Vets4Pets St Helens

24/12/2024

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas from all the team here at Vets4Pets St Helens! We have now closed for Christmas, and would like to thank all of our lovely clients for their kind words this last few weeks. ⁣
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We hope you all have a wonderful and restful holiday and hope you don’t have need, but if you have any emergencies please contact:⁣
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Vets Now Manchester (before 6pm on 24th December) on 0161 222 0803⁣
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Vets Now Liverpool (after 6pm on 24th December until 8.30am 27th December) on 0151 271 3037⁣
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We will be back from 8.30am on Friday 27th December! ❤️🎄🐾

19/12/2024

Bailey, Indie, Tony & Gouda all met Santa Paws themselves today! RVN Claire really came into her own by entertaining some of this afternoon’s patients!

18/12/2024

Santa Paws is coming to Vets4Pets St Helens! 🐾🎅🏼 tomorrow (Thursday 19th December) 3.30-5pm Santa Paws will be roaming about the waiting room for your pets to come and see! If your pet has been nice this year, they may even get some treats! We can’t wait to see you there!

17/12/2024

Next week will bring some changes to our opening hours to ensure our team is able to enjoy the festivities with their families & friends.

Whilst we hope that you won’t need them, rest assured that any time we are closed our friends at Vets Now will be open for any urgent or emergency treatment your pets may need ♥️

11/12/2024

**Look who we caught in the practice vodka supply…**

Don't worry, it's not what you think! We keep vodka at the practice as part of the treatment for ethylene glycol toxicity (commonly found in antifreeze).

Even a small amount of ethylene glycol can be extremely toxic if ingested, and treating it quickly is critical. Vodka (or medical-grade ethanol) is used because it helps block the harmful effects of the toxin in the body.

Always keep antifreeze and other dangerous substances out of reach of curious pets—prevention is the best cure! 🐾

11/12/2024

Many thanks for all your patience! Hopefully this will be sorted very soon 🤞

Contact us on [email protected] for all non-urgent enquiries!

10/12/2024

Can we please request that the phone lines are kept free for urgent and emergency enquiries where possible as we only have one line working currently.

For non-urgent enquiries please email [email protected] instead

Many thanks for all your understanding!

10/12/2024

Good morning!

Our phones and card machine are down this morning!

If you have an appointment today please bring cash if possible.

We are able to access our emails so please email for all enquiries or to book an appointment- [email protected]

Please bear with us and we will keep you updated when we manage to fix it!

06/12/2024

"A VERY rare sight today—the washing machine was EMPTY!

Did you know we do a minimum of 5 loads of washing a day? We love providing our patients with lots of warm snuggly blankets, which means plenty of laundry to keep up with!

Our visiting 'helper' decided to inspect the machine to make sure it’s ready for action... or maybe he’s just planning some spin-cycle mischief!"

02/12/2024

🎄🐾 Exciting News at Vets4Pets!🐾🎄

Our staff came in this morning to find a *very special visitor* helping themselves to the dog treats! 🍪🐕

It seems we’ve been chosen to host an Elf this holiday season—but they’re missing one thing... a name!

We’d love your help naming our mischievous new friend! Drop your clever, funny, or festive suggestions in the comments below. 🎅✨

We can’t wait to see what you come up with! 🎁

01/12/2024

🌟December Case Spotlight: Alfie🌟

We thought we’d start sharing some of the amazing patients we treat.

This month it’s the handsome Alfie, a 9-year-old crossbreed, who came to us recently with some concerning symptoms.
Alfie’s owners noticed he wasn’t his usual bright, waggy self—he was struggling to stand for long periods, wasn’t eating, and seemed lethargic. Michelle, our Senior Vet, examined him and was concerned he might be anaemic, noticing pale gums, a high heart rate, weak pulses, and a low body temperature. When Michelle felt Alfie’s abdomen, she noticed it was distended.

Our amazing team jumped into action after Alfie was admitted for further investigations.

Beth, our Clinical Manager, placed an intravenous catheter and collected a blood sample, while nurse Claire provided comfort and support to Alfie. With our in-house blood analysers, we were able to get results within 15 minutes—crucial when treating a very sick pet!

An ultrasound of Alfie’s abdomen, performed by Beth, revealed a small lesion on his spleen and fluid accumulating in his belly. A sample of the fluid showed it was blood, confirming our suspicions.

Michelle diagnosed that a mass on his spleen had ruptured, causing internal bleeding and anaemia.

After a thorough discussion with Alfie’s owners, they made the brave decision to proceed with surgery. Alfie was given intensive fluid therapy to stabilise him, and Beth closely monitored his vital signs, including heart rate, blood pressure, and gum colour. After a litre of fluids, Alfie was starting to perk up and even had the energy to sniff around!

Next, we prepped Alfie for surgery, with Emily and Claire preparing theatre. We also took a chest x-ray to check for spread, and thankfully, everything looked clear! Beth and Emily induced anaesthesia and prepared him for surgery. Throughout the procedure Emily monitored Alfie’s depth of anaesthesia by assessing his pulse rate and quality, respiration rate, jaw tone, eye position and blink reflexes. Emily also used one of our multiparameter machines to assess his blood pressure, blood oxygen levels, temperature, expired carbon dioxide levels and his ECG.

Michelle and Beth performed surgery to remove Alfie’s spleen, clearing the blood from his abdomen and carefully checking his organs for any signs of further issues.
The surgery went smoothly, and Alfie recovered in our heated dog ward, where Emily stayed by his side as he woke up.

Later that day, Alfie was back home with his family, and we’re thrilled to report that he’s now back to his usual waggy self! 🎉

As you can see, it really is a team effort in providing treatment for your pets. We continually invest in equipment and training for our staff and are proud to provide the best treatment possible.

A huge thank you to Alfie’s owners for trusting us with his care and allowing us to share his story.

We’re so happy to see him recovering so well!

20/11/2024

🎄December Pet Photo Contest 🎄

Celebrate Christmas coming with us and let your pet be the star! We're hosting a profile picture contest exclusively for our registered clients, and the winning pet gets to be our Facebook profile picture for the entire month of December!

How to Enter:

Comment below with a festive photo of your pet – think cozy jumpers, Elf like mischief, Christmas lights, or even a funny moment!

The picture with most reactions at the end of November will be the winner so make sure to share with your family/friends!

Here’s our Client Care Advisor Becky’s beautiful girls striking a pose for us!

📸 Let’s see those festive photos, and may the most joyful pet win! 📸

19/11/2024

🐰 **Winter Bunny Care Tips** 🐰

With the weather turning colder, here’s some advice from the Rabbit Welfare Association on how to keep bunnies safe, snug, and healthy this winter:

We’re proud to hold the Rabbit Welfare Association’s Silver Accreditation, which means our protocols and equipment have been reviewed and approved by their specialist vet, ensuring our standards meet the highest welfare needs.

Let’s keep our bunnies warm and cozy all winter long! 🐇❄️

Discover expert tips for keeping rabbits warm in cold weather. Explore outdoor housing advice and ensure your bunny's comfort. Read more!

11/11/2024

We will be observing a two minutes silence today at 11am in honour of Remembrance Day today.

31/10/2024

We’ve been saving this one for today… this gorgeous girl is Pumpkin! 🎃

She came in to see Clara for her first vaccination a few weeks ago and we all fell in love with her and her very coordinated bow! We can’t wait to see her in another couple of weeks for her second vaccine and see how much she’s grown 🤩

27/10/2024

Happy ! 🐱🖤

It’s , a day we started back in 2011 to celebrate black cats and reduce the time they spent in our care before being adopted. They are now not as overlooked as they once were, but black and black and white cats do still wait on average three days longer to be adopted than cats of other colours. Are you looking to adopt? Find a cat here: https://www.cats.org.uk/adopt-a-cat 🐾

[Image description: A black cat with yellow eyes crouching in a cat bed.]

24/10/2024

With the nights drawing in, don't forget to book an appointment if you think your pet may suffer from any noise phobias or anxieties at this time. Autumn can be the beginning of a scary time for our pets, so we're here to help them in any way we can. Give us a call on 01744 610 143 or contact us via Whatsapp on 07830323685.

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.”

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."

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.

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!"