Towcester Vets

Towcester Vets We provide our own out of hours emergency service and have nurses on site 24 hours a day. We also have a practice in Weedon.

A modern, friendly dog, cat and small animal hospital with the latest equipment and facilities including keyhole surgery to provide excellent and compassionate care for your pets by our experienced vets. Our website contains information and video on many aspects of small animal care or you can contact us with any queries about the practice or your animal's needs. towcester-vets.co.uk/small-animal/ weedon-vets.co.uk

🌟 What We Do Wednesday! 🌟🩸PCVs 🩸🐾 Those of you that saw lovely Pickle’s story on Friday will have seen us talking about ...
19/11/2025

🌟 What We Do Wednesday! 🌟

🩸PCVs 🩸

🐾 Those of you that saw lovely Pickle’s story on Friday will have seen us talking about one of the laboratory tests we regularly perform, a Packed Cell Volume or PCV.

🐾 This simple test, especially when combined with measuring the protein concentration in the serum can provide a wealth of information.

🐾 This test requires a small blood sample to be collected and mixed with anticoagulant. Very thin glass tubes are then filled with the blood.

🐾 These tubes are then placed in a centrifuge, a lab machine that spins the sample quickly, separating the heavier red blood cells from the lighter white blood cells and the fluid component of blood.

🐾 The centrifuged sample consists of a red section of red blood cells, tightly packed together hence the test name, a narrow white band above of white blood cells and a straw coloured liquid above. Measuring the proportion of the sample that is red blood cells provides the PCV value.

🐾 Snapping the tube and using a refractometer to measure the concentration of protein within the liquid serum component also gives additional information.

🐾 The two values together can indicate or rule out problems such as anaemia, haemorrhage, dehydration and protein-losing conditions.

🐾 Taking sequential PCVs can also monitor for deterioration and response to treatment, providing vital information.

🐾 Our vets will discuss the test with you if they believe a PCV would provide us with useful information regarding your pets condition.

🎩 Top Tip Tuesday! 🎩 🐕‍🦺 Dog Walks 🐕‍🦺🐾 With recent weather being pretty dire, you may have been trudging along on ...
18/11/2025

🎩 Top Tip Tuesday! 🎩

🐕‍🦺 Dog Walks 🐕‍🦺

🐾 With recent weather being pretty dire, you may have been trudging along on a dog walk, considering whether a hamster might have been a better choice!

🐾 But do we HAVE to walk our dogs every day??

🐾 Actually the answer is no! Often walks are beneficial for both our pets and us and an easy way to meet their needs, but there are several circumstances when not walking our dogs may be the better choice.

⛈️ Weather: In the summer we often advise not to walk dogs when the weather is very warm and heat stroke is a risk, but poor weather might also keep us at home! Some dogs seem not to notice rain, wind, hail or snow, but some look miserable as they plod along. If your pet is one that loves it then you might feel bundling up in wellies and warm clothes is worth it, but if your dog hates the weather it's fine to put it off. Very young, very old, very small or very fine coated dogs might be more at risk from hypothermia so care should be taken to not take them out for long and get them warm and dry as quickly as possible when home.

❤️‍🩹 Health: while recovering from injuries or surgery your vet is likely to tell you to rest your pet to aid with their recovery.

🥺 Reactivity or anxiety: sometimes for dogs who are worried or reactive around people, other dogs or traffic a walk can be extremely overwhelming. Many owners mitigate problems by walking in quieter areas or at quieter times of day, but if you are struggling to manage their triggers it may be better to entertain them at home instead while you implement behavioural plans.

🐶 Age: although it's great to get puppies out and about meeting new people and experiencing the world, little legs don't need to do much! Visiting places and sniffing about is just as valuable as a walk. Older dogs may still be eager to go out but others may be content with garden potters.

🐾 So while walks are not always essential, we do need to meet our pets needs:

💩 Toileting: we need to provide our pets with regular opportunities to relieve themselves especially if not getting opportunities on a walk. Some dogs are very reluctant to use their own garden so a quick pop to the nearest patch of grass might help.

🫀 Exercise: if not going out for walks it is still important that our dogs get the opportunity to exercise. Whether that is gentle potters in the garden or zoomies around the living room, it is important to consider your pet’s individual needs.

🧠 Mental stimulation: walks provide huge amounts of stimulation for our pets, from the smells, other pets, sounds, wildlife, water, walks can help tire out their brains as well as their bodies. If unable to go out, it is vital that the stimulation is provided in other ways, from training, games, puzzle toys, scent work and playing.

📈 Maintaining a healthy weight: it is important to remember that if exercising less vigorously, our pets will require less calories. We need to adjust our pets' meals to keep them at a healthy body condition if they are getting out less.

🐾 As always if you have any concerns about your pets mobility, health or behaviour please give us a call ☎️

17/11/2025

🌟 Weedon Update! 🌟

🐾 A massive step in the Weedon practice expansion was carried out this week: the doorway connecting the original building to the new one was created!!

🐾 See the new door in the comments!

🐾 Now the doorway is made it paves the way for us to start transferring equipment into the new building which is extremely close to being finished!

🐾 Check out our post on Thursday showing it in all it's shiny glory! 🥰

🐾 Staff Pet Sunday! 🐾 🐈‍⬛ This lovely older girl is 17 year old domestic shorthair Wuzzie.🐈‍⬛ Wuzzie was given another c...
16/11/2025

🐾 Staff Pet Sunday! 🐾

🐈‍⬛ This lovely older girl is 17 year old domestic shorthair Wuzzie.

🐈‍⬛ Wuzzie was given another chance of a happy life when she was adopted by our new dispensary manager Katie when she was 13 years old from the Cat's Protection.

🐈‍⬛ She might have been an older girl, but that didn't mean the end of Wuzzie's adventures. Very food motivated, she quickly became famous where Katie lived by breaking into people's homes to steal their food!!

🐈‍⬛ Breaking and entering is a tiring business though, so Wuzzie spends most of her time sleeping the days away!

🐈‍⬛ Wuzzie is another fantastic example of the amazing love and companionship (and forced neighbour conversations!) that can come from taking a chance on an older rescue animal 🥰

🤕🤢 Symptom Saturday! 🤧🤒 💧Glucose in Urine💧🐾 In most animals the kidneys work hard to retain glucose in the body...
15/11/2025

🤕🤢 Symptom Saturday! 🤧🤒

💧Glucose in Urine💧

🐾 In most animals the kidneys work hard to retain glucose in the body. In the wild food is hard earned and so nothing should be wasted. Therefore glucosuria, the presence of glucose in urine is always abnormal.

🐾 As discussed yesterday on World Diabetes Day, glucose in urine is most commonly seen with the increased levels of glucose in the blood found in animals with Diabetes Mellitus.

🐾 Blood glucose levels can be increased for other reasons too, including stress (more common in cats), endocrine conditions such as Cushing’s disease and steroid administration.

🐾 Animals with kidney disease may become less efficient at retaining glucose and so may have glucosuria.

🐾. Often glucose in the urine is found during investigation of other symptoms such as drinking excessively, urinating excessively or urinating inappropriately, but sometimes owners with a good noses will also detect a sweet smell.

🐾 Glucose in urine is quickly detected using a dipstick which the vet will then interpret alongside clinical signs and further test results if necessary.

🌟🌍 World Diabetes Day! 🌍🌟🐾 Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic condition where the body struggles to utilise glucose in the b...
14/11/2025

🌟🌍 World Diabetes Day! 🌍🌟

🐾 Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic condition where the body struggles to utilise glucose in the body in the normal way.

🐾 In most mammals, carbohydrates are broken down into a simple sugar called glucose by digestion which can then enter the blood stream to be utilised by the cells.

🐾 A hormone called insulin that is produced by the pancreas acts to allow glucose to move from the blood stream into the cells where it is needed for energy.

🐾 In an animal with diabetes the pancreas may not be able to make sufficient insulin or the cells may stop responding in the normal way. This results in the level of glucose in the blood (known as blood glucose or blood sugar) increasing while the cells become energy deficient.

🐾 The increased blood glucose means that the kidneys are unable to retain it all and so glucose can be found in the urine. This also results in increased urination as more water leaves with the glucose.

🐾 To compensate, the animal begins to drink more too. The inability to utilise glucose means that the animal will often begin to eat more while losing weight as the body breaks down fat to try to obtain energy that way.

🐾 Diabetic animals are typically treated with injections of insulin and many do very well on treatment, with clinical signs reducing dramatically. In cats the condition can even sometimes resolve.

🐾 If you feel your pet is demonstrating any signs of diabetes or are concerned about them at all please give us a call ☎️

🐾 Pet of the Week! 🐾🐶 This lovely 4 year old miniature schnauzer is Pickle who has been on a long journey back to better...
14/11/2025

🐾 Pet of the Week! 🐾

🐶 This lovely 4 year old miniature schnauzer is Pickle who has been on a long journey back to better health this year.

🐶 Back in early April Pickle’s owner brought her in to see us after she had had a couple of strange episodes at home, seeming wobbly and unsteady.

🐶 Initial investigations showed that Pickle had a mild heart murmur and fewer red blood cells than expected. At this point her packed cell volume (PCV) the lab test we use to check what proportion of the blood is made up of red blood cells was 30%. As normal for a dog is between 35 and 55%, this value wasn't hugely low but suggested some further investigation and monitoring was needed. Within two days the value had fallen to 14%, indicating an acute quickly deteriorating anaemia.

🐾 Investigations indicated that the reduction in red blood cells was being caused by a condition called Immune-Mediated Haemolytic Anaemia (IMHA), a condition where the animal's own immune system begins to attack and destroy their own red blood cells. The reason this happens is often not known.

🐶 Treatment for IMHA involves giving medications to suppress the immune system and stop its cell destruction.

🐶 Pickle’s body was trying to produce red blood cells as quickly as possible to replace those lost but the immune system was destroying them quicker than they could be made. Until the medications started to work in calming down the immune response, Pickle needed some additional support and so received a blood transfusion, bringing her PCV up from a critical 15% to 25%.

🐶 Luckily Pickle only required one transfusion before her PCV began to climb on its own, in some cases multiple transfusions are needed before the immune response can be dampened enough for the production to be sufficient.

🐶 Immunosuppressive drugs do have many side effects unfortunately, and Pickle has experienced many of them! Alongside our colleagues at Davies Veterinary Specialists who we enlisted to help us manage her case, we have had to adjust dosages and treat secondary complications such a recurrent urinary tract infections, vomiting, diarrhoea, panting and a swollen abdomen.

🐶 Luckily, after a period of suppression the immune system often ‘resets’ and medications can often be reduced without the destruction restarting.

🐶 Earlier this month, Pickle was finally off all medications with a PCV of 45%! She will continue to be monitored at regular intervals as relapses are possible but after a long journey we are delighted this sweet girl is currently doing so well! 🥰

🌟 What We Do Wednesday! 🌟🦊🦡🦔 Help Wildlife 🦔🦡🦊🐾 Our caring clients frequently find wild animals that need help, like thi...
12/11/2025

🌟 What We Do Wednesday! 🌟

🦊🦡🦔 Help Wildlife 🦔🦡🦊

🐾 Our caring clients frequently find wild animals that need help, like this lucky little hedgehog who managed to get himself tangled in a football net.

🐾 Our experienced nurse Caroline painstakingly untangled him, thankfully finding no injuries. The member of the public who kindly rescued the little chap took him back to be released again.

🐾 Although a wildlife rescue is often the best place for injured wildlife to recuperate as they have the specialist equipment and knowledge required, at Towcester Vets we are always happy to see and treat injured wildlife if clients are unable to get to the experts.

🐾 Stories regarding injured wildlife often include comments from members of the public suggesting that people don't take them to the vets as they won't see or “will just kill it”. It is always so disappointing to see comments like these, firstly as they are totally untrue, but also because it often delays people seeking veterinary attention, leaving the animal to suffer.

🐾 Sometimes with wildlife casualties, as with pet animals, the injuries are just too severe and euthanasia is the kindest option. However if there is hope of a recovery and release we are always happy to provide initial diagnostics and treatments before transferring care to our friends at rescues such as Deanshanger Hedgehog Rescue and Animals in Need.

🐾 If you would like to help local unwell or injured wildlife there are a few ways to do so:

➡️ Donate: we are always grateful for donations to our stray and wild animals fund that helps us provide care to all, as are all the local rescues.

➡️ Volunteer: animal rescue organisations rely heavily on volunteers and so are always grateful for anyone with a few hours to spare.

➡️ Transport: after the initial investigations, procedures and treatment our wildlife cases are transferred to a local rescue to continue their recuperation away from the hustle and noise of a busy hospital. If you would potentially be free to occasionally transport these patients please let us know!

🐾 If you have any questions regarding a wild animal you are worried about please let us know☎️

🐾 Please note that currently due to local avian influenza cases we are unable to take in wild birds. If you find a dead, sick or injured bird please DO NOT touch it, instead call APHA on 03459335577 for dead birds or 03000200301 for sick birds

🎩 Top Tip Tuesday! 🎩 🪷 Lilies 🪷🐾 Beautiful and fragrant, lilies are a striking addition to many bouquets, but di...
11/11/2025

🎩 Top Tip Tuesday! 🎩

🪷 Lilies 🪷

🐾 Beautiful and fragrant, lilies are a striking addition to many bouquets, but did you know they are toxic to our pets, particularly cats?

🐾 There are 119 species of true lilies as well as other plants such as peace lily which, while not as toxic,can still cause unpleasant symptoms. The severity of symptoms can vary between species, but as a general rule it is easier to be safe and keep all lilies away from pets.

🐾 In most species, including dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs and tortoises, ingesting any part of most species of lily or it’s pollen can result in gastrointestinal signs and feeling unwell. Severe cases can result in kidney damage.

🐾 In cats however, only very small amounts of lily petal, leaf, pollen or even just the water from the vase can be enough to produce life-threatening signs. The kidney damage that can result can be catastrophic and irreversible.

🐾 If pets are caught ingesting any part of the lily or sitting close enough to get pollen on their feet or fur immediate veterinary attention should be sought. Lily pollen often stains for yellow or orange. If seen it should be washed off as best as possible and veterinary advice obtained.

🐾 If you haven't seen any contact, but your pet demonstrates any of the following symptoms, especially if you have lilies in the home, garden or local area they should also be seen urgently:

🔻Hypersalivating (drooling)
🔻Lethargy and inactivity
🔻Reduced appetite
🔻Nausea or vomiting
🔻Drinking and urinating more
🔻‘Tacky’ gums
🔻Not passing urine at all

🐾 Initiating treatment, which might include inducing vomiting, medications and intravenous fluid therapy, as quickly as possible maximises the chance of survival.

🐾 Remember that at Towcester Vets we are available to help 24 hours a day 7 days a week, to help with cases exactly like these where time is of the essence.

10/11/2025

🖤 Found Cat 🖤

Sadly we have had a cat brought to us this morning that unfortunately was too badly injured and had died before arrival.

She is a female domestic shorthair, dark tabby and it looks like she may have had kittens recently.

She was found at Cornhill near Bugbrook and unfortunately doesn't have a microchip.

Please share, both to allow owners to get closure but also to try to ensure her kittens are safe

🌟🐶 Playful Pups! 🐶🌟🐾 It's been a bit quiet on the puppy front this month, but Norman the spaniel and Dolly the shih tzu ...
10/11/2025

🌟🐶 Playful Pups! 🐶🌟

🐾 It's been a bit quiet on the puppy front this month, but Norman the spaniel and Dolly the shih tzu had lots of fun at our recent Puppy Party.

🐾 The two of them became firm friends and investigated a range of toys and puzzle feeders while veterinary nurses Lucy and Holly L chatted to their owners about all things puppy!

🐾 All puppies younger than 16 weeks old should receive an invite to our parties. Please let us know if we may have missed you!

🏵️🌸 Remembrance Sunday 🌸🏵️🐾 Whether you are wearing a red poppy to honour the people who served or a purple one to hono...
09/11/2025

🏵️🌸 Remembrance Sunday 🌸🏵️

🐾 Whether you are wearing a red poppy to honour the people who served or a purple one to honour the dogs, horses, pigeons and other animals who supported our troops or both, today is a day to remember.

🐾 Thinking of those for who today is particularly difficult ❤️

Address

Burcote Road
Towcester
NN126JW

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 12pm

Telephone

+441327350239

Website

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