certain breeds where tears find their way onto the face more easily, rather than draining normally down the tear ducts. For instance, this may be due to the shape of the face, abnormalities of the tear ducts, or small hairs around the corners of the eye that wick tears onto the face.

In most cases tear staining is largely a cosmetic problem and your pet will lead an otherwise normal life, however some patients with tear stains may have underlying eye problems which mean they overproduce tears due to ocular irritation. These tears can then spill over onto the face resulting in tear staining. It is important to ensure underlying reasons for tear staining have been ruled out by a vet as, if ignored, the underlying problem may progress and be harder to treat.

We are taking part in in partnership with

Some breeds that can be more prone to tear stains:

18/09/2024

Like us pets often experience gradually failing eyesight as they approach their senior years and due to compensation using their other, superior, senses like smell and hearing, gradual sight loss may be difficult to spot.
However, there are many other conditions which can cause your pet to go blind relatively suddenly at any age, so it is important to be vigilant of sudden changes or symptoms.

Signs of acute eyesight loss you may notice are:
• Changes in appearance of the eye
• Confusion/disorientation
• Clumsiness – bumping into things
• Easily startled or nervous
• Slow and cautious movement
• Getting lost outside
• Unable to find toys, food dishes, water etc.
• Not wanting to go out at night
Conditions causing blindness are serious and need urgent treatment if there is a chance to prevent total, permanent vision loss. Blindness can also be a result of many systemic diseases which can be damaging to other organ systems, so it is really important to get your pet checked and treated as soon as possible.

Conditions that can cause blindness:
• Tumours in the eye
• Eye injuries
• Glaucoma
• Brain disease – Aneurism, Stroke, Seizures, Tumours or Infection
• General Disease – e.g. diabetes, high blood pressure
• Cataracts – more common in: Miniature Poodles, Miniature Schnauzers, Cocker Spaniels, Golden Retrievers, Boston Terriers and Siberian Huskies
• Corneal disease
• Dry eye
• Retinal Disease
• Inflammation inside the eye

We are taking part in in partnership with

17/09/2024

Eyes are extremely sensitive and easily irritated – did you know that the cornea has around 20-40 times more nerve endings than the tooth root! And most of us know how painful tooth ache is…

If you believe that your pet is suffering from eye irritation you should contact your vet for advice as irritation can be a sign of eye pain or itchiness.

Signs that may suggest that your pet is suffering from eye irritation:
• Pawing/rubbing at their eye/s
• Redness
• Squinting or excessive blinking
• Excessive tear staining
• Sticky or runny discharge
• Light sensitivity
• Swollen skin around the eyes
• Dullness or cloudiness of the eye
• Different pupil sizes

Some common reasons which may cause eye irritation in your pet:
• Allergies
• Conjunctivitis
• Foreign object in the eye
• Eyelid Abnormalities
• Trauma
• Corneal scratches/ulcers
• Irritants – smoke, shampoo etc
• Dry eye (poor tear film)

Eye problems can be very painful and go from bad to worse very quickly so don’t delay in seeking advice and treatment from your vet!

We are taking part in in partnership with

16/09/2024

Careful observation of the way your pet looks and acts and what is classed as ‘normal’ for them is a first critical step for responsible pet care. Regarding eye health, any perceived changes in your pet’s eyes can be a good indication of whether or not a trip to your vet is warranted.

Do both eyes look like each other, are the face and head symmetrical when comparing right to left?

Useful Observations:
• Do they both look shiny and clear, not dull, cloudy or dry?
• Are the pupils the same size and shape?
• Is one eye squinting?
• Is one eye runny with watery or sticky discharge?
• Is the colour the same? Does one look red? Has the iris suddenly changed colour?
If one eye is showing differences to the other eye, or any of the above clinical signs, please get your pet checked by your vet as soon as possible.

We are taking part in in partnership with

12/09/2024

👀 National Pet Eye Health Awareness Week - 16th to 22nd September 👀
Throughout the week we will be providing information to help you know what to 'look out' for.

Watch this space 👁

06/09/2024

🐾 MEET ALBERT - ONE OF OUR LIFESAVING HEROES 🐾

Albert is a 6 year old bundle of fluff who belongs to one or our amazing Animal Nursing Assistants. He really is the perfect gentleman.

Albert has the rarer 'B' blood type and earlier this year his blood donation saved the life of one of our critically ill patients. We are all so proud of him and all the other cats and dogs we can call on to donate blood if needed.

If you believe that your cat or dog may be able to provide life saving blood and be added to our register please refer to our website for further information.

05/09/2024

🐾 We have now updated our website to include details of additional treatments and services we offer as well as other information including details of the criteria to become a pet blood donor.

There is a also a virtual tour of the Practice so that you can see what happens behind the scenes, take a look at our new cat friendly cattery, state of the art CT Scanner and dental suite as well as other areas of the Practice.

We are in the process of updating details of our amazing Team and hope this will be finalised in the next couple of months.

As always a massive ‘thank you’ to all our amazing clients and their pets for their continued support 🐾

28/05/2024

We have spent an amazing week volunteering at Animal Welfare Alliance Aruba (AWAA). This facility is a no-cost spay and neuter clinic dedicated to help the cats and dogs of low income families as well as those animals living on the street.

AWAA visit neighbourhoods and families, trap, operate and return animals helping to minimise the overpopulation of cats and dogs on the island.

AWAA relies on volunteers to keep the facility running. We have managed to neuter and spay over 100 cats and dogs which hopefully will go some way to them having a better life. Not the normal ‘sterile’ facilities we are used to but we managed! It was also strange letting the animals recover either in their crates or even on the floor without any monitoring but fortunately all were fine.

A massive thank you to all the Volunteers that we worked with and also a massive thank you to our Team at home who have ensured that our Practice continues to run smoothly and that our clients and their beloved pets continue to receive the care they deserve.

Best wishes

Jose & Luis

29/03/2024

🍫🐣 Around Easter keep an extra close eye on your dog. Make sure they don’t sneak any of the foods they shouldn’t be eating in particular chocolate and anything that contains raisins. Please keep all dangerous foods out of paws reach.

Chocolate poisoning is particularly common at this time of year. Chocolate contains a chemical called theobromine, which can be poisonous to dogs, as well as most other animals, including cats, rodents and rabbits. Generally speaking, the darker and more expensive the chocolate, the more theobromine it contains. So dark chocolate that’s rich in theobromine is likely to be more toxic than white chocolate, which contains very little.

Grapes, raisins, currants and sultanas are all toxic to dogs and it is believed the dried forms of these fruits are more toxic than grapes.��If your dog eats any amount of grapes, or the dried versions of them (raisins, sultanas or currants), call your vet for advice. Even small amounts can sometimes be harmful to dogs.

We are open as usual over the Easter weekend for emergencies so please do not hesitate to give us a call if you are concerned your dog may have eaten something they shouldn’t have! The sooner you can let us know the better.

Chocolate is for humans not hounds! 🐾🐾

Have a safe and Happy Easter 🐣 from all the team at Vets for Pets, Rustington.

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.”

25/01/2024

🐾 IMPORTANT INFORMATION
FOR KITTEN/CAT OWNERS 🐾

We are unfortunately experiencing a supply shortage with some components of our Cat Vaccinations. Currently this is only affecting the Feline Leukaemia Virus (FeLV) component, which for adult cats is added into their booster every 3 years.

Cats are due for FeLV at their kitten vaccinations, first 12 month booster and every 3 years after that.

Vaccines have a 3 month grace period where they are still effective so we may ask you to delay your booster for up to three months from the due date

1st Vaccinations and 2nd Vaccinations will be a priority.

As the FeLV virus requires direct contact for transmission we will be providing exclusively indoor cats with the Tricat vaccine only for the time being.

For any further information/advice please telephone us on 01903 777 670 and one of our nurses will be able to provide you with any additional guidance.

Please be assured that we are making every effort to obtain supplies of FeLV and will keep you updated.

Thank you, as always, for your patience and understanding

Vets4Pets Team, Rustington

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."

11/01/2024

We really do have the very best clients and we are grateful for all of your gifts.

This was brought in today - thank you so much - it really does mean a lot to all the team ❤

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."