Springfield Veterinary Group

23/06/2024

23/06/2024

13/06/2024

This week is Diabetes Awareness Week - did you know
your furry friends can get diabetes too?

Diabetes causes levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood to be
persistently high. Normally when blood glucose levels increase, the
pancreas releases a hormone called insulin which adds in a number
of ways to lower the blood glucose and prevent it from getting too
high.

Want to know what to look out for in your pets?

For more information on diabetes in cats, please visit:
https://www.vetcollection.co.uk/health/conditions/feline-diabetes/

For more information on diabetes in dogs:
https://www.vetcollection.co.uk/health/conditions/canine-diabetes/

13/06/2024

On Tuesday we were joined by Buddy, a 9 month old Jack Russell Terrier who belongs to one of our receptionists, Tracey! He was in for his castration procedure and to have some deciduous teeth removed.

Deciduous teeth are retained baby teeth that take longer to fall out naturally. Whilst they can take longer to come out in some cases, some will never and will need to be removed. We usually do this at the time of neutering to prevent multiple anaesthetics! 🦷

Buddy was a brave boy and is doing well at home so far 💙.

10/06/2024

It is now compulsory for all owned cats in England to be microchipped, making it more likely that lost or stray pet cats are reunited with their owners and returned home safely.

This includes cats that usually only stay indoors.

All keepers must ensure their cat is microchipped before they reach 20 weeks of age and their contact details stored and kept up to date in an approved pet microchipping database.

Read more: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cat-microchipping-now-mandatory

08/06/2024

Easy access to key resources helps prevent conflict in multi-cat households 🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛. This includes food and water bowls, litter trays, scratching surfaces, resting areas, and playtime/toys:

😺Food - Cats are lone feeders, so it’s best to prepare food and feed cats out of sight of each other to prevent competition over food. Try offering food separately and in their usual place if your cats are fed together or ad-lib.

😺Water - Offer several water stations on each level of your home. One water station per cat, plus a spare is advised. Keep water bowls filled to the top and place them away from corners so your cats can access them from 360° and feel safe when they drink.

😺Litter trays - A minimum of one tray per cat plus a spare is advised. Spread trays out in quiet locations throughout your home. Some cats will ambush each other when hooded trays are used, so try offering open trays too. Scoop each tray out twice daily, and empty them every 1-2 weeks. Cats prefer to urinate and defecate in different areas and don’t like using soiled trays, so good litter tray hygiene is essential in multi-cat households.

😺Resting areas - Elevated resting/perching areas are good as these allow cats to observe their surroundings and sleep from a place of safety. Enclosed beds can provide an additional sense of security, just remember to offer beds with more than one entry/exit point in multi-cat households (to enable easy escape).

😺 Scratching surfaces - All cats need to scratch! Offer one scratching surface plus a spare in different areas of the home. Place scratching surfaces near where your cats sleep (so they can stretch and scratch after resting) and on the edge of their territory i.e. near doors/stairs to encourage use. Each cat will have their scratching preference, so you may need to try different surfaces/designs to establish what they like.

😺Playtime - Playing mimics hunting behaviours, so it’s best to play with each cat individually as cats are solitary hunters. Wand toys are great for interactive play. Scheduling regular playtimes can help reduce anxiety or boredom, which is good for all cats, but especially important for indoor-only cats or those living in multi-cat households.

*Avoid getting another cat if there is already conflict between the cats in your home. Contact your vet if you are worried about your cat's behaviour. Referal to a clinical animal behaviourist who specialises in cats may be beneficial. ❤️🐈‍⬛

04/06/2024

*Owner found ☺️*

❕We currently have a full black, female Domestic Short Hair in the hospital with us at the moment. She was brought in last night from the Maltby area after being found in someone’s garden. She is an older girl so we are currently giving her some TLC 💓.

She has a microchip but unfortunately the details are not registered fully. Please contact us on 01709377241 if you feel she may be yours. Photo evidence will be needed for proof of ownership- thank-you ❤️❕

01/06/2024

❗️We currently have a black & white, entire male, Domestic Short Hair in the hospital with us at the moment. He has no microchip and was found in the Kimberworth Park area.

He was brought to us as he was suspected to be involved in an RTA but is stable at the moment. We are trying to find his owners so he can be reunited. Please call us on 01709377241 if you think this may be your cat. Photo evidence will be needed for proof of ownership❗️

01/06/2024

Thank-you all for your support during Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month! We have enjoyed sharing some of the different parts of our jobs 💚.

31/05/2024

- Veterinary Nurses are trained to nurse young animals and provide them with everything they need. We work out precise feeding plans and provide them with enrichment to ensure they have lots of mental stimulation 🐶🐱!

- As Veterinary Nurses, we have to ensure that the practices cleaning standards are maintained to a high standard. Some diseases we come into contact with are Zoonotic, meaning they can be passed from animals to us! Because of this, we also ensure that we wear appropriate PPE to stop the potential spread of disease 🦠!

30/05/2024

- As Veterinary Nurses, we are heavily involved in the management of wounds. We regularly see patients back for post-op checks and ensure both surgical and accidental wounds are healing as they should be! This involves placing dressings and bandages and removing sutures when they are ready 🤕.

- As previously mentioned, Veterinary Nurses play a large role in Diagnostic Imaging- with the most common being X-rays! We learn a variety of positioning techniques during our training and know which equipment to use in order to get the best diagnostic image! 🩻

We have one more post after today to conclude our Veterinary Nursing A-Z!

28/05/2024

* Update- this fellow has returned to his home ☺️*

🐢 We have had a small Horsefield Tortoise brought into our Hackenthorpe branch this morning after it was found in someone’s garden. Please call Hackenthorpe on 01142485413 tomorrow if you think they may be yours 🐢

28/05/2024

- Veterinary Nurses are trained to perform Urinalysis, which is the testing of urine. We can perform several visual, chemical and microscopic tests in order to give our Veterinary Surgeons more information. We are usually looking for signs of infection or urine crystals!

- As Veterinary Nurses, we are trained to be able to don a sterile gown and gloves, in order to assist our Veterinary Surgeons with surgical procedures. This is part of our practical OSCE exams and is a skill we have to practice regularly.

23/05/2024

- As part of their roles, some Veterinary Nurses are responsible for Quality Assurance. This involves auditing our ways of working to allow us to seek and make improvements. Our Senior Nurses Ashleigh and Kieley do monthly audits, to ensure our surgical and medical patients are being cared for efficiently. These results are fed back to the team on a monthly basis- so that ways of improving can be discussed 🖥📝.

- Veterinary Nurses are also trained to work on Reception and can offer clinical help to our receptionists. We are able to book appointments, take payments, offer advice and book in procedures. We have our full-time RVN Chantelle who works on reception to offer her knowledge and expertise 📞!

- Veterinary Nurses are able to carry out Schedule 3 acts of surgery under the Veterinary Surgeons Act 1966. Example procedures we can carry out include small lump removals, scale and polishes, tail amputations and wound stitch-ups. We are always under the supervision of a Veterinary Surgeon- but this gives us chance to practice our skills 🐶.

- As we have mentioned previously, some Veterinary Nurses can volunteer to undertake training to train the next generation of RVN's! We then hold weekly tutorials and demonstrate skills to our students, to get them through their Central Skills Log/Nursing Progress Log! 📊🩺

21/05/2024

*PLEASE NOTE*

Our phone calls are taking a little bit longer this morning whilst we get used to our new system. Please keep trying if we do not pick up your call straight away. We will be with you as soon as possible.

We also have limited access to our emails- so please call us if you have an urgent matter.

Thankyou for your patience at this time! 💙

20/05/2024

Tomorrow our online practice management system is going to be upgraded and processes may take a little longer than usual. Please bare with us ☺️💙

16/05/2024

Veterinary Nurse Awareness Month 💚

16/05/2024

- Veterinary Nurses are trained to be able to provide Medical Care to animals. This may involve close monitoring, administering medications, providing physiotherapy, feeding and bathing. We often assist with medical procedures such as placing feeding tubes and urinary catheters, and know how to best manage these after! 💊 We also have an in-depth knowledge about lots of different medical conditions, and what we need to look out for in our patients 🔍.

- As Veterinary Nurses, we are trained to be able to calculate an animals daily required calories and work out a feeding plan for them 🍗. We know lots of different ways of tempting animals to eat and can closely monitor/track what proportion of their daily calories have been consumed.

- All Veterinary Nurses are trained to be able to obtain blood samples 💉, from different sites. The most popular sites include the jugular, cephalic and saphenous veins. We can do this in a way that keeps the animal as calm and relaxed as possible, whilst maintaining asepsis. These blood samples may be ran in-house or sent to our external laboratory 🥼🩸.

- As Veterinary Nurses, we are trained to carry out Pain Assessment Scores on both our medical and surgical patients. This gives us an indication of if more analgesia is required, so that we can ensure that our patients are pain free and are as comfortable as possible 📉.

15/05/2024

How are our Student Veterinary Nurses trained when they are in practice? 🩺

No matter which route of training is taken, all of our students are assigned a Clinical Supervisor 👩🏻‍⚕️ whilst they spend time in practice. This is usually a Registered Veterinary Nurse 💚 who will work hard to demonstrate skills to their students and assist them through their online training log 📊👩‍💻.

For our vocational students, they spend nearly 3 years with their Clinical Supervisor, becoming competent in skills and signing off tasks, before practising for their final OSCE exam 📚. Our higher education students have only 1 year with their CC to complete their entire online portfolio!

As a Registered Veterinary Nurse, this role takes a lot of planning, organisation and demonstrations of skills. It is however, extremely rewarding that we get to train the next generation of Registered Veterinary Nurse, whilst doing what we do best 🥇, looking after animals 🐶🐱💚

12/05/2024

Have you ever wondered what it takes to become a Registered Veterinary Nurse? 💚

The journey to becoming an RVN can be carried out in 2 ways. The first is through vocational learning, which is a more practical route that takes place at an approved training practice 🏥. It usually takes between 2-3 years ⏱️ and the resulting qualification is an RVN with a Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing 💚📚. Students undertaking this route are usually apprentices and work in practice for the rest of the week around their college day 🩺.

The other route is through higher education, which usually takes between 3-4 years. This course is more theory based, but involves clinical placements 👩🏻‍⚕️. The resulting qualification is an RVN with either a foundation or honours degree in Veterinary Nursing 👨‍🎓💚.

No matter which route is taken, Student Veterinary Nurses have lots of different types of work to complete, in order to achieve their qualification. This includes:

* Revising for external exams
* Revising for internal exams
* Blended learning
* Completing assignments
* Completing an online portfolio of skills
* Learning practical skills in practice
* Working alongside a veterinary team
* Learning practical exam tasks (OSCE’s)

Has Veterinary Nursing ever peaked your interest? If you have any questions- feel free to ask below! 👩🏻‍⚕️

09/05/2024

- All Veterinary Nurses play an important role in infection control, ensuring that all areas of the practice are kept as clean as possible to prevent the spread of infection 🦠. We ensure that we always wear PPE when handling patients and regular hand washing is encouraged 🧤. We follow strict cleaning schedules and routinely carry out environmental swabs to screen for any potential issues, in order to prevent infection spread or the risk of surgical site infections.

- Whether when at work or at home studying 📚, Veterinary Nurses are the masters of juggling multiple tasks at once! Excellent organisation is key 🔑. Here is Honey 🐱, showing us how much work our SVN’s have to organise and complete in order to qualify as an RVN 💚📑.

- As Veterinary Nurses we are always there to offer a hand to hold and unlimited kisses! 😘 We treat every patient like they are our own and ensure that they are comforted when they need us most ❤️🧸.

- As Veterinary Nurses, we are trained to be able to complete a wide range of laboratory procedures 🧪, in order to help our Vets diagnose conditions. This includes things like running blood samples, examining and testing urine, preparing faecal samples and examining specimens under the microscope 🧫🔬.

08/05/2024

Why are Veterinary Nurses like icebergs? 🧊

There are so many parts of our jobs that as clients- you don’t get to see! We all work tirelessly around the clock to ensure that the best care is given to your pets ⏱️💚.

07/05/2024

- As Veterinary Nurses, we are trained to deal with emergency situations in order to help an animal’s life when they need us the most 🚨. This includes measure such as oxygen supplementation, bandages, supporting an animal through emergency surgery, critical care nursing and carrying out CPR. We have a dedicated team of RVN’s at Springfield Veterinary Group who have an extensive knowledge in all things emergency and critical care related. They work hard to be available for your animals whenever you should need their help 💚.

- As Veterinary Nurses, we have an extensive knowledge about fluid therapy and know which types of fluid should be given for different types of shock and dehydration. We are trained to place IV cannulas in all species, calculate fluid plans, aseptically set up fluid bags and to monitor a patient’s inputs/outputs. We carefully monitor any cannula sites for signs of inflammation or infection and bandage them twice a day to ensure they remain as aseptic as possible.

- All Veterinary Nurses are trained to aseptically don a surgical gown and gloves, in order to assist veterinary surgeons in surgical procedures. There are several methods, including open and closed gloving, which must be done carefully to ensure that we are fully sterile. This is usually part of our final practical exam! 🧤 Here one of our SVN’s Katie is showing us how it’s done!

- As Veterinary Nurses, we care for your babies as if they were our own when they are hospitalised 💚. We closely monitor their feeding and drinking habits, their toileting, their comfort and make them feel at home the best we can 🏡. We provide fluid therapy, administer medicines and tempt them to eat yummy foods when they might not be feeling their best 🤕. Offering walks, physiotherapy, a lap to sit and snuggle on, the list is endless 📋💖.

04/05/2024

• At most of our branches, RVN’s carry our nursing consultations in order to provide care to our patients. Some examples include second vaccinations, nail clips, microchipping, six month health checks, weight management, diabetes and senior check ups. We also offer advice regarding neutering, nutrition and preventative treatment such as flea and worming! 🐛

• All of our nurses are also trained to carry out and assist with diagnostic imaging, which includes radiography, ultrasonography and computed tomography! We have to learn the positioning, how to process the images and how the machinery works for both our theory and practical exams. Below is an X-ray of a Swan! 🦢☢️.

03/05/2024

As part of Veterinary Nurse Awareness month we will be sharing the ‘Vet Nursing A-Z’, comprising of some of the skills that we carry out as veterinary nurses! 💚

• All of our Nurses are highly trained to monitor and maintain general anaesthesia. We are taught in depth the uses and effects of anaesthetic drugs, how to administer them and what to monitor during their use. All of our patients are closely monitored both manually and with monitoring equipment during every single procedure 🩺.

• As Veterinary Nurses, we are also trained to perform several types of bandages! The type is carefully selected depending on the type of wound or fracture. The correct pressure, tension and materials must be used when applying, to prevent complications from occurring. We also educate clients about bandage care as veterinary nurses- to keep them nice and clean ❤️‍🩹.

Keep checking back on the page to see the rest of our Veterinary Nursing alphabet! We love giving you an insight into the love and passion we put into caring for your fur babies 💚.

01/05/2024

Today marks the start of Veterinary Nurse Awareness Month! 💌 Over the course of the month, we will be giving you an insight into the many different roles within our job and what our favourite parts of being Veterinary Nurses are 👩🏻‍⚕️. Keep your eyes peeled 👀.

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01/05/2024

30/04/2024

*PLEASE NOTE*

Our IT issues from last week have been fixed and we are operating as normal again. Thankyou for your patience with us 💙💻

30/04/2024

🐈 Fewer cats are being adopted and more cats than ever are being purchased in the UK*. This change in how people are finding their new feline family member means rehoming organisations are struggling with increasing numbers.

If you are thinking of getting a cat, consider visiting a shelter – there are lots of lovely cats waiting for a new home. Be sure to visit a rehoming organisation that cares for and matches cats to new owners appropriately.

If you would like to know more about how we’re helping shelters improve the ways they care for cats, read about our Cat Friendly Homing programme, generously funded by Battersea 👉 https://icatcare.org/unowned-cats/cat-friendly-homing/

* According to the CATS Report 2023

29/04/2024

Today is National Hairball Awareness Day! Many of our feline friends will bring up a cat hairball (fur ball) at some stage in their lives.

The odd hairball is to be expected, especially during moulting season in long-furred felines. However, hairballs can sometimes indicate an underlying issue and are something we should be paying attention to.

If you are concerned about your cat, please contact us on 01709377241 and for further pet care and advice visit: vetcollection.co.uk/health