Vets4Pets Sittingbourne

18/06/2024

This handsome chap is Shumba.
Shumba came in to see our vet Grace today and had a sneaky photoshoot 😍📷

07/06/2024

Phovia light therapy supports skin healing in dogs and cats!

Phovia is an innovative, clinically proven, two-part system, comprised of an LED lamp and a chromophore gel. Used together, they produce multi-wavelength fluorescent light energy that can pe*****te the skin to variable depths.
The Phovia lamp can speed up the healing and help to resolve of many skin conditions where there is infection and damage to the skin.
The treatment duration is short, non-painful and usually possible without sedation.

07/06/2024

REUNITED

*DOG FOUND*

Male black and Tan crossbreed found in Bredgar
Chipped but cannot get hold of registered owner.
Dog warden aware but they are closed

If he belongs to you please call us ASAP with proof of ownership
01795 411990
Whatsapp 07897033569

06/06/2024

Little Puddin came in for a check over, she belongs to our fabulous care assistant Alix.
We will probably do another photoshoot as she gets bigger 🥰❤️

05/06/2024

Todays beautiful bunch ❤️

Top left is Fendi who came in for his castration ❤️
Bottom left is Hazel who came in to be spayed ❤️
On the right is Dotty who came in for some xrays ❤️

They have all been amazing and had a great day playing with the nurses 🥰

05/06/2024

*CAT MICROCHIPPING*
Just a reminder that by 10 June 2024 all pet cats in England must be microchipped otherwise owners could face fines of up to £500!

We are offering cat microchipping for just £10! Offer ends 10th June.

Our fantastic nursing team are on hand to microchip your cats so if you would like book your cat in to be microchipped please call on 01795 411990 or Whatsapp message on 07897033569
*this offer is for a microchip only.

04/06/2024

It's National Hug your Cat day!

Let's cheer everyone up by sharing photos of your cats!

Here's Katie and her cat Ciri and Steph with her cat Shelby ❤️

01/06/2024

Why a health plan is right for your pet 🐾🐶🐈🌡️

Our Complete Care health plans cover annual vaccinations, as well as providing preventative, year-round treatments tailored to pets. These include protection against fleas, worms, ticks and lungworm (for dogs). They also give access to consultations with our expert vets and other great benefits and discounts.

They are designed to work alongside and complement pet insurance, so our patients get the very best preventative treatment, as well as expert care, when they need it. Created specifically for dogs, cats and rabbits, our Complete Care health plans are the most cost effective way to keep pets protected all year round

www.vets4pets.com/pet-health-plans/

31/05/2024

Did you know we offer Klarna?
Klarna is an interest free credit payment. There are two options:
~ Pay in 30 days
or
~ Slice it (split the cost over 3 months)

So if treatment for your pet is going to cost more than you thought, then Klarna would be a good option.
You can also use Klarna to pay for routine surgeries or appointments. For more information, please call us on 01795 411990, Whatsapp on 07897033569 or email us at [email protected]

30/05/2024

Little Max came to see us yesterday as he's not been feeling well.
Max needed to have a blood test and brought his moral support giraffe with him to keep him company ❤️❤️
He was very brave ❤️❤️🦒

29/05/2024

*NAIL CLIPPING OFFER*

Throughout June we will be offering Rabbit and Guinea Pig nail trimming for £10 per pet.
To book in please call on 01795 411990 or Whatsapp 07897033569 🐰

29/05/2024

*ROADWORKS*

With all the road works and road closures, please allow extra time for your journeys to the practice.
We will try our best but unfortunately we cannot guarantee that you will still be seen if you are late.

Sorry for any inconvenience caused 🐶🐱🐰🐹

26/05/2024

📞Is your pets microchip up to date?📞

It is very important to make sure that your pets microchip details are up to date with your current and correct contact details. This helps us reunited any lost or injured pets!

If you require assistance in finding your pet's microchip number or who it is registered with us please call the practice on 01795 411990 or WhatsApp on 07897033569

We cannot stress enough how important this is especially for injured pets!

25/05/2024

Molly came in this week to have some lumps checked with our HT Vista machine, as you can see she found it's very stressful 😂 💤

HT Vista is a non invasive device to help Vets and Nurses check if a lumps needs more invasive investigations to rule out cancer.

24/05/2024

Beautiful Princess has been to see us recently ❤️
Princess was playing in the garden when she suddenly yelped!
We xrayed her and it was clear to see what was wrong.
Princess's hip had dislocated and was no longer in the socket.
Our senior vet Stevan put Princess's hip back into place and secured it with a special suture.
Princess is doing amazing after her surgery and officially signed off!

23/05/2024

Just a little update of our May Bank Holiday hours
Monday 6th May - 9am - 4pm
Monday 27th May - CLOSED
For any emergencies when we care closed please call Vets Now Gillingham on 01634 763905

23/05/2024

*REHOMED*

*STRAY FOUND*
Another stray cat has been brought in to us today.
Male Neutered.
Is Chipped but details are out of date!
We cannot stress enough how important it is to keep microchip details up to date!
Found at Goodnestone road, Sittingbourne.
Chip address is close to found location but phone numbers are incorrect.
If you believe this is your cat please contact us with proof of ownership.
01795 411990 or whatsapp 07897033569

23/05/2024

*STRAY FOUND*
Longhaired tortoiseshell
Female
Chipped but details not up to date
Around 13years old on chip
Found in Quinton Road, Sittingbourne
If you believe this is your cat please contact us ASAP with proof of ownership.
01795 411990 or whatsapp 07897033569

22/05/2024

🐾 HT Vista Lump screening 🐾
HT Vista is a non-invasive screening machine to help Vets investigate both dermal and sub-dermal masses in dogs.
The device uses heat diffusion imaging (HDI) technology to give the vets an indication of the nature of the mass.
The AI technology will screen the mass and score it from 1-10, scores between 1-4 indicates a further investigation is needed to identify the mass, scores between 5-10 shows the mass is likely to be benign.
We are one of the only vets in the area to have this amazing new device.
We welcome anyone that would like their pets lumps screened to give us a call to be booked in 01795 411990

20/05/2024

Laboratory and imaging
Registered Veterinary Nurses (RVN) play another huge role in laboratory work and imaging to help the vet diagnose your pets. As RVN’s we are not allowed to make a diagnosis, this is for the Veterinary Surgeon.
Laboratory work ranges from retrieving the relevant samples needed to using the in house machines and equipment to perform the tests needed. Although there are quite a lot of tests that we send off to the external laboratory for testing.
Laboratory work includes:
🐾Patient restraint for sampling
🐾Blood taking (phlebotomy)
🐾Using the microscope to analyse urine, parasites, blood cells, tissue samples, faeces and bacteria
🐾Retrieving urine samples and testing them
🐾Retrieving faecal samples and testing them
🐾Fine Needle Aspirates – this taking a sample of cells from a lump using a needle
🐾Preparing samples to go to the external laboratory
🐾Blood smears

Imaging
RVN’s are very good at imaging tasks ready for the vet to analyse.
🐾Xrays- Once the patient is either sedated or under general anaesthetic, the RVN will position the patient in the relevant positions needed depending on what view is needed for the xrays.
🐾Ultrasounds – RVNs are allowed to perform ultrasounds and take images of the ultrasounds for the vets.
🐾MRI and CT – At bigger practices or referral hospitals RVNs will perform MRI and CT imaging.
🐾HT Vista machine – The HT vista machine is a non-invasive screening of masses on dogs. The AI technology will advise whether a mass will need cytology or histology testing

18/05/2024

Inpatients
When your pets come into the practice for procedures, surgeries or when they are poorly, Registered Veterinary Nurses (RVN) will spend their day caring for your pets.
This includes
🐾Placing and maintaining intravenous catheters
🐾Calculating drawing up and administering medications
🐾Calculating and administering intravenous fluid therapy
🐾Pain scoring patients
🐾Cleaning, feeding and walking patient
🐾Wound management and bandaging
🐾Regular vitals checks
🐾Cuddles with your pets
🐾Taking bloods and urine for testing
🐾Critical/intensive care
🐾Recovering patients from anaesthetic
🐾Reporting findings to the vet to ensure your pets pain relief and medications are affective
🐾Blood transfusions
🐾Maintenance of any urine catheters or drain placements

18/05/2024

Don't forget to follow us on TikTok for behind the scenes clips, education videos and videos of cute animals!!

553 Followers, 535 Following, 8505 Likes - Watch awesome short videos created by Vets4Pets Sittingbourne

16/05/2024

Clinics and administration
You may see a lot of our Registered Veterinary Nurses (RVN) whilst in for nurse clinics.
Our RVN’s are responsible for a number of nurse clinics including:
🐾2nd vaccination
🐾Puppy and kitten clinics
🐾Pre-operative checks
🐾Post-operative checks
🐾Suture removal
🐾Weight clinics
🐾Diabetic clinics
🐾Nail clipping
🐾Anal gland expression
🐾De-matting clinics
🐾Microchipping
🐾Pain and skin management injections
🐾Admissions and discharges
🐾Wound and bandage management
🐾Nutrition clinics
🐾Desensitisation clinics
🐾End of life
RVN’s also help out reception with some of the administration tasks, this includes doing orders for supplies and filing paperwork.
Our RVN Steph is our insurance guru. She is in charge of processing, completing and sending off all our insurance claims.

16/05/2024

Kaspas modeling the new Dolly Parton range from Pets at Home to show he's not so scary 🤣

Kaspa came in for his neutering yesterday and was a super patient! He particularly loved the belly rubs ❤️❤️

15/05/2024

We had a celebrity visitor this week!
Dolly Parton aka Bonnie came back in for his post op check after she was spayed.
Isn't she adorable ❤️❤️

15/05/2024

*CAT MICROCHIPPING*
Just a reminder that by 10 June 2024 all pet cats in England must be microchipped otherwise owners could face fines of up to £500!

We are offering cat microchips for just £10!

Our fantastic nursing team are on hand to microchip your cats so if you would like book your cat in to be microchipped please call on 01795 411990 or Whatsapp message on 07897033569
*this offer is for a microchip only.

14/05/2024

As Registered Veterinary Nurses (RVN) we play a huge role in ensuring your pet’s surgeries are as stress-free and straight forward as possible.
RVN’s can:
🐾Admit your pet to the practice ready for surgery.
🐾RVNs and care assistants will set up the theatre and prepare equipment needed for surgery.
🐾Calculate, prepare and administer medications.
🐾Assist to ease the patient into their anaesthetic and intubate them.
🐾Clip and clean the surgical area ensuring all loose hairs and dirt are removed.
🐾Finalise the cleaning of the surgical area in theatre ready for surgery to begin.
🐾Monitor your pets anaesthetic throughout the surgery by checking their vitals every few minutes.
🐾Recover your pet and extubate them once ready.
🐾Monitor your pet throughout their recovery to ensure there are no complications.
🐾Discharging your pets and giving out post op instructions and care
🐾RVN’s can also perform minor surgeries under schedule 3 of the Veterinary Surgeons Act, such as lump removals, aural haematoma repairs, minor stitch ups and tail amputations.
🐾RVN’s also scrub into surgeries to assist vets.
🐾RVNs and care assistants will then clean and sterilise all the surgical equipment, deep clean theatre and clean any other equipment used.

13/05/2024

May is Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month and we wanted to showcase our amazing nursing team!
Last but not least is Katie!
Katie has been with us for nearly 2 years

12/05/2024

May is Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month and we wanted to showcase our amazing nursing team!
Next up is Steph!
Steph has been with us for nearly 4 years

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."