Vets4Pets Epsom

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If you have any questions about this new law please feel free to get in touch.

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

⚠️ Deadline approaching for cat microchipping 🐈

Microchipping is a safe, effective and permanent way to identify your cat, ensuring a safe return home if they stray too far. From 10 June, it'll become compulsory to microchip your cat in England.

If you haven't already, book your cat in with a vet practice now so it is microchipped before the new law comes into effect.

It's a Bank Holiday weekend which can mean only one thing...

BINKIES!!

🌟Inform. 🌟Inspire. 🌟Awareness

I do hope that you all enjoyed finding out more about our lovely RVNs at Epsom Vets4pets.

May is Vet Nurse Awareness Month
And this year we wanted to hopefully help you get to know our amazing nurses,
And inspire anyone and everyone who may have thought/are thinking of becoming a vet nurse.

As you can see some of our nurses also didn’t know what they wanted to do soon after finishing school.
It’s never too late to follow your dreams and live your best life! 🤗💕

Lots of love, Lenesa x

😹

Mary shares her journey to becoming a veterinary nurse:

I studied English and Media at university, and took an internship in London for an advertising company.

I knew deep down I wanted to work with animals and that I needed to make a change. So I left the internship and got a job at Pets at Home.
As part of the Pets at Home team we worked closely with the Vets4Pets practice in the Epsom store, and this peaked my interest on what it would be like to work in the vet practice. Lenesa kindly let me spend a few days ‘seeing practice’ and after just 2 days of doing this I knew this was where I wanted to be!

So I started working at Vets4Pets Epsom as a Veterinary Care Assistant in 2017. Once we became a training practice for student nurses, I then started my Veterinary Nurse training, and after nearly 3 years of studying and working, I qualified as Registered Veterinary Nurse.

As I already had a degree, I wouldn’t have been able to afford to go back to university to study Veterinary Nursing as I would have had to fund it myself so going through the diploma route allowed me to pursue Veterinary Nursing.

It also meant I was able to study and work at the same time, so I was earning money and getting loads of practical ‘on the job’ experience, as well as getting qualified. I think it is great that there are multiple ways to become a Veterinary Nurse!

This lovely puppy came to visit us today.
He is an example of a Frenchie with a good confirmation.
French bull dogs are supposed to have open nostrils to breath through,
And a muzzle giving them some nasal passage bones and soft tissue to help them thermoregulate.

We strongly advocate more puppies bred with healthy confirmations 👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽

Meet our nurse Emma, and learn her story below

I became a veterinary nurse by going to university and getting a degree. I studied at the Royal Veterinary College in London, and completed a 3 year degree.

I knew I always wanted to work with animals so chose A levels that helped me get into uni!
The entry requirements for this course are:
-5 GCSEs grade C or above, including maths and at least a grade B in English and one more science subject.
-3 A levels grades B including biology at grade B
- At least 70 hours work experience in a veterinary practice, and at least 70 hours in another animal environment.

During the course of 3 years you spend every other term on placement at a vet practice to gain lots of hands on experience. After 3 years you are qualified, but also have the option to do a 4th year to get the BSc(Hons) part of the degree.

I really enjoyed my time at uni but I also wasn’t aware at the time that there were other other ways to become a vet nurse!

I have been qualified for 11th years now and even though I have had a few breaks to have my children, I still love this job and very happy with the decision I made. 💕

Introducing our Head nurse & Practice Manager
Holly Smith RVN

Holly shares her RVN journey:

I officially registered as an RVN in May 2019 but my journey didn’t start there.

I began my veterinary career back in early 2014 as a Veterinary care assistant. Prior to this I didn’t know you could be a veterinary nurse. I then went on to work in multiple private and charity practices.

I started my veterinary nurse diploma in 2017 to finally qualifying in 2019. This route allowed me to work in a veterinary practice while attending college 1 day a week. I’ve worked as a Head nurse in my previous practice for over 3 years.

I am now starting my journey into practice management here at Epsom. There is always new things to learn in the veterinary field and many different career opportunities will arise once you are a registered veterinary nurse.

Meet our nurse Catherine and see what her journey was to becoming a vet nurse….. 💕

I finished my A levels and wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I knew I didn’t want to go to university, and my mum saw a ad in the paper for a student vet nurse job. I remembered I enjoyed the work experience I did at a vet practice and decided to apply for the job (which I got!)

I started my new job a few weeks later and was enrolled into the VN Diploma course at a specialist veterinary nurse College. As this was an apprenticeship style course it meant I worked full time (and earned some money) and went to college one day a week for 2 years. During the course we studied various things including animals different body systems, infection control, nursing care of all patients including critically ill, anaesthetic monitoring and lab work. At the end of the course I took written and practical exams.

After 10years of nursing I took a career break to have my daughters. I missed nursing so much that I needed to return to the profession. Having taken a few years off I needed to do a period of supervised practice to make sure my knowledge and skills were still up to standard. So I could be compliant with the RCVS as a RVN.

This year it will be 24years since I started my nursing journey.
THE BEST DECISION I EVER MADE!

Do you know how you can become a vet nurse?
Vet nurses are trained qualified professionals registered with our governing body, The RCVS.
Hence their qualification is RVN, which stands for Registered Veterinary Nurse

The routes to becoming a RVN are:

- Level 3 Diploma in veterinary nursing, apprenticeship

-Degree - BSc Veterinary nursing, which is 4years
Or a Foundation degree in veterinary nursing, which is 3yrs.

Do you have a pet that has been diagnosed with seizures or epilepsy? (Pls SHARE, so we can help as many pet owners as possible)

Introducing myepilepticpet.co.uk
A new resource for owners of epileptic pets

Myepilepticpet.co.uk is designed to offer additional support for the ongoing management of epilepsy and to complement the advice and treatment already offered by their veterinary practices.

With detailed information and guidance on the condition, including travelling with an epileptic pet, feeding information, a downloadable epilepsy diary and answers to the most commonly asked questions, the website is an essential resource for people caring for an epileptic pet.

Your guide to epilepsy management - My epileptic pet Animal epilepsy is a complex condition that can be difficult for pet owners to navigate. The diagnosis, stabilisation and long-term epilepsy management...

Little Bleu was the bravest little pup for his puppy vaccination and microchip with vet Salonee 💕
He then had those pin sharp puppy nails trimmed by our nurse Emma 🐶
He didn’t make a squeak for any of it and wagged his gorgeous tail throughout 💕💕💕

You may be finally getting out into the garden and flexing your horticultural muscles, but there are some plants that cat owners should be aware of. Find our full list of cat-safe and toxic outdoor plants here: http://spr.ly/OutdoorPlants 🍃

[Image description: Daffodils at the bottom with the sun shining at the top. White text reads: Outdoor plants poisonous to cats. Lily, Peony, Chrysanthemum, Iris, Sweet pea (seeds most toxic), Delphinium, Foxglove, Daffodil (bulb most toxic).]

Not sure how microchipping works? 🤔 Here’s how it usually goes 👇

💉 The vet will use a needle to insert the microchip under the skin, usually at the back of your cat's neck.

🧑‍💻 The microchip has a unique code that will be registered against your address and stored in a database.

🛜 If your cat becomes lost, a vet can scan your cat’s microchip for the code and search the database for your contact details.

📞 It’s important that you keep your details up to date by contacting the database you are registered with. There may be a small admin fee to change details, but it is important to keep them accurate.

🧑‍⚕️ If you've forgotten your cat’s microchip number, you can ask your vet to scan your cat at your next visit.

🐈 Remember, a microchip provides the best chance of you being reunited with your cat if they are lost.

Find out more 👉 https://icatcare.org/advice/microchipping/

‘Bulging skulls and protruding eyes’: Ten features dog owners should avoid Welfare experts say people need to choose pets with natural body shapes so their health doesn’t suffer

Could you spare a few minutes to complete this survey and share it please?
https://liverpool.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/guinea-pigs-and-rabbits?EC

Alabama Rot: what dog owners need to know Cutaneous and Renal Glomerular Vasculopathy (CRGV), also known as Alabama Rot, is a rare but potentially fatal disease that has been identified in some dogs in the UK in the last decade. Joshua Walker, Internal Medicine Specialist at Anderson Moores Veterinary Specialists, gives an update on CRGV an...

Maizie is dressed to impress this Easter weekend!
And she’s got the all clear today after recovering from her surgery 🤗
We can’t wait to see your other smart outfits 💕

Hope you all have a happy Easter and have little reason to visit the vets during the Bank holiday! 🐣 🪺

Dog training classes by the Dogs Trust in Surrey 🦮

Be kind to animals

Happy Saint Patrick’s day ☘️

It’s been a busy day today
Treating sick patients
And doing stock take which is a regulatory requirement

My team were amazing as usual
Couldn’t do it without them 💕
Lenesa x

Happy Mother’s Day 💕

Happy Mother's Day to all pet mums, you're doing an amazing job💚

We'd love to see a picture of you together below 👇

Do you remember pup Harvey 😍

Look at him now! Happy as ever to come visit us 💕

Be honest, how many times do you say bye to your pet before you leave the house?🫣👇

Beautiful Bella has lost two kilograms on a weight loss journey with Wakefield Vets4Pets – and owner Hayley says she's much more active, playful and affectionate as a result. "She just seems generally less grumpy as well – she probably felt how we do when we've overindulged!"

When Bella came in for her booster vaccination a year ago the team noted that she was overweight and would need to slim down to help her live a long and happy life. Since then the three-year-old house cat has been put on a special diet and she's now lost a third of her weight. Hayley said: "We're incredibly grateful to the team at Vets for Pets. They've given us some great advice and tips to keep the weight down. They are so approachable and we've never felt judged by them."

Head veterinary nurse Jess said: "Bella has been on her weight loss journey for over a year now and she's seen once a month for basically Waggy Weightwatchers as we call it. The owners have stuck with the plan very well and took note of everything we have told them, which is great. A 2kg loss is quite a substantial loss for a cat, so she's done really well."

"You know, Woody's mum" 😆

Have you ever been guilty of this?👇

Tell us you're a pet owner, without telling us you're a pet owner👇

We'll go first, finding poo bags in the pockets of every coat you own🫣

Ten-month-old Filemon is on the mend after he fell behind a wardrobe and fractured one of his front legs in three places.

He was taken to the specialist orthopaedic team at Vets4Pets Cross Hands in Llanelli by his owners Kasia and Andrzej where he had surgery to repair the bone with implants. The main recovery barriers for Filemon were possible nerve damage, and keeping him quiet long enough to give his bone and wound time to heal – which veterinary nurse Rebecca says is no easy task for a cat owner. She said: "Thankfully, with the help of his diligent owner and plenty of the right medication, Filemon is recovering well and has full range of motion in his leg."

Kasia said: "We'd like to say a massive thank you to the Vets for Pets team for doing an amazing job to get Filemon back on his four legs! After surgery Filemon was in a crate for six weeks which wasn't easy for him being such a young and playful kitten. It's now been two months since the surgery and he's recovering really well. He's enjoying himself again just like before the accident."

Name something cuter than a pile of puppies🥹

Share a picture of your puppy below👇

(📸: Vets for Pets Bristol Emersons Green)

Meet Jimmy, thanks to his microchip, he was reunited with his family after 2 years!

In 2021, Jimmy was suspected to be involved in a road traffic accident in which his owners were told he didn't make it. After straying for 2 years, a member of the public brought him into Doncaster Vets4Pets where our team scanned him for a microchip. After a quick call to his owners, our team were able to reunite him with his owners. We do love a happy ending💚

Storm visited Preston Capitol Vets4Pets after she got a stick stuck up her nose on a walk. The team used an otoscope to help find the stick inside her nasal passage. After using general anaesthetic, they used forceps to pull our the stick that was tightly wedged. After the removal, Storm was back to her usual happy self 💚

Aubrey visited Vets4Pets Runcorn and made herself comfortable in the sink during her consultation😆

What's the strangest place you've found your cat?👇

Daisy visited Vets for Pets Hereford for her annual nail trim. She manages to keep her nails maintained by using a variety of different sized perches. This allows for natural wear to keep them in good shape.

If you own a bird, share a picture below👇

Hoppy , lets show some love for these fantastic furry animals💚

Share a picture of yours below👇

Cookie visited Vets4Pets Harlow after her owner noticed her eyes had become cloudy and sore. Luckily, her owner had seen this before and knew she had to act quickly. Cookie had suffered from hay pokes, where bits of hay can scratch or pierce the eye. After being put under local anaesthetic, the team were able to remove the tiny pieces of hay and get Cookie feeling a lot more comfortable.

Well done to Cookie's owner, our team, and of course, Cookie💚