The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) have recently confirmed that on 1 January 2021 Great Britain will become a Third Country with respect to the EU Pet Travel Scheme.

From this date, travelling with your pets will be subject to change. Please be aware that Pet Passports will no longer be valid.

The recommendation is to start the process at least 1-2 months before your travel.

Animal Health Certificates (AHCs) will need to be issued for pet dogs, cats and ferrets travelling to the EU from Great Britain from 1 January 2021.

If you are planning to take your pet abroad in 2021, please contact us as soon as possible to enable us to start the process in good time.

For the most up-to-date information on pet travel to Europe visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/pet-travel-to-europe-from-1-january-2021

Please note, there are different requirements for some countries, so wherever you are returning from, it is important to check the latest UK Government information about travelling with your pet well in advance of your trip.

It is your responsibility as the pet owner to ensure all requirements are met.

We will continue to provide care for your pets during the COVID-19 pandemic and over the Christmas and New Year holiday period.

Please note, our opening hours may be subject to change over the holiday.

If you are concerned about the health or welfare of your pet, please call us for an appointment or emergency services. Our friendly reception team will advise you of when and where you can be seen and what you need to do.

In the case of an emergency outside of our opening hours, please contact our out of hours emergency service. Please note: In order to safely provide 24-hour emergency care for your pets at this time, the way you access emergency healthcare for your pet may not always be at your usual branch.

To help us with our new ways of working and to keep us all safe, please only attend at the practice if you have called us first and have a pre-booked appointment. Thank you.

We wish you all a safe and very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

We are here to help if you need us

Throughout the holidays, our team is here to help with telephone consultations with the vet, pre-booked appointments in practice, or to order and pick up repeat medicines.

The health and safety of our clients and colleagues alongside the welfare of the animals in our care remain our main priority at this time. Due to our new ways of working to keep us all safe, things are taking a little longer than usual reducing the number of pets we can see in practice every day. Please bear with us. We are constantly reviewing our COVID-19 risk assessment in line with Government guidelines and guidance from our governing body – the RCVS – and will keep you updated of any changes.

We politely ask that you do not attend the practice unless you have called us first and booked an appointment. Thank you.

Flea and worm treatment and repeat medication

If you are due your next supply of flea and wormer treatment or repeat medication you can also request this via the website repeat prescription form.

Prior to dispensing your treatment, a member of our team will call you to take payment where applicable and arrange safe collection.

Update on vaccinations and routine procedures during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

Your pet’s vaccination or routine procedure may have been postponed temporarily to minimise human travel and inter-person contact to help keep us all safe.

We are working hard to ensure all vaccinations due and routine procedures such as neutering are booked in, whilst maintaining stringent biosecurity protocols.

Your veterinary team is here and able to support you with telephone consultations and pre-booked appointments. Please contact us if you have any specific questions or pet health concerns.

Christmas and the New Year is a fun time for many of us but it also brings a number of problems for our pets. Follow these tips to keep your pets safe and ensure they also have a great time.

Beware of festive food

• High fat, festive foods can easily cause diarrhoea or vomiting and make your pet quite poorly·
• Human chocolate is particularly dangerous in dogs – it can build up in their bodies and cause neurological problems.
• Cooked bones, especially poultry, tend to splinter so they could puncture your pets’ stomach and lead to a serious infection. Pets can also choke on these small bones.
• Don’t let your pets’ waistlines extend as much as ours do over the Festive period! Overweight pets can suffer from a number of other health problems so keep treats to a minimum.

Decorations

• Pets may see these as toys. Glass baubles can break and lead to splinters that can stick into paws or mouths so better to use plastic ones!
• Tinsel can be chewed and swallowed and get stuck in the intestines causing a blockage.
• Be wary of playful pets chewing through fairy lights as they could get electrocuted.
• Don’t forget to be careful of children’s toys as small parts left around can be swallowed.

Noise

• The “bang” from crackers may scare pets so make sure they are in another room.
• Be aware that a noisy party at home may unsettle your pets so make sure they are in a quiet room away from the noise and check them regularly.
• Make sure that doors are not left open inviting pets to slip out unnoticed.

Reduce stress

• For pets that get particularly stressful at this time, there are diffusers to aid to help dogs in the form of a plug-in device, very similar to the plug-in air fresheners. When plugged in, the device warms up and gives off a dog appeasing pheromone. This is the same pheromone produced by a bitch after whelping which helps to reassure her puppies. The diffuser has no sedative effect and cannot be detected by humans. A similar diffuser is also available for cats. You can purchase the diffusers from your vet and it is advisable to install the diffusers well before the festivities start.

Going away

• Don’t leave your pets at home alone if you are going away for a couple of days, ensure you have arranged for someone responsible to feed them in your absence.
• If you are going away on holiday over Christmas, make sure you make arrangements with the local kennel/cattery well in advance.

Christmas is a busy time of year and we recommend that you do not buy a pet during this time.