Companion Care Vets Salisbury

01/11/2024

Our practice is taking part in the 2024 Antibiotic Amnesty. Throughout November 2024 we are asking pet owners to return any unused or leftover veterinary antibiotic medications to us for safe disposal. Please drop off any unused veterinary medications to us at the practice. You can hand them in to a vet, nurse or the reception team. This medication might be left-over from a recent prescription, antibiotics that you didn’t need or out-of-date medication. Let’s keep antibiotics working, together!

31/10/2024

28/10/2024

If you would like a photo of your pet on our tree at the Salisbury Christmas Tree Festival, St. Thomas' Church, please email a picture to [email protected] or whatsapp us on 07700 158110.

We can't wait to see all of their furry faces!

15/10/2024

Don't forget to keep sending us your Christmas pet pics for our Christmas tree!
Either email them to us at [email protected]
or
Whatsapp us on 07700 158110
🎄

11/10/2024

11th October is Veterinary Nurse Appreciation Day, and a time to praise the unsung heroes of the practice - the nurses who deal with everything from looking after your pets while they are in with us for the day, to monitoring the anaesthetics during the operations. Highly qualified and skilled, they are the backbone of the practice, yet get little recognition for all of the work they do as so much of it is behind the scenes. One minute they can be doing mathematical calculations to work out a drug dosage, the next minute they can be sitting on the floor stroking a dog as it vomits into a bowl after eating something it shouldn't have. There is nothing they won't do to care for your pets and they truly deserve all of our gratitude and thanks.

07/10/2024

This year, we’re excited to participate in the Salisbury Christmas Tree Festival at St. Thomas' Church from December 3rd to 8th.

We'll be creating veterinary-themed decorations for our tree, and we’d love for our amazing clients to join in!

If you have a festive photo of your pet—like them wearing a Christmas hat or relaxing under the tree—please share it with us below, or email it to [email protected]. We’ll laminate, add some sparkle, and hang it on our tree for all the festival visitors to see.

Feel free to include a few words about your pet which we will add to the back of the photo, such as their name, dates (if they’re no longer with us), or any special messages you’d like to share.

We can't wait to see your photos!

01/10/2024

October 1st is Veterinary Receptionist Appreciation Day, and the perfect time to sing the praises of our fabulous receptionist team.

Being a veterinary receptionist is far more than just making appointments and cuddling the puppies and kittens that come to the desk - they are expected to have an encyclopedic knowledge of pet ailments, conditions, treatments and medications, as well as deal with everything from insurance companies, financial issues and abusive clients to cleaning up every time a pet leaves behind a 'gift' on the floor.

That they manage to do all of this with a smile on their faces is truly impressive, so to our wonderful receptionists - thank you - we couldn't do any of this without you.

09/09/2024

Unfortunately we will not have a vet in the practice this Saturday 14th September. There will be someone in practice to answer phone calls to direct any emergencies between 9am - 12pm. From 12pm, our usual OOH provider will be open and any emergencies can go to them - contact them on 01722 237002

Apologies for the inconvenience. This is a one off and we will be open for future Saturdays.

04/09/2024

*Found*
Ringwood road near the fruit farm.
Deceased young black female kitten.
No microchip.
Call us on 01722 328380

06/08/2024

Here is gorgeous puppy Summer who cheekily ate a stone! Our vets and nurses took this radiograph to locate the stone, and luckily Summer was able to vomit it up with a helping hand in the way of a little injection! Left in her digestive system this could have caused a nasty blockage, so well done Summer! She left a stone lighter!

30/07/2024

Barclay was super brave for his first vaccination today... Was just all very exhausting!

03/07/2024

We had some handsome help today from Oscar ❤️

19/06/2024

Unfortunately we are going to have to start taking deposits for consults and procedures in advance. We have put off doing this for as long as we can, but the increase in people not showing up for their booked appointments is forcing our hands.

It is very frustrating to have to turn away a client who has a poorly pet, saying we are fully booked, yet the booked appointments don't show up, and we could have helped the poorly pet in that time instead.

Today we had our operating theatre booked for two pets who needed surgery, yet neither showed up or even called us to let us know that they couldn't come. Not only had we got all of the kit and meds prepped and ready for them, we had turned away other pets who needed procedures doing.

Deposits will be non-refundable unless the appointment is cancelled at least 24 hours in advance. There are always going to be mitigating circumstances when you just can't show up, and we will deal with these on a case by case basis, but please, if you can't make an appointment, a quick phone call to us could make the world of difference to another pet.

We will ask for a £25 deposit for a vet consult, and £100 deposit for any procedure or operation. Clients on Health Care Plans will lose perks of the plan for each no show.

This will start from Monday 1st July.

Thank you for your understanding.

10/06/2024

Roman is back at work today on reception duties after his adventure at the weekend.
After a seizure in the garden he broke the fence and ran away in terror.
The whole of the team here at companion care came to help look, even Malcolm the vet was driving around for hours for any sight of him. Many more of my friends and family came to help and I couldn't be more grateful.
I also wanted to thank everyone that shared posts on social media, his posts had around 1000 shares all together!
Also thanks to Drone To Home for the advice and plans to get a drone out to look for him. Luckily we didn't need it in the end.
After 6 hours of searching, he was heard crying in the depths of a very large bramble bush, very much stuck. My boyfriend (absolute hero!) trampled through the thorns and stinging nettles to get to him and managed to free him.
He was hungry, thirsty, covered in scratches and bruises but home safe and showered in love, cuddles and treats!
Thank you again to everyone.
Emma & Roman

08/06/2024

***REUNITED***

The worst possible thing I could post, Roman has gone missing. He had a seizure in my garden, broke down the fence and ran off in terror. Please share. Milford/laverstock area

04/06/2024

Due to a change in legislation, we are changing the way we process written prescription orders.
Please order your written prescription with us as normal via Whatsapp, email or phone. We will take payment at this time.
Place your order with the online pharmacy, then let us know the order number & email address they would like the written prescription sent to and we will action this.

23/05/2024

A reminder that the new rules for the compulsory microchipping of cats comes into law on 10th June 2024.

"The new rules mean cats must be implanted with a microchip before they reach the age of 20 weeks and their contact details stored and kept up to date in a pet microchipping database.

All owners must have their cat microchipped by 10 June 2024 and owners found not to have microchipped their cat will have 21 days to have one implanted, or may face a fine of up to £500."

Call us and get your cat booked in!

New legislation laid in Parliament today introducing mandatory cat microchipping

21/05/2024

Eye problems are often painful and, if left untreated, can result in sight loss. That’s why understanding the symptoms and getting them looked at early is essential.
Below is a handy little guide to common eye conditions you may see in your pet.
If you believe your pet is suffering from any of the following issues, please contact us on 01722 328380

22/04/2024

Mischievous little Binx in for her vaccines today!

17/04/2024

These gorgeous puppies have been in today for their vaccinations and microchips ❤️

16/04/2024

These beautiful kittens, Olivander and Fudge, have been in this morning for their first vaccinations and health checks. They were so well behaved, perfect little clients!

08/04/2024

Black female lurcher found in Laverstock. No Microchip.
Please call us on 01722 328380 for more information or if you know who she belongs to.
Proof of ownership will be required

31/03/2024

Happy Easter from all of us at Companion Care Salisbury 🌷

28/03/2024

We have some fantastic news!

Many of you may know Pete who has been locuming with us for some time - everyone who leaves an appointment with him tells the reception team what a lovely vet he is.

Well, we have finally persuaded him to join us permanently, as our Clinical Director. The team are delighted and look forward to the practice going from strength to strength with Pete at the helm.

Here he is with Pablo, who is in today to have a lump examined.

Welcome to the team Pete!

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.”

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.