Abbey Veterinary Group

If you visited us yesterday you may have noticed us wearing fun scrub tops instead of our normal blue and burgundy! Our wonderful ACA Jemma suggested that every Friday we wear a funky scrub top and we loved the idea. We hope they make you smile as much as they did us!🐾

🐶Food Dogs Can & Can’t Eat!🐶

We all know how hard it can be telling our pet’s no when they are begging for our food. However, it’s important to know that there are many foods that can cause serious illness, or even be fatal for your dog once ingested.

Depending on the food, signs of poisoning can show within a few hours so be mindful of changes in your dog’s behaviour and keep an eye out for any of these signs:

•Vomiting
•Diarrhoea
•Twitching
•Low energy (lethargy)
•Reduced appetite
•Constipation (straining or not being able to poo)
•Standing with a hunched back or adopting a ‘bowing’ or ‘prayer’ position due to tummy pain

It is also important to remember that whilst some fruits and veg are safe for your dog, they should only be fed as an occasional treat, alongside a balanced diet.

Contact Abbey Vets immediately for an emergency appointment if you think that your dog may have eaten something harmful.

‼️CLIENT NOTICE‼️

From the 1st of September 2024 we will now be closed on Sundays!

For any EMERGENCIES please phone our out of hours, Ashfield House in Long Eaton
☎️0115 972 7050

🐱Happy International cat day!!🐱
At Abbey Vets we see all different kinds of cats and I think we can all agree no two cats are the same! They have the most unique personalities and make amazing furry companions.

We’d love to see photos of your lovely cats and hear any funny stories you’d like to share about them!🐾

We still haven’t had anybody come forward for this beautiful boy! Please keep sharing so we can reunite him with his owner🧡

🤒 How to tell if your guinea pig is unwell 🤒

Like rabbits, guinea pigs are prey animals and hide signs of illness making it hard to know when they are unwell. Getting to know your guinea pig’s normal behaviour and routines will help you to recognise any changes which could be a sign of a problem.

Here are some visible signs that your guinea pig may be unwell:

•Reduced appetite
•Drooling
•Discharge from the eyes or nose
•Change in activity level or lethargy
•Diarrhoea
•Blood in the urine
•Scratching or hair loss
•Changes to breathing
•Lumps or bumps

It’s best to treat health problems in the early stages because once a guinea pig gets sick, they tend to go downhill fast.

Remember, you know your animal best so even if they aren’t showing these signs and you’re concerned please contact us for an appointment.

Unfortunately we’ve had another cat handed in to our Chellaston branch that has been clipped by a car on Field Lane.

•Entire adult male
•No microchip or collar
•Ginger and white domestic short hair

Sadly, he has some injuries that we are currently treating. If you believe this cat is yours please telephone Abbey Vets on 01332 700256.

🌟🌟🌟STAR PATIENT AWARD🌟🌟🌟

Meet Ralph, a brave pup who recently had an open wound that needed daily management. Ralph remained a happy boy, always eager to visit the vet to have his dressings changed. His owners have been incredibly diligent, ensuring his dressing is changed daily until he’s fully healed. Ralph’s courage and the dedication of his owners have made every step of his recovery smoother. He’s always such a good boy during his visits, winning the hearts of everyone at the clinic🤎

☀️HOT WEATHER☀️

With the weather getting hotter again it’s important that we’re all aware of the risks this can bring to our pets. When taking your dog out of for a walk always check the weather first (use the photo in this post to guide you), take plenty of water, limit walking time and try to find a shaded route.

The risk of your dog getting heatstroke increases if they are obese, a brachycephalic breed, elderly or less than 6 months old.

☀️Tip: The best way to tell if a pavement is too hot for your dog to walk on is to place the back of your hand on the pavement for seven seconds. If it’s too painful for your hand, then it’s too painful for your dog’s paws.

Remember, a missed walk has never killed but heatstroke can be fatal!

‼️‼️
Unfortunately, we have had a deceased cat handed in to our Chaddesden surgery this morning.

•Entire male
•Black and white
•Long haired
•No collar or microchip
•Found outside Nottingham Road Cemetery

If you believe this cat to be yours please telephone Abbey Vets on 01332 661554.

⚖️WEIGHT CLINICS⚖️

Are you worried about your pets weight? Or would you just like a little help with dietary management?

Did you know here at Abbey Veterinary Group we offer FREE one to one weight clinics with one of our lovely Registered Nurses, Amy or Jelisa.

What is included?
⚖️Before and after photo
⚖️Measurements
⚖️Body condition score
⚖️Muscle condition score
⚖️Nutrition discussion
⚖️Formulated feeding plan
⚖️Personalised advice tailored to your pet
⚖️Booklet to keep track of progress

Nothing about our weight clinics will be a negative experience. The veterinary nurse will help guide you and help change your pets eating habits for optimal results, as well as supporting you and your pet along the way.

Want to get started? 📱Call to book in

‼️Due to appointment slots filling up quickly at the moment, we kindly ask that you please make sure to cancel any unwanted appointments as soon as possible and to check the date and time of your animals slot. This allows us to be able to offer the appointment to another client and will help to avoid long wait times. Thankyou!🐾

🐶GRASS SEEDS🐶
You may have noticed the grass around Derby has started to get longer as the weather gets warmer. Unfortunately, this means your dog is more at risk of getting grass seeds in some very uncomfortable places and if not removed quickly they can burrow into the skin.

It is important to remove any grass seeds before they begin to burrow so here are some tips on avoiding grass seed complications:

• Avoid long grass and keep the grass in your garden short.

• Check your pet's body thoroughly after every walk.

• Trim excessive hair around your pet's ears and paws.

• If you notice any of the signs shown in the photo bring your dog to see one of our vets immediately.

🦔HEDGEHOGS🦔
We’ve had an increasing number of phone calls regarding hedgehogs recently. As the weather gets warmer and we start to mow our grass/cut our bushes it’s incredibly important to remember to check for wildlife first! If you are unsure of whether a hedgehog needs help or even how you can help make your garden more hedgehog friendly these photos are perfect at outlining the basics.

For more information the British Hedgehog Preservation Society website and page has some amazing posts.

Our local hedgehog rescuer Austin bought in this little cutie😍 Mini is very small and has a few health issues that we are treating but she is currently doing really well in Austin’s care!

UPDATE‼️
Thankyou to everyone who has shared photos of their gorgeous pet! We have now created collages using your photos so unfortunately any further pictures will not be included. Due to the amount of photos we have to use we will be updating it weekly so keep an eye out for your pet!🐾

🤩NEW COVER PHOTO!🤩
We will be making a new collage for our cover photo using beautiful pictures of your pets! As we’ve had a pretty gloomy July so far we would like to make the theme sunshine☀️ If we get enough photos for multiple collages we will be changing our photo every 2 weeks until we have used all of your photos. Here’s a photo of staff pet Buddy enjoying some sun coming through the window💛

‼️‼️UPDATE: The phone lines are now back up and working!!

PHONES ARE DOWN‼️‼️
Unfortunately the phone lines are down at both our Chaddesden and Chellaston practices. We are working to fix this issue but until further notice please contact our email [email protected] for any enquiries.

🚨FOR EMERGENCIES: Please come straight down to the practice.

Congratulations to our newest Puppy Training graduates🎓🤩 We wish you all the best in your future training! If you are interested in our puppy classes run by our amazing Holly and are wondering what they entail, please keep an eye out for a post we will be doing shortly🐾

Everybody meet this gorgeous boy, Apollo!!🧡
He came in for a minor procedure last week and absolutely lapped up all the attention! You were a pleasure to care for Apollo and we hope you have recovered well🐾

🐰RABBIT AWARENESS WEEK🐰
Although Rabbit Awareness Week has come to an end there’s still so much to learn about your rabbit and their needs!

We highly recommend all rabbit owners to read the rabbit care guide attached to help you to give your rabbit the best care possible.

Burgess Excel Rabbit Care Guide This booklet has been written to help you to meet your rabbits’ welfare needs and keep them happy and healthy.

🐰RABBIT AWARENESS WEEK🐰

You should take your rabbits for a veterinary check-up every 6-12 months and check that they are eating correctly and passing plenty of droppings every day. Rabbits are a prey animal so will hide signs of ill-health which makes regular vet visits really important in order to help avoid illness.

If one of your rabbits shows a change in behaviour or in their eating or drinking patterns you should seek the advice of a vet as soon as possible.

🐰RABBIT AWARENESS WEEK🐰

Temperatures above 25 degrees are too hot for rabbits and can increase the risk of heatstroke. Keep monitoring the weather and bring your rabbit indoors if the temperatures rise.

Here are some tips for keeping your rabbit cool this summer:

☀️Provide plenty of shade
Move your rabbits’ hutch and run out of direct sunlight – a gazebo or sun sail placed over the hutch can create a shaded area. Wooden hutches can get very hot and should never be left in the sun.

☀️ Offer lots of water
Make sure your rabbit always has plenty of fresh water available. You can add a couple of ice cubes to water dishes to keep the water cool, and offer vegetablessoaked in water to keep your rabbit hydrated.

☀️Place ceramic or slate tiles in their run
Rabbits like to stretch out during hot days to prevent their body from retaining too much heat. Place ceramic or slate tiles in the shade for your rabbit to lie down on, as these will stay cool.

☀️Frozen water bottles
You can also use ice packs or a large bottle of water that has been frozen and wrap it in a tea towel. Place it where your rabbit can lie down. This gives your rabbit the option to lie up against it to keep them cool.

☀️Provide a damp towel
Hanging a damp towel on the rabbit run can provide extra shade, while also creating an evaporative cooling effect. Do not cover the entire run as this will prevent a cooling breeze.

☀️Dampen your rabbit’s ears
Since rabbits lose heat through their ears, you can lightly dampen them to speed up the cooling process. If your rabbit is comfortable with it, you can use a spray bottle to mist their skin, or simply use a wet cloth or your hands to dab their ears.

☀️Groom your rabbit
By grooming your rabbit often, you’ll help them shed excess fur while also strengthening your bond. Long-haired rabbits should be brushed daily, and trimmed by a vet or professional groomer several times a year. Trimming their fur will also make it easier to check your rabbit for fly strike and keep them clean.

🐰RABBIT AWARENESS WEEK🐰

85-90% of your rabbits’ diet should be high quality, dust extracted feeding hay or fresh grass. This should be supplemented with a small portion of nuggets, a handful of rabbit friendly fresh greens and constant access to fresh, clean water.

There’s lots of tasty plants and vegetables your rabbits can eat. Here’s some rabbit friendly fresh greens:
🥬 Basil
🥦Broccoli
🌿Celery
🥬Coriander
🥦Curly kale
🌿Dandelion leaves
🥬Mint
🥦Parsley
🌿Thyme
🥬Watercress
🥒Cucumber

Muesli has been found to cause rabbits to selectively feed. This is when rabbits eat some of the high sugar elements and leave behind the high fibre parts. This leads to rabbits eating an unbalanced diet which can result in poor health, including dental disease and obesity.

Feeding your rabbits a plant-based diet with lots of fibre and swapping muesli for rabbit nuggets can help to ensure your rabbits are getting the best diet and will help to prevent selective feeding.

🐰RABBIT AWARENESS WEEK🐰

The Rabbit Welfare Association of Fund recommends a MINIMUM enclosure size for two bonded rabbits is 3m x 2m x 1m high and that your rabbits have access to their sleeping area, toilet area, and exercise area at all times. This should be one continuous space so your rabbits can run the full 3m length uninterrupted. But remember, this is the minimum requirement. The more space the better for rabbits.

Your rabbits should be able to lie stretched right out and hop at least three times. Their space allows them to display all the great natural behaviours our rabbits have including:
🐰Running
🐰Jumping
🐰Digging
🐰Foraging
🐰Rearing up

For more information please visit the Rabbit Awareness Action Group (WAAG) website where you can find detailed guides on how to correctly house your rabbit.