If your dog is bleeding severely please call us immediately. Apply pressure to the wound to ease the bleeding whilst transporting to the practice.
If your dog is bleeding moderately or a slow trickle, please wrap the wound with a clean bandage or cloth and call us immediately.
If your dog has a very slow drip, a small cut or intermittent bleeding on movement please ring the surgery to discuss.
If your dog suddenly shows a rapid gassy abdominal swelling, particularly post feeding and in larger breeds, please immediately ring the surgery as this could be a case of acute gastric bloat. This would require immediate emergency treatment.
If your dog has shown a slowly developing abdominal swelling over a period of time, this is more likely to be a fluid swelling, so please come to the next open surgery unless there are other symptoms such as difficulty breathing, vomiting or pain.
Any signs of severe difficulty breathing including laboured abdominal breathing, cyanosis (purple colouring of tongue/gums), open mouthed breathing or excess froth from mouth would constitute a potential emergency and you should immediately ring the surgery.
Milder degrees of difficulty breathing are still significant and abnormal so we advise attending open surgery or ringing for advice.
Any form of sudden collapse constitutes an emergency and you should immediately ring the surgery.
Chronic collapse such as in older dogs should be seen in open surgery or please ring for advice or appointment if more appropriate. We are always willing to carry out a home visit if required but often prefer the facilities at the surgery such as on tap oxygen therapy, x-ray and a wider array of drugs than in our vehicles.
All such cases should be seen at open surgery, unless the symptoms are developing into the more urgent difficulty breathing, which would constitute an emergency and an immediate phone call to our emergency line. Call: 01348 873810
If your dog shows diarrhoea with significant amounts of blood with or without vomiting please ring our emergency number immediately.
If the dog has diarrhoea accompanied by loss of demeanor, decreased drinking and eating with or without vomiting immediate telephone advice should be sought. Such symptoms are particularly relevant in more vulnerable patients such as young puppies and older animals, which can rapidly dehydrate. In some of these cases intra-venous fluids are necessary to restore electrolyte and fluid balance.
Diarrhoea in an otherwise healthy dog still requires treatment as it can lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. Initial treatment can be by withholding food for 24 hours, offering water and then feeding a bland diet for 4-5 days(this would be based on rice/pasta/potato with chicken/fish/scrambled egg). If this does not seem to be working please attend an open surgery.
Any sudden and rapid increase in drinking could indicate an acute problem so please ring our emergency number.
Most increases in drinking are gradual and can indicate a variety of chronic problems including diabetes, hormonal problems, womb infection, liver or kidney issues and many other conditions. Normally there will be a cause for this so it is imperative that you visit our open surgery to initiate investigation.
Acute ear pain associated with infection can result in severe self inflicted trauma due to rubbing or scratching so if this is happening please ring our emergency number.
Most ear infections are chronic and gradually build up and can lead to severe trauma as above, so it is advised to attend our open surgery to have the ears cleaned and some appropriate drops prescribed.
If your dog seems unsettled by ear pain and irritation overnight prior to visiting the surgery, some temporary respite can be achieved by administering some warm olive oil to soothe the ear canal.
The eye is an extremely sensitive and delicate organ so any traumatic incident resulting in closing the eye, loss of pressure, increased pressure or swelling, bleeding, any obvious scratch or indent to the cornea (surface of the eye) or self trauma constitutes a possible emergency so please ring our emergency line for advice.
The more common complaint is a chronic conjunctivitis resulting in discharge and irritation. There are a variety of causes ranging from infection, allergy and trauma so it is advised to attend open surgery to receive the appropriate treatment.
Fits/seizures can be extremely distressing for the owner and in the most severe form result in loss of consciousness, rigid limbs, rapid twitching and muscle contractions, salivation and uncontrolled urination and defecation. Most fits last up to 10 minutes but often feel much longer to the concerned owner. There are a variety of causes ranging from epilepsy [ no obvious underlying cause ] to poisoning, cardiac, liver/ kidney etc. If your dog does have a seizure it is important to not stimulate the dog as this will increase the severity and duration of the fit so do not touch the dog, turn televisions and radio off , keep the room quiet and dark and also add padding and cushioning to stop trauma to the head. In the case of a seizure please ring the surgery for immediate advice and to arrange a visit to ascertain the underlying cause.
Call: 01348 873810
Any strange turn, particularly involving twitching, tilting of the head, loss of consciousness, loss of balance or falling over can be an indication of a possibly important event such as a stroke or poisoning. It is advised to immediately ring our emergency line for advice unless the symptoms rapidly disappear and the dog appears 100% normal afterwards. Even in the latter circumstance it would be advised to attend our open surgery.
Dogs commonly develop itchiness, often due to allergies, infection or parasites. This often leads to self trauma and chronic damage so it is advisable to seek advice at our open surgeries. If skin conditions are left untreated the damage becomes more longstanding and will require more prolonged treatment resulting in more suffering and increased treatment cost. It is advised to attend an open surgery as soon as possible.
Acute lameness resulting in an inability to bear weight on a limb or any obvious deviation of a limb or joint could indicate a fracture or ligament damage and would require immediate contact to our emergency line.
Lesser degrees of lameness, should be treated by initially resting the dog and restricting to lead exercise. If this does not settle the lameness it would be advisable to attend open surgery to have the injury assessed and any x-rays carried out.
Any rapidly increasing in size lump or swelling could indicate acute infection, haemorrhage or allergy and you should ring the emergency line to discuss the symptoms.
Most lumps or swellings are slow and insidious in nature and can be due to a variety of causes such as abscess, haematoma or growth. Visiting our open surgery is recommended to ascertain the cause.
Any condition affecting a young puppy has the potential to be more serious as they have a less developed immune system and can dehydrate rapidly. If your puppy is unusually quiet and unresponsive it is strongly advised to contact our emergency line to assess.
Any prolonged period of inappetence is not normal for dogs, which are generally greedy in nature. Normally a poor appetite will be accompanied by other symptoms but if your dog misses more than one consecutive meal it is recommended to attend our open surgery.
Different operations will have specific areas of concern to monitor post-operatively. These individual issues will be pointed out to you on collection of your dog. However, we strongly advise that if you have any post-operative concerns you immediately ring our emergency line for advice so any unforeseen complications can be immediately addressed.
Particular reasons to telephone would be any excessive visual blood from the operation wound, excessive and increasing quietness of the patient with time, increased rate of breathing, exhibition of pain from the dog or paleness/lack of colour in the gums. In all these situations please ring our emergency number.
In most situations where a dog is off colour there are other symptoms to help assessment, but if your dog is just very lethargic and causing you concern please ring our emergency line for assessment.
If your dog is just generally off colour particularly for an extended time period please attend open surgery for assessment.
There is a multitude of poisons available for dogs to access, and by their nature they will often consume these items without realizing. Poisons range from the powerful and deadly poisons such as strychnine, metaldehyde (slug bait), warfarin (rat poison) and weedkillers to the less deadly ones such as chocolate, raisins and various plants. With all poisons the quantity consumed is critical as is the toxicity. Obviously the more severe poisons only require a small amount to be ingested whereas the less toxic ones require a larger volume to be ingested. We strongly advise that if you suspect your dog has ingested a poison you ring us, even if the dog is not showing symptoms, as the sooner we see the dog we can induce vomiting or give oral absorbents as well as specific antidotes if indicted. When you telephone it is of great help if you can accurately tell us how long ago the poison was ingested, the quantity of the poison likely to have been consumed, and, if possible the exact name of the poison (this may require keeping the packaging listing the active ingredients in the small print). With all this information available to our emergency vet, we can treat more efficiently.
Acute and rapid sneezing particularly accompanied by blood could indicate a serious condition so immediately ring our emergency number.
Chronic or prolonged sneezing is not normal and we strongly advise attending our open surgery for assessment.
Any prolonged abdominal straining particularly increasing in frequency can cause acute pain and can be an indication of a blockage, so immediately ringing our emergency line for advice is indicated. There are a variety of causes including cystitis, bladder obstruction, bowel obstruction, uterine infection or whelping.
Straining to a milder degree indicates the above conditions, all of which would require treatment so we advise attending our open surgery to assess.
Rapid and acute vomiting for more than 2-3 hours particularly accompanied by signs of pain or a lethargic dog, can dehydrate and cause electrolyte imbalance very rapidly. This can be caused by infection, ingestion of a foreign body, bowel obstruction, poison or other disease in the body. Severe vomiting constitutes an emergency and ringing our emergency line is advised. Often x-rays, fluids or blood samples are required to be taken.
Less severe vomiting should not last for more than 12 hours so we advise attending our open surgery for assessment if it continues for this time. Some or all of the above procedures may be required.
Maintaining a healthy weight for your dog is essential to maintain a good quality of life. Our vets will advise you of the correct weight for your dog at the time of vaccination or other consultations. We encourage dog owners to regularly monitor their dogs weight and you are welcome to come any weekday between 9-00 and 17-00 just to have your dog weighed. Please inform the Receptionist and you can be whisked through to have your dog weighed. There is NO charge for this service but we would appreciate if you avoided our open surgery times to avoid possible congestion.
Any wound where the bleeding will not stop, or there is a large open gash, immediate treatment is required, by telephoning our emergency line. We advise wrapping in clean bandage or other material to prevent bleeding before coming down where we will assess the wound prior to cleaning and possibly stitching.
Small non bleeding wounds can be cleaned by the owner and brought to our open surgery, but if unsure we advise you telephone our emergency line first for correct appraisal.
Nails can be caught and torn away from the central quick. This often results in profuse immediate bleeding, which usually stops rapidly or may require wrapping in a pressure bandage. If the bleeding will not stop please ring our emergency number.
It is advisable to check a broken nail at our open surgery to check for damage or infection risk.
We can also assess the other nails to see if more regular trimming is required and carry it out at our open surgery.
Strong smells may emanate from the coat, anal glands, ears, mouth or genitalia for a variety of reasons and from several medical conditions. It is advisable to attend our open surgery to allow the vet to locate the source and problem. If in doubt please ring our emergency number.
Certain medical conditions can cause excessive loss of coat with or without itching. The skin will often appear inflamed, thickened or traumatised and assessment is required at our open surgery, which may require laboratory samples to be taken.
Dogs will naturally moult in the spring shedding a thicker winter coat for a thinner summer coat and in the autumn shedding the thinner summer coat for a thicker winter coat. Natural moulting tends to be even and does not result in bare localised patches or itching.
This can be a sign of acute trauma such heat or chemical burn, stings or allergies, infection or existing problem in the mouth. If there is pain or distress please ring our emergency number.
If there is no pain or distress please attend our open surgery.
External parasites such as fleas, ticks, lice and mites generally cause irritation and can lead to other skin issues and we advise you attend our open surgery to have the culprit identified and the relevant treatment applied. Different external parasites do require different treatments and we are able to prescribe more powerful and effective treatments than non veterinary outlets. Most of these parasites can cause irritation to humans.
Internal parasites include roundworm, tapeworm and hookworm and there is also a human infection risk with these parasites. Symptoms include increased appetite, weight loss and possible diarrhoea. If you suspect internal parasites please attend our open surgery for the correct and appropriate treatments, which again, are more effective and powerful than non veterinary outlets.
Any form of sudden collapse constitutes an emergency and you should immediately ring the surgery.
Chronic collapse such as in older cats should be seen in open surgery or please call for advice or appointment if more appropriate. We are always willing to carry out a home visit if required but often prefer the facilities at the surgery such as on tap oxygen therapy, x-ray and a wider array of drugs than in our vehicles.
If your cat shows diarrhoea with significant amounts of blood with or without vomiting please ring our emergency number immediately.
If the cat has diarrhoea accompanied by loss of demeanor, decreased drinking and eating with or without vomiting immediate telephone advice should be sought. Such symptoms are particularly relevant in more vulnerable patients such as young kittens and older animals, which can rapidly dehydrate. In some of these cases intra-venous or subcutaneous fluids are necessary to restore electrolyte and fluid balance.
Diarrhoea in an otherwise healthy cat still requires treatment as it can lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. Initial treatment can be by withholding food for 24 hours, offering water and then feeding a bland diet for 4-5 days (this would be based on rice/pasta/potato with chicken/fish/scrambled egg). If this does not seem to be working please attend an open surgery.
Any sudden and rapid increase in drinking could indicate an acute problem so please ring our emergency number.
Most increases in drinking are gradual and can indicate a variety of chronic problems including diabetes, hormonal problems, womb infection, liver or kidney issues and many other conditions. Normally there will be a cause for this so it is imperative that you visit our open surgery to initiate investigation.
The eye is an extremely sensitive and delicate organ so any traumatic incident resulting in closing the eye, loss of pressure, increased pressure or swelling, bleeding, any obvious scratch or indent to the cornea (surface of the eye) or self trauma constitutes a possible emergency so please ring our emergency line for advice.
The more common complaint is a chronic conjunctivitis resulting in discharge and irritation. There are a variety of causes ranging from infection, allergy and trauma so it is advised to attend open surgery to receive the appropriate treatment.
Acute ear pain associated with infection can result in severe self inflicted trauma due to rubbing or scratching so if this is happening please ring our emergency number.
Most ear infections are chronic and gradually build up and can lead to severe trauma as above, so it is advised to attend our open surgery to have the ears cleaned and some appropriate drops prescribed.
If your cat seems unsettled by ear pain and irritation overnight prior to visiting the surgery, some temporary respite can be achieved by administering some warm olive oil to soothe the ear canal.
Fits/seizures can be extremely distressing for the owner and in the most severe form result in loss of consciousness, rigid limbs, rapid twitching and muscle contractions, salivation and uncontrolled urination and defecation. Most fits last up to 10 minutes but often feel much longer to the concerned owner. There are a variety of causes ranging from epilepsy (no obvious underlying cause) to poisoning, cardiac, liver/ kidney etc. If your cat does have a seizure it is important to not stimulate the cat as this will increase the severity and duration of the fit so do not touch the cat, turn televisions and radio off, keep the room quiet and dark and also add padding and cushioning to stop trauma to the head. In the case of a seizure please ring the surgery for immediate advice and to arrange a visit to ascertain the underlying cause. Epilepsy is far less common in cats than in the dog so we are often looking for alternative causes often involving blood tests.
If your cat is bleeding severely please call us immediately. Apply pressure to the wound to ease the bleeding whilst transporting to the practice.
If your cat is bleeding moderately or a slow trickle, please wrap the wound with a clean bandage or cloth and call us immediately.
If your cat has a very slow drip, a small cut or intermittent bleeding on movement please ring the surgery to discuss.
Acute lameness resulting in an inability to bear weight on a limb or any obvious deviation of a limb or joint could indicate a fracture or ligament damage and would require immediate contact to our emergency line.
Lesser degrees of lameness, should be treated by initially resting the cat and restricting to minimal exercise such as keeping in the house. If this does not settle the lameness it would be advisable to attend open surgery to have the injury assessed and any x-rays carried out.
If your cat suddenly shows a rapid gassy abdominal swelling, particularly post feeding, please immediately ring the surgery as this could be a case of acute gastric bloat. This would require immediate emergency treatment. This condition is rare in cats.
If your cat has shown a slowly developing abdominal swelling over a period of time, this is more likely to be a fluid swelling, so please come to the next open surgery unless there are other symptoms such as difficulty breathing, vomiting or pain.
Any condition affecting a young kitten has the potential to be more serious as they have a less developed immune system and can dehydrate rapidly. If your kitten is unusually quiet and unresponsive it is strongly advised to contact our emergency line to assess.
In most situations where a cat is off colour there are other symptoms to help assessment, but if your cat is just very lethargic and causing you concern please ring our emergency line for assessment.
If your cat is just generally off colour particularly for an extended time period please attend open surgery for assessment.
Any signs of severe difficulty breathing including laboured abdominal breathing, cyanosis (purple colouring of tongue/gums), open mouthed breathing or excess froth from mouth would constitute a potential emergency and you should immediately ring the surgery.
Milder degrees of difficulty breathing are still significant and abnormal so we advise attending open surgery or ringing for advice.
Any rapidly increasing in size lump or swelling could indicate acute infection, haemorrhage or allergy and you should ring the emergency line to discuss the symptoms.
Most lumps or swellings are slow and insidious in nature and can be due to a variety of causes such as abscess, haematoma or growth. Visiting our open surgery is recommended to ascertain the cause.
Acute and rapid sneezing particularly accompanied by blood could indicate a serious condition so immediately ring our emergency number.
Chronic or prolonged sneezing is not normal and we strongly advise attending our open surgery for assessment.
There is a multitude of poisons available for cats to access, but they do tend to be fastidious eaters and will not generally eat poisons unless disguised or from eating prey containing a poison. Cats also like to groom heavily so they can ingest poison from grooming their coat or licking their feet if they have contacted a toxic agent by brushing past or treading in it. Poisons range from the powerful and deadly poisons such as strychnine, metaldehyde (slug bait), warfarin (rat poison) and weedkillers to the less deadly ones such as chocolate, raisins and various plants. With all poisons the quantity consumed is critical as is the toxicity. Obviously the more severe poisons only require a small amount to be ingested whereas the less toxic ones require a larger volume to be ingested. We strongly advise that if you suspect your cat has ingested a poison you ring us, even if the cat is not showing symptoms, as the sooner we see the cat we can induce vomiting or give oral absorbents as well as specific antidotes if indicted. When you telephone it is of great help if you can accurately tell us how long ago the poison was ingested, the quantity of the poison likely to have been consumed, and, if possible the exact name of the poison (this may require keeping the packaging listing the active ingredients in the small print). With all this information available to our emergency vet, we can treat more efficiently.
Any prolonged period of in-appetence is considered significant but cats are also fussy eaters and will occasionally miss meals for no apparent reason so they are more difficult to assess in the absence of other symptoms. Normally a poor appetite will be accompanied by other symptoms but if your cat misses more than one consecutive meal it is recommended to attend our open surgery.
Maintaining a healthy weight for your cat is essential to maintain a good quality of life. Our vets will advise you of the correct weight for your cat at the time of vaccination or other consultations. We encourage cat owners to regularly monitor their cats weight and you are welcome to come any weekday between 9-00 and 17-00 just to have your cat weighed. Please inform the Receptionist and you can be whisked through to have your cat weighed. There is NO charge for this service but we would appreciate if you avoided our open surgery times to avoid possible congestion.
Any wound where the bleeding will not stop, or there is a large open gash, immediate treatment is required, by telephoning our emergency line. We advise wrapping in clean bandage or other material to prevent bleeding before coming down where we will assess the wound prior to cleaning and possibly stitching.
Small non bleeding wounds can be cleaned by the owner and brought to our open surgery, but if unsure we advise you telephone our emergency line first for correct appraisal.
Any prolonged abdominal straining particularly increasing in frequency can cause acute pain and can be an indication of a blockage, so immediately ringing our emergency line for advice is indicated. There are a variety of causes including cystitis, bladder obstruction, bowel obstruction, uterine infection or whelping. In middle aged neutered, and often overweight male cats, there is a common serious condition where they produce small crystals in their urine which slowly sediment in the urinary tract eventually resulting in a complete blockage and an inability to pass any urine. This is an acute emergency and needs immediate treatment to alleviate the blockage, so if you notice your male cat arching his back and straining as if to urinate but passing nothing ring our emergency number immediately.
Straining to a milder degree indicates the above conditions, all of which would require treatment so we advise attending our open surgery to assess.
Cats commonly develop itchiness, often due to hormonal imbalances, allergies, infection or parasites. This often leads to self trauma and chronic damage so it is advisable to seek advice at our open surgeries. If skin conditions are left untreated the damage becomes more longstanding and will require more prolonged treatment resulting in more suffering and increased treatment cost. It is advised to attend an open surgery as soon as possible.
Different operations will have specific areas of concern to monitor post-operatively. These individual issues will be pointed out to you on collection of your cat. However, we strongly advise that if you have any post-operative concerns you immediately ring our emergency line for advice so any unforeseen complications can be immediately addressed.
Particular reasons to telephone would be any excessive visual blood from the operation wound, excessive and increasing quietness of the patient with time, increased rate of breathing, exhibition of pain from the cat or paleness/lack of colour in the gums. In all these situations please ring our emergency number.
Rapid and acute vomiting for more than 2-3 hours particularly accompanied by signs of pain or a lethargic cat, can dehydrate and cause electrolyte imbalance very rapidly. This can be caused by infection, ingestion of a foreign body, bowel obstruction, poison or other disease in the body. Severe vomiting constitutes an emergency and ringing our emergency line is advised. Often x-rays, fluids or blood samples are required to be taken.
Less severe vomiting should not last for more than 12 hours so we advise attending our open surgery for assessment if it continues for this time. Some or all of the above procedures may be required.
All such cases should be seen at open surgery, unless the symptoms are developing into the more urgent difficulty breathing, which would constitute an emergency and an immediate phone call to our emergency line.
Nails can be caught and torn away from the central quick. This often results in profuse immediate bleeding, which usually stops rapidly or may require wrapping in a pressure bandage. If the bleeding will not stop please ring our emergency number.
It is advisable to check a broken nail at our open surgery to check for damage or infection risk.
We can also assess the other nails to see if more regular trimming is required and carry it out at our open surgery. Older cats often suffer with ingrowing sharp nails, which grow into the pad. This can often be unnoticed until the pads become infected and painful. We can advise on prevention at our open surgeries.
External parasites such as fleas, ticks, lice and mites generally cause irritation and can lead to other skin issues and we advise you attend our open surgery to have the culprit identified and the relevant treatment applied. Different external parasites do require different treatments and we are able to prescribe more powerful and effective treatments than non veterinary outlets. Most of these parasites can cause irritation to humans.
Internal parasites include roundworm, tapeworm and hookworm and there is also a human infection risk with these parasites. Symptoms include increased appetite, weight loss and possible diarrhoea. If you suspect internal parasites please attend our open surgery for the correct and appropriate treatments, which again, are more effective and powerful than non veterinary outlets.
Certain medical conditions can cause excessive loss of coat with or without itching. The skin will often appear inflamed, thickened or traumatised and assessment is required at our open surgery, which may require laboratory samples to be taken.
Cats will naturally moult in the spring shedding a thicker winter coat for a thinner summer coat and in the autumn shedding the thinner summer coat for a thicker winter coat. Natural moulting tends to be even and does not result in bare localized patches or itching.
The commonest cat injuries we see are the result of cat bites. Cats tend to be territorial in nature and will bite other cats entering their territory. Cat’s teeth are very sharp and their mouths carry a large number of bacteria so cat bites often inject a volume of bacteria into the victim’s tissue. There is often very little external sign of injury but within a few days an abscess will develop which can be a hot, fluidy and firm mass over the body or may manifest itself as a rapidly swelling limb and lameness. These conditions do need rapid treatment to avoid the more serious and potentially life threatening septicaemia developing, so please ring our emergency number for immediate assessment.
If your animal is bleeding severely please call us immediately. Apply pressure to the wound to ease the bleeding whilst transporting to the practice.
If your animal is bleeding moderately or a slow trickle, please wrap the wound with a clean bandage or cloth and call us immediately.
If your animal has a very slow drip, a small cut or intermittent bleeding on movement please ring the surgery to discuss.
Any signs of severe difficulty breathing including laboured abdominal breathing, cyanosis (purple colouring of tongue/gums), open mouthed breathing or excess froth from mouth would constitute a potential emergency and you should immediately ring the surgery. In rabbits, difficulty breathing accompanied by a yellowy/green discharge from the eyes and nose can be a sign of myxomatosis so immediately contacting our emergency number is recommended.
Milder degrees of difficulty breathing are still significant and abnormal so we advise attending open surgery or ringing for advice.
If your animal shows diarrhoea with significant amounts of blood with please ring our emergency number immediately.
If the animal has diarrhoea accompanied by loss of demeanor, decreased drinking and eating immediate telephone advice should be sought. Such symptoms are particularly relevant in more vulnerable patients such as youngsters and older animals, which can rapidly dehydrate. In some of these cases intra-venousor subcutaneous fluids are necessary to restore electrolyte and fluid balance.
Diarrhoea in an otherwise healthy animal still requires treatment as it can lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. Initial treatment can be by offering water and feeding a bland diet for 4-5 days (This would be based on good quality dry hay but could vary for different species). If this does not seem to be working please attend an open surgery.
Animals commonly develop itchiness, often due to allergies, infection or parasites. This often leads to self trauma and chronic damage so it is advisable to seek advice at our open surgeries. If skin conditions are left untreated the damage becomes more longstanding and will require more prolonged treatment resulting in more suffering and increased treatment cost. It is advised to attend an open surgery as soon as possible.
Acute lameness resulting in an inability to bear weight on a limb or any obvious deviation of a limb or joint could indicate a fracture or ligament damage and would require immediate contact to our emergency line.
Lesser degrees of lameness, should be treated by initially resting the animal and restricting movement by confining the living space. If this does not settle the lameness it would be advisable to attend open surgery to have the injury assessed and any x-rays carried out.
This can be a serious and fatal problem particularly in rabbits from May until October. If the animal has loose faeces, which is matting around the anal area it creates a warm environment which is attractive to flies which lay eggs in the damp moist area which rapidly hatch into maggots. These maggots will burrow into the animal’s flesh destroying tissue rapidly and within a short space of time the damage can be fatal. Prevention is to keep the rear of the animal clean and dry if loose, and by keeping the bedding regularly changed and dry and by using insect repellants. If you suspect maggots it is essential to immediately ring our emergency number.
Any prolonged period of in-appetence is not normal as the digestive tract requires a continual and steady flow of organic matter to maintain the digestive process, which can take several days to restart bacterial fermentation. Normally a poor appetite will be accompanied by other symptoms but if your animal appears to have stopped eating it is recommended to attend our open surgery.
Any wound where the bleeding will not stop, or there is a large open gash, immediate treatment is required, by telephoning our emergency line. We advise wrapping in clean bandage or other material to prevent bleeding before coming down where we will assess the wound prior to cleaning and possibly stitching.
Small non bleeding wounds can be cleaned by the owner and brought to our open surgery, but if unsure we advise you telephone our emergency line first for correct appraisal.
Particularly in rabbits, a sudden head tilt, with or without twitching, is a sign of potentially serious disease including meningitis, so it is advised to immediately ring our emergency number.
Any rapidly growing mass could be an abscess or haematoma so attending our open surgery immediately is recommended or telephone our emergency number if you are concerned.
Rabbits and other rodents are prone to a multitude of tumours, so a slowly growing mass should be examined at open surgery a soon as possible to assess. As surgery on small animals is risky, the sooner we assess and treat the more the likelihood of success.
The eye is an extremely sensitive and delicate organ so any traumatic incident resulting in closing the eye, loss of pressure, increased pressure or swelling, bleeding, any obvious scratch or indent to the cornea (surface of the eye) or self trauma constitutes a possible emergency so please ring our emergency line for advice.
The more common complaint is a chronic conjunctivitis resulting in discharge and irritation. There are a variety of causes ranging from infection, allergy and trauma so it is advised to attend open surgery to receive the appropriate treatment.
Maintaining a healthy weight for your animal is essential to maintain a good quality of life. Our vets will advise you of the correct weight for your animal at the time of vaccination or other consultations. We encourage pet owners to regularly monitor their animal’s weight and you are welcome to come any weekday between 9-00 and 17-00 just to have your animal weighed. Please inform the Receptionist and you can be whisked through to have your animal weighed. There is NO charge for this service but we would appreciate if you avoided our open surgery times to avoid possible congestion.
With all rodents there are 2 potentially serious dental issues which frequently occur.
Overgrowth of incisors is visible when lifting the lip and looking into the mouth. These are the 2 main central teeth which continually slowly grow and grind against each other. If there is a misalignment or inadequate dental work, these teeth become deformed or too long. If you see this occurring please attend open surgery to have them clipped back.
The arcade of molars at the back also grind against each other and frequently will develop sharp hooks or spikes due to diet or malalignment. This is difficult to spot and will cause in-appetance and pain on eating, often leading to cheek ulcers and abscesses. If you suspect this is happening please attend open surgery for assessment. Often it requires an anaesthetic to facilitate clipping and rasping of the molars.
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