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    The problem with pug-verts

    Dogs, News and Comment,

    Advertising has a lot to answer for. Americans never ate bacon at breakfast until a US firm decided to increase the sales of bacon and it became a breakfast staple, 80% of bacon sales now are for breakfast, even here in the UK.

    We are heavily influenced by what we see in adverts. That handbag will cost you a month’s rent, yet for many it’s worth it as it buys you an image and a status that suggest you have a much more luxurious lifestyle than you do. The need to portray that image is sold to us from advertising.

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    Cute is Costly – Meet Buxton

    Cats, News and Comment,

    From my previous blogs you may have realised that I seem to have been cat-less for a while. Well… I have news! I am back to being a cat mum again. In fact Buxton has been here for a few months but he’s been very shy so I didn’t want to announce his arrival until he was showing signs of feeling fully settled. 

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    Pet welfare on our screens

    Cats, Dogs, News and Comment,

    We are used to seeing pet welfare on the numerous animal rescue and veterinary shows we have in the UK, and I always hope that these can demonstrate good welfare that people can emulate with their own pets.

    Yet pets crop up in many TV shows and as they are part of a general storyline it appears to me that the welfare aspect of what is portrayed is sometimes not considered.

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    More than a manicure

    Cats, News and Comment,

    There was some great news from the US last month – New York is going to become the first state to ban the de-clawing of cats – check the news here.

    De-clawing is illegal in the UK – yet I have still had requests for the surgery. Working in London there are many US citizens here and it is not uncommon to get a request for a cat to be de-clawed. This is usually in response to a cat causing damage to furniture by clawing it and supports the news articles’ statement that de-clawing is a ‘convenience’ surgery for the owner with no benefit to the cat.

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    Hot Cats!

    Cats, News and Comment,

    Summer looks like it has finally arrived and for many cat owners, this can be good news! But there are also some new problems that might crop up during the warmer months. Much of the information about the hot weather is focused on dogs, as they are more likely to be under our control for exercise or travel so it’s us owners who need the education! However, although cats are more free range than dogs they may still need a little extra help this summer.

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    Feel the love, see the value

    News and Comment,

    Trips to the vets are emotional, for many reasons. We are deeply attached to our pets and even going for a routine appointment we worry that on exam a vet may find something that causes concern.

    It can be stressful as your dog may not like going, or your cat or rabbit is hard to get into a safe travel box.

    Then there’s the financial side of things, always an area of emotional stress. We need to pay for our pets’ care at the time we access it, so as clients we often feel that we need to have value from the trip.

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    Getting the most from the veterinary consult

    News and Comment,

    Have you ever left a veterinary consultation and then realised there were some questions you wanted to ask, or something you didn’t fully understand about treatment options or medication?

    It’s happened to me so I’m sure it’s happened to you too, but it got me thinking about ways we could all get more out of the veterinary consultation. While vets and vet nurses get great training in communication and consulting skills, we know that a focussed client who asks questions can really help the communication process.

    However, if you aren’t sure what to ask how can you be an active part of the consultation process?

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    Small pets for small people – how to you choose the right one?

    blog, News and Comment,

    Surprise, surprise, it’s my day off and guess what I’ve been doing?

    Well, writing, as is my usual way to spend a day off, but also at the vets. Not working but taking the dogs in for a few things. While we were there myself and the vet chatted about pet shops.

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    Defrosting Pets

    News and Comment,

    It’s sometimes hard to believe that, after writing hundreds of blogs over the 7 years, there are still some things that we do as vet nurses that are such A Thing that we don’t even know they are A THING for other people.

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    It’s Confession Time

    blog, News and Comment,

    I’ve had a dog and a cat that I rehomed. By rehomed, I mean that I owned them and I found them another home that wasn’t mine.

    Not via dubious online adverts or anything substandard for the pet – but I found them a better home through appropriate means, as they weren’t getting the best out of life with me.

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    Veterinary medicines – You get what you pay for…

    News and Comment,

    After writing a few times about some of the issues around veterinary medicines and online pharmacies, I felt I couldn’t ignore the recent BBC Watchdog TV programme that showed the varying prices of veterinary medicines across online suppliers. (more…)

    Pet owners – Don’t have a costly Christmas!

    News and Comment,

    I’m hoping that you don’t have to have a festive visit to an emergency vets this Christmas, but there are a few more hazards around at this time of year… and so sadly you may well end up having one of the 1:3 pets that will need vet treatment. You may be lucky of course – I think I have always owned the 2-3 pets that think we have a frequent flyer pass at the vets, so statistically speaking I must be saving someone’s pets somewhere a trip to the vets – I hope! (more…)

    Preventative health care – why and how – an easy guide!

    News and Comment,

    As a pet owner I know I need to ‘flea and worm’ my pets, I hear it at the vets, I see the adverts on TV and in the press, but what does this mean, how important is it and where can you buy what you need? (more…)

    What is the best food to feed my pet?

    News and Comment,

    What we feed ourselves and our pets has never been a hotter topic. Should we humans be vegan? Should our pets be vegan? Should we feed our pets grain free diets? Is raw feeding the best option? (more…)

    I was only trying to help…

    News and Comment,

    It can be very hard when a pet passes away and as a vet nurse I know we all try very hard to ensure that this is as smooth a journey as possible for you, the owner. We try to make sure you have support for all the hard decisions and difficult questions from where and when euthanasia should take place, to cremation casket choices or where and how to bury a beloved pet. (more…)

    The Mortgage of Love

    News and Comment,

    With a name like VetHelpDirect you can probably guess that we are going to be supportive of vets and the vet industry and yes, even supportive of the fees vets charge. We know that paying for healthcare for pets can sometimes be costly and in an emergency the cost of treating your pet can be the last thing you want to consider, but it’s an important part of caring for your pet. (more…)

    Using the internet safely

    News and Comment,

    This might seem an odd piece to write for a pet website – you’ve successfully got to this website so surely you’re doing ok when it comes to using the internet? (more…)

    Best UK Vets Awards 2018

    News and Comment,

     

    You may wonder why we run this directory… well, there are two reasons. Firstly, we think it’s really important that every animal owner can access a user-friendly list of vets in their area! However, there’s another thing that we’re passionate about here at Any-UK-Vet – and that’s customer service. (more…)

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