Salt House Veterinary Centre

23/09/2024

Very proud to announce that we’ve been awarded Silver Rabbit Friendly Status by the_rabbit_welfare_association

This means that we provide a high standard of veterinary care to our rabbit patients both in terms of our procedures and protocols as well as our level of care to any rabbits we keep in the clinic!

12/08/2024

Update on neutering support from Cats Protection:

The National Subsidised Neutering Scheme (NSNS), which enabled eligible clients to have their cat neutered and microchipped for a contribution of £10 per cat, has been suspended due to unprecedented demand until at least the end of 2024.

We used up our stock of NSNS vouchers a few weeks ago, so unfortunately we are unable to support this scheme until at least the end of the year.

In the meantime, we are happy to accept neutering contribution vouchers issued by local Cats Protection branches as part payment towards the standard cost of cat neutering.

Please contact the nearest branch, Warrington Cat Centre, on 0300 12 06 12 to confirm eligibility and, if applicable, obtain a hard-copy voucher.

If you’ve obtained a voucher, please let us know when booking your cat in for neutering, along with the voucher value.

05/08/2024

We have had 2 stray cats brought in to us in the last week:

1- young adult short haired black male cat, no collar and no microchip, no white markings. Very shy but not feral. Found near Station Road.

2- elderly tortoiseshell tabby short haired female cat, again no collar and no microchip. Found near Weaver Street.

Please contact us if you think one of these cats may be yours.

(Obviously this is not a picture of either of them!)

25/05/2024

We hope everyone is having an enjoyable Bank Holiday weekend. We are now closed until Tuesday morning (8.30am) and the team are having a well-earned breather.

Don’t worry, though, if you’re one of our registered clients and have any questions about your pet over the weekend, you can still access 24/7 veterinary support via the VidiVet app. Download the VidiVet app, ask a question at any time of day or night, and you’ll receive a prompt video reply from a vet explaining what your next steps should be, whether you need an appointment and how urgent it is. Please visit the Out Of Hours section of our website for further information.

In the case of an emergency, please seek in-person veterinary care right away from our emergency out-of-hours provider, MiNightVet, who can be reached by calling our usual number – 01606 516627 – and following the recorded instructions.

27/03/2024

This bank holiday weekend, we will be closed on Friday and Monday but open as normal on Saturday morning.

Don’t worry, if you have any questions about your pet over the weekend, you can still access 24/7 veterinary support via VidiVet, as a Salt House Veterinary Centre client.

Using the VidiVet app, ask a question at any time of day or night and you’ll receive a prompt video reply from a vet explaining what your next steps should be, whether you need an appointment and how urgent it is.

In the case of an emergency, please seek in-person veterinary care right away with our emergency out-of-hour provider, MiNightVet by calling our regular number (01606 516627) and wait to be transferred.

Have a lovely long weekend!

14/03/2024

The cut-off point for dogs aged below seven months on 31 January 2023 has been extended to 30 June 2025 “following engagement with veterinary industry”, announces the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

Dates for neutering older dogs remain the same.

Defra announces neutering cut-off point for canines aged below seven months on 31 January 2023 has been extended to 30 June 2025 “following engagement with

11/03/2024

Is your cat microchipped? This June it will become a legal requirement for all cats to be microchipped!

Book in by calling 01606 516627

10/03/2024

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mums out there!

We hope you are all being spoiled, whether you have human babies or fur babies (or both!)

06/02/2024

XL Bully owners we have TWO great pieces of news for you.

Sadly it’s not that the ban has been overturned, but hopefully you all now have your exemption certificate applied for and you have 3rd party liability insurance.

1: NEUTERING

We can now apply for funding assistance for neutering if you are struggling to find the money to pay. There are eligibility criteria but if you qualify then the cost you will need to pay is dramatically reduced. Please contact us for further details.

2: VET FEES INSURANCE

You may be worried that you cannot find any vet fees insurance for your bullybaby, as most insurance companies are not offering cover, or your existing policy may have been cancelled by your insurer.

We have heard today that Agria can now offer a policy for lifetime vet fee cover! (3rd party cover is not included so you would still need dogs trust membership for that).

You cannot find this cover on their website but you can call them on 03330 30 10 00 and they will set it up for you.

29/01/2024

The deadline for exemption amnesty for XL Bully type dogs is January 31st.

If you intend to exempt your dog, do not miss this deadline. Our recommendation is not to leave it until last minute. If you plan to exempt your dog, please complete your application ASAP.

- You do not need proof of neutering to complete your exemption application.
- The legislation does state dogs will be able to be removed at a later date (but not how)
- The age of your dog makes no difference.
- What is written on the microchip regarding breed makes no difference

While we have helped with financial aid for many exemption requests, we have run on the kindness of donors. Much of our funding was utilised early on. If you are hoping for financial assistance you are welcome to join the queue by emailing us but we strongly recommend you try family, friends etc than rely on community funding.

Please do not leave your application until last minute. As per the freedom of information request, many applications are being returned due to errors. If you plan to exempt, if you can, do not wait.

Lacey and Sophie.
The Bully Boardroom

24/12/2023

🎄🎄The team at Salt House Veterinary Centre wish everyone a Merry Christmas!!

We’re closed for the Bank Holidays and will be back open on Wednesday (27th Dec).

In the meantime our colleagues at VidiVet and MiNightVet will be available to assist with any veterinary advice or emergencies - please see our website or call 01606 516627 for details. 🎄🎄

18/12/2023

CHRISTMAS OPENING:

Monday 18th to Friday 22nd December: 8:30-18:00
Saturday 23rd December: 9:00-13:00
Sunday 24th December: Closed
Monday 25th December: Closed
Tuesday 26th December: Closed
Wednesday 27th to Friday 29th: 8:30-18:00
Saturday 30th December: 9:00-13:00
Sunday 31st December: Closed
Monday 1st January: Closed

15/12/2023

You may be unsure if your dog meets enough of the criteria to be classed as type. Or perhaps you have a bully puppy & aren’t sure how big they’ll grow. Do you register them or wait & see?

REGISTER THEM!

The legislation is very clear that there will be a way to remove dogs who do not meet type from the register. We don’t know how yet, it’s likely we won’t until at least Feb ‘24. But it is very clearly stated in the legislation.

If your dog is seized as a suspected banned breed after Jan 31st ‘24 it will be held in police kennels. There are no visitation rights and ‘bail’ is very rarely granted. They are likely to be held for at least 6 months pending a court case.

If you get to court & your dog is deemed to be ‘type’ you are going to need a very good excuse as to why you didn’t register them when you had the opportunity. It is likely that this could be used as a reason not to allow the dog home.

Please do not take that risk. No dog deserves to be in kennels for so long without their family with no guarantee they’ll even make it home.

10/12/2023

01/12/2023

We put our Christmas tree up at St Chad’s tonight for their annual tree festival……but “Mischief” had other ideas!!

The Festival runs from tomorrow for a week and there are some incredible trees from local businesses. You can vote for your favourite but it might be a tough choice.

06/11/2023

If you own an American Bully XL type dog, you can start preparing them for the restrictions by making sure they are trained to happily wear a muzzle.

Dogs Trust are offering free online sessions for ALL breeds to help you do this and will cover:

information about the most suitable types of muzzle
how to ensure a good fit
how to teach your dog to enjoy wearing their muzzle.

You can book at:

https://bit.ly/40me1M7

04/11/2023

XL Bully Owners

On 31st December this year XL Bullies (or dogs that look like them) are subject to the Dangerous Dogs Act and must be licensed.

It will become illegal to breed, sell or even give them away.

To be compliant with the new law, you will need to do the following:

1. If your dog is not already microchipped get it done now! If they are already chipped, check that the details are up to date.

2. You will need Third Party Liability insurance for your dog. If you join Dogs Trust for £25 a year this is a membership benefit.

3. Your dog MUST be neutered. This must be done by 31st June 2024 if your dog will be older than 1 on the date the ban comes into force, or by 31st December 2024 if the dog is under 1 on the date the ban comes into force.

4. You must register your dog with Defra and apply for an exemption certificate. There will be a fee of £92.40. We are still awaiting confirmation from the government of how to apply.

5. Your dog must be muzzled and kept on a lead in public places. This includes parks, fields and woodlands, but will not include private hire dog fields where you have hired the place for your sole use.

Salt House Veterinary Centre are saddened and disappointed by the government’s proposal to pay compensation to those owners who choose to put their dogs to sleep, but are not offering any support with the costs of neutering or licensing these dogs.

We recognise that these are beloved family pets and we ask that if you have any questions or need any further advice or support, please contact us by email at [email protected]

25/09/2023

The weather is turning and we’re starting to think about putting the heating on!!

If your tortoises live outside, it’s time to bring them indoors, and time for all tortoise owners to think about their pet’s hibernation.

We can offer plenty of advice to ensure a safe hibernation this winter, so please get in touch to book your tortoises in for a pre-hibernation check.

01/09/2023

As of today new regulations come into force surrounding the supply of prescription only veterinary medicines.

For the most part, these regulations just reinforce best practice and guidance that we have tried to follow since we first opened, so most of our clients won’t notice much of a difference.

However we’d like to draw your attention to a few points:

Controlled drugs may only be prescribed at a physical examination, and only 28 days supply may be dispensed. However we can “prescribe” ongoing treatment to be dispensed in 28 day amounts, so we do not need to see pets on drugs such as gabapentin or phenobarbitone every month. We will require to see those patients at least every 6 months. This is already what we do so you will not notice any change if this affects your pet.

Veterinary surgeons may only prescribe products containing antibiotics or antifungals at the time of a physical examination. This means that even if you have had a product before, and even if you think your pet has got exactly the same problem, we cannot legally prescribe anything on request. We must see your pet. This is most likely to affect people asking for eye or ear drops, and dogs with recurrent skin problems.

Vets can also only prescribe flea and worm products at the time of a physical examination. We can preauthorise those for repeats for a year after an examination, but we must do so by specifying the exact product and frequency. This means if there is a change in your pets circumstances or you need a different product to that previously prescribed, your pet will need to come in for an examination before making any changes to their treatment.

For most pets we anticipate this being done at the time of a booster, and for the majority of pets that have been prescribed flea/worm products with us in the past, we should already have created a refillable prescription.

Please be understanding with us as we implement these changes, and do not be offended or upset if we are unable to prescribe your pets flea/worm treatment without a consultation. If this is inconvenient to you we do have non prescription products available to purchase until your pet can be examined for a prescription.

Thank you

23/08/2023

Please read the attached post!

Vets are being placed under new guidance regarding prescriptions of medicines, in particular anti-parasite treatments (flea and wormers) which mean that a vet may need to see your pets more regularly to prescribe them.

These are legal requirements and we cannot make exceptions, so please bear with us!

On September 1st we are seeing new prescription recommendations from the RCVS - Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons come into action!

We are asking for our loyal clients' patience and understanding while veterinary practices across the country try to change their protocols to reflect the new requirements from the RCVS.

In many cases protocols will be very similar and might not impact you at all, but you may notice some slight changes to your practices protocol in prescriptions and we ask that you remain understanding while this is implemented.

One of the biggest factors that may impact you as a client is that anti-parasitics (flea, worm and tick treatment) are going to be in the same band as antimicrobials and important drugs meaning that there needs to be a physical assessment and a physical examination before the *new* prescription of an anti-parasitic. This could result in slightly more regular, in practice, checks than you are currently used to. NB 'new prescription' refers to a different drug, different dose, different frequency than your pet is currently on, or when your current prescription comes to an end.

The RCVS have said that:

"We realise that there are differences in opinion within the profession regarding the inclusion of antiparasitics in this part of the guidance.

There are a range of factors set out in the guidance to be taken into consideration when prescribing POM-Vs, and we understand that the opinion of some is that these can simply be applied to antibiotics and antiparasitics to ensure responsible prescribing.

However, it is our view that these medicines should be treated differently to other POM-Vs because the risk of uncontrolled use is greater, for example, resistance and environmental impact.

As such, the change requires a physical examination in order to positively impact prescribing behaviours and change attitudes to these medicines."

https://www.rcvs.org.uk/setting-standards/advice-and-guidance/under-care-new-guidance

22/08/2023

We are so proud to be working alongside Cats Protection, to offer our clients £10 neutering.

Cats Protection have also provided us with microchips for cats neutered under the scheme!

Terms and eligibilty conditions do apply so please see the website below for criteria or give us a call to book in.

Important: Due to the coronavirus crisis, we have had to make changes to our current services. To keep up to date, click here

26/06/2023

We love rabbits!

Do you have a rabbit? Is it neutered? If not give us a call and we can talk you through it.

💛 It’s the first day of Rabbit Awareness Week💚

Let’s kick of ‘Neutering: protect and prevent’ with

𝐀𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐍𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠🩺

Today we will answer 3 important questions for rabbit neutering:

🐰Is it safe?

🐰What are the costs?

🐰Where to find your nearest rabbit-friendly veterinary practice?

Plus lots more…

Remember to like, comment and share all of our posts throughout to get involved and help raise awareness for rabbit welfare!⁠

13/06/2023

It’s our first birthday today!

Thank you to all of our friends, family and clients for your help and support. We truly appreciate the welcome that we’ve had and the trust placed in us to care for your furry (or scaly or feathery!) family members.

Thank you.

Vikki, Tim, Lex, Natalie, Frankie, Lyla and Amy

26/05/2023

REUNITED!

This unicorn hat was found outside the practice today and handed in.

If your unicorn is missing this vital piece of their outfit, we’ll be open 9-1 tomorrow for collection!

21/05/2023

CALLING ALL REPTILE/ AMPHIBIAN and INVERTEBRATE OWNERS

The team at Exotics Keeper Magazine are running a survey to look at the range and number of reptile species being kept in the UK. This is important to help inform policy and law makers in the UK in regards to these animals!

🌟 https://survey.exoticskeeper.com/ 🌟
Participation gets you a FREE subscription to monthly digital copies of their magazine, and entry into a prize draw to win £1,000 credit at certain reptile shops.

25/04/2023

Found on Rilshaw Lane, Winsford:

Female tabby cat, small but not young, no microchip and no collar. Sadly deceased.

Please let us know if you know whose she is as she looks well loved and her family will be missing her.

14/04/2023

We had a dragon in today! Poor thing had somehow injured her tail and developed a nasty infection, which meant we needed to amputate her tail.

The anaesthetic and surgery went well so fingers crossed she makes a full recovery!

Thanks Greg and Neil at Cheshire Reptile Rescue for giving us the opportunity to help!

04/04/2023

We’ve seen a lovely dog today who ate an amount of chocolate this afternoon! Luckily we managed to make her bring it all back up and she’s got some medication for tonight, so will hopefully be fine!

Please remember to keep chocolate well out of the reach of your pets, and don’t underestimate your dog’s ability to get to it!!

Vets are calling on pet owners to safely secure all chocolate treats and hot cross buns well out of reach of curious animals to avoid an emergency trip to the vets over the Easter weekend.

03/04/2023

It’s Easter!

Just a reminder that we aren’t open on Bank Holidays or Sundays, but we will be open as usual on Saturday morning.

Happy Easter!

16/03/2023

From 10th June 2024 it will be a legal requirement to have your cats microchipped!

Please contact us or book online if you need any further information or to book an appointment.