Posted By: 7 Feb
It’s not everyday of the week that I am presented with an injured goose, but part of being a vet here in rural Somerset means that we are constantly presented with new, interesting and slightly obscurer animals than your average. On a Friday afternoon, Little Rog, a 4 year old female Goose was rushed into Wells Vets with a large wound to the...
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Posted By: 31 Jan
It’s not just dogs, cats and rabbits at the vets – there are a large number of rodents owned in the UK, and this covers a large array of species. Rats, mice and guinea pigs are common rodents seen in vet practices, but there are an emerging number of other species, from hamsters and gerbils to chinchillas, to the inquisitive degu. Degus...
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Posted By: 23 Jan
Lambing season is upon us again. It is a busy and exciting time of year for sheep farmers and vets alike. I work as a farm vet but also have a small flock of sheep of my own. I love lambing time; being there to watch new-born lambs arrive in the world, stand up on their shaking legs and go looking for milk is one of my favourite things. Sheep...
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Posted By: 17 Jan
My article this week is from a slightly more personal point of view, as the dog that presented to me was one of my Nan’s 2 West Highland White Terriers – Ruby and Pearl. It is well known that WHWT’s are prone to developing skin allergies however luckily neither Ruby nor Pearl had seemed to suffer much from this throughout their...
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Posted By: 10 Jan
Spaying female dogs is an important component of responsible dog ownership and forms a large part of our routine surgery day to day at the vets. We spay dogs for several reasons; for the physical health benefits and for behavioural benefits too. Spaying before the 2nd season dramatically reduces the incidence of mammary cancers, and it also prevents...
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Posted By: 3 Jan
Dragons aren’t just a myth; they live amongst us, and require veterinary treatment too – bearded dragons, that is. These reptiles are one of the most popular exotic pets, and are probably the most common lizard presented to veterinary practice. Like all reptiles, bearded dragons have complex needs, and require a lot of time, money and dedication...
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Posted By: 27 Dec
Pepsi is an 8 and a half year old female Pug who was seen by us as the last appointment during a busy Thursday evening surgery. She had been seen by another Veterinary practice near Yeovil where the owners would normally take her as she had developed gagging/retching type symptoms, especially after attempting to eat food. She was initially treated...
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Posted By: 20 Dec
One morning back in August, Jackson’s owners noticed that all was not well with him. In spite of the fact that he was eating and fairly perky, he was blinking frequently and holding his eyes closed much of the time. They brought him straight in to us. Now, some dogs can be understandably reluctant to have their eyes checked, particularly when...
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Posted By: 13 Dec
On a quiet day in late September, we had an unexpected arrival at Wells surgery. A kitten had been found in a flowerpot in a ditch, well away from any human habitation. Her rescuer explained there were feral cats in the area, and he suspected she was one of them. Our Veterinary Nurse, Natalie, quickly took her in to get her warm and...
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Posted By: 6 Dec
This week it's all about responsible dog ownership, but with a bit of a twist! We revisit a classic, cautionary message that may seem like old news but is actually just as important today as it's always been. As a vet working in a busy practice in such a dog-loving area, many people think that I must spend most of my time cuddling cute puppies....
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Posted By: 29 Nov
Dogs can eat all sorts – and this can often mean a trip to the vets, sometimes requiring a surgery if whatever has been eaten has then become stuck. What is more unusual is a greedy cat that will eat anything, edible or not. This is a description of Misty, the three year old moggy who doesn’t care what she has a nibble at! Unfortunately,...
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Posted By: 22 Nov
Even if you are not very familiar with cows, you are probably aware of the fact they have four stomachs. Ruminants have multiple stomachs to make them more effective at getting nutrients from food products that we humans would be unable to digest. They are highly efficient digesters! Diary cattle are working very hard shortly after they have had...
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Posted By: 15 Nov
Dog owners are now familiar with the law that dogs must be microchipped, but cat owners are missing the benefits of microchipping their cats; it may not be the law but it is even more important in cats as they don’t generally wear any identification. This is a tale of two black and white cats that both went missing within days of each other....
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Posted By: 8 Nov
With increasing numbers of cars on the road and high density cat populations in built up areas, road traffic accidents, or RTAs involving cats are unfortunately a common occurrence and seem to be on the rise. With the speed that cars travel, even at residential speed limits, a collision with a cat can cause a severe amount of damage, and is often fatal. Cats...
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Posted By: 1 Nov
Very often, in veterinary medicine, we’re dealing with the unknown, making decisions without all the information. We discuss the likelihood of various scenarios with a worried owner to guide our choices, and we have wished countless times for the ability to predict the future. A recent patient, Jack, was a great example of this. Jack is a...
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Posted By: 18 Oct
During a busy morning at the surgery, we expect to see a lot of cats and dogs visiting, but we usually have a few other species as well: - mammals, reptiles and birds. Since the rise in popularity of keeping ‘backyard hens’ they are quite frequent visitors. Hens have super personalities, they are friendly and chatty as well as...
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Posted By: 11 Oct
Bruno is a lively and lovely 6 month old English Bull Terrier. He is known for chewing sticks but his owners were not aware just how many other things he had chewed ! Whilst he was playing he was seen to swallow a bright red foam rubber ball whole. The ball was large enough to obstruct the outflow from his stomach or, if it had gone in to his intestines,...
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Posted By: 4 Oct
Amputation of a limb isn’t an option that owners want to have to consider for their dogs, but sometimes unfortunately some diseases leave owners and vets with little option. When it comes between losing a leg or extending life, this often helps owners come to a decision on the surgery, whilst it is also worth noting that a lot of dogs can cope...
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Posted By: 20 Sep
ong summer days bring additional joy to a dog walk. Springer Spaniel Seth had been out for a lovely sunny walk with his other canine pals when he suddenly cried out and was persistently bothering his ear. All night long he was scratching at it and despite his owners best efforts to calm him down, they couldn’t, nor could they see what the problem...
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Posted By: 6 Sep
Daisy is a lovely friendly 3 year old Spanish Water dog. She has always been quieter than her ‘sister’ Poppy and, particularly since being neutered, her owners have struggled with her expanding waistline. We try to assess a pet’s weight every time we see them. Being underweight can be a sign of underfeeding, parasites or underlying...
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Posted By: 30 Aug
Skin. It’s that time of year again when about a third of our consults are skin related, primarily itchy skin, with common sites being ears and paws. The causes of this often come down to a handful of common conditions – fleas, mites, allergic/sensitive skin (called allergic dermatitis) and other conditions such as fungal infections inc....
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Posted By: 16 Aug
Whenever you get a new puppy or kitten it is fascinating introducing them to their new home and watching as they go through a range of emotions. Initially they may be wary and apprehensive about fully exploring their new environment. However, as their confidence builds, it’s not long before they are tearing around the house and maybe...
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Posted By: 9 Aug
Cat fights are common in built up areas when a high density of cats are found in a relatively small area. ‘Entire’, or non-neutered, male cats are especially territorial and will fight between each other very commonly over resources like land, food and female cats. They also tend to stray further afield, encountering more cats. Meep was...
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Posted By: 1 Aug
When you’re a 10 month old Cocker Spaniel puppy, exploring the world with your nose and your mouth, anything could be a source of food even when maybe it shouldn’t be! Winston’s owners grew concerned one morning after he vomited and appeared to be uncontrollably tremoring. He had been his normal puppy self earlier that day and...
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Posted By: 19 Jul
Being Veterinary surgeons we get to deal with both pleasant experiences, like playing with puppies/kittens/bunnies, and in some cases unpleasant experiences such as smelly bodily excretions. It is not unusual for us therefore to have to examine your pets faeces or urine to give us a clue as to what might be causing them to be poorly. In this case...
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Posted By: 5 Jul
Taking on a new kitten is an exciting experience, and can also be a busy time too. There are lots of things to think about, not least all the routine check-ups and visits to the vets. Usually these are planned for and can be scheduled at convenient times, with a bit preparation. This was not the case however for Bob. Bob’s new owners adored...
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Posted By: 24 Jun
Stitch the lamb had a bit of an eventful start to life! Moment after he was born he began to eviscerate his intestines through his navel. This as you can imagine is a true emergency. Umbilical defects can be fairly common in ruminants, either as a result of a congenital condition resulting in failure of the body wall closing or as a result of trauma...
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Posted By: 20 Jun
I suspect very few people are aware of the number of feral cat colonies that exist in our area. Many start from abandoned cats or kittens, or from unneutered cats that wander away from home and become lost. Sometimes a well meaning cat owner has allowed his or her pet cat or farm cat to breed, but been unable to find or rehome all of the kittens...
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Posted By: 13 Jun
Rosie is a lovely tortoiseshell female cat (with attitude !). Her owner noticed that she was having difficulty eating and one of her lower canine teeth was at an abnormal angle. On examination it was clear that the tooth was broken and the loose part was removed. The root was still present and, as retained roots can cause pain and infection, Rosie...
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Posted By: 6 Jun
We only get two eyes in life, and when eyes go wrong they can deteriorate rapidly. There are many conditions of the eye in animals, but some are more common than others and one that we see very regularly is ulceration to the external surface of the eye (the cornea). This can be caused by a number of things. One cause would be abnormalities to the...
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Posted By: 30 May
Farm cats are often a common sight amongst working farms – their ratting skills are invaluable at keeping rodent numbers down; a much needed pest control to limit disease, damage and loss of food stocks. Whilst keeping rat numbers low, it is very important to keep cat numbers well controlled also, so all farm cats should be neutered to limit...
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Posted By: 23 May
If you have popped in to Shepton or Wells Vets recently, or follow us on Social Media, then some of you may know that May is National Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month. Every year the British Veterinary Nursing Association dedicates a whole Month on raising awareness of the Veterinary Nursing Profession and what it involves. This...
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Posted By: 16 May
Toffee is a lovely 6 year old female Rhodesian ridgeback x Labrador who was brought into us as an emergency last month. She had been out on a walk with her owners when they suddenly heard a yelp and Toffee ran back over to them limping. When an emergency comes into the practice you are never quite sure with exactly what you will be faced with and...
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Posted By: 9 May
Ear disease is a regularly occurring ailment suffered by our pet dogs, and is one of the most common reasons for a visit to the vets. Treatment and recovery is usually fairly straight forward, often with owners applying daily medicated antibacterial and antifungal drops to their dog’s ears for at least a week. However Pilot the Irish Wolfhound...
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Posted By: 2 May
Very often, when pets are ill, it is immediately apparent. Their worried owners know straightaway that something isn’t right and bring them to see us at the surgery. Sometimes, however, issues can develop so gradually that it is difficult to be sure there is a problem until it is quite advanced, even for the most diligent owners. This was the...
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Posted By: 25 Apr
April is ‘National Pet Month’ and so it seems fitting to discuss new pets and some top tips for keeping our animals happy and healthy throughout their lives. First of all, looking at our own lifestyle, free time, working hours and home environment is of utmost importance, these factors are key influencers for choosing between a cat or...
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Posted By: 18 Apr
Over my years in Veterinary Practice, I’ve seen hundreds of rabbits with all sorts of ailments, major and minor. Some of these are due to infections, some are problems the rabbit was born with, some are linked to an inappropriate diet, and some are just bad luck. But the saddest of all are the illnesses that could have been prevented, and that’s...
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Posted By: 11 Apr
Spring is upon us and the Easter holiday is fast approaching and lots of chocolatey treats will be lining up ready to consume in excess. However humans are not the only ones with a sweet tooth, chocolate toxicity percentages in dogs rise over the Easter period and dogs are usually admitted to induce vomiting (if ingested within the first 3 hours)....
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Posted By: 8 Apr
Here at Shepton and Wells vets we see and treat cats of all different life stages, ranging from kittens to our elderly companions. Each life stage brings different challenges and considerations, none more so than when our feline friends are entering their latter years. We work a lot in partnership with cats protection (CP) who frequently bring in elderly...
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Posted By: 4 Apr
With the new Wells Surgery in full flow, it has been wonderful to see both new and existing clients setting foot into the practice with their pets. Our Nurse Clinics provide a service for patients, from clipping nails, to vaccinations but also for our clients as we can listen and advise them on their pet’s health and wellbeing. My...
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Posted By: 29 Mar
Calcium is known to be an important mineral in the body, for healthy bones as well as nerve and muscle function.The circulating levels for this reason are well controlled, and it can be a real danger if levels drop, but as much loved patterdale cross Nigel experienced, high calcium can also cause its own problems. Nigel is an older chap, and although...
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Posted By: 22 Mar
It’s springtime on the farm, and the idyllic picture of lambs in the fields is starting to appear. It’s also a time when some of our dairy farms calve all their cows, but in fact for most this is an all year round job. New born calves are the future of the dairy herd and farmers know investing in them today will have long-term benefits....
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Posted By: 15 Mar
Toothache in our pets is a difficult one for both owners and vets to assess. Often cats and dogs will still have a hearty appetite and will simply learn to eat around the painful tooth and avoid the crunchy bits, much like you and I. The causes of toothache in cats and dogs most typically are associated with plaque build up which causes an inflammation...
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Posted By: 8 Mar
Logan has had an eventful life – he was rescued from Crete at about 4 months old and landed on his paws with a loving home. We first met him when he was approximately 5 months old and he was very healthy then. His first few months in the UK were uneventful but then he quite quickly became unwell. Initially it looked like he had gastritis (stomach...
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Posted By: 1 Mar
I’d like to say that nothing is a surprise to us in our job – that we always have full knowledge and control of all that is right and wrong with our patients. However, the truth is very different, and the only part of our job that I am now not surprised by is when our patients do things that completely baffle and confuse us. In fact, this...
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Posted By: 22 Feb
When Teg came in to see us at the end of November, it seemed that he was just suffering from a nasty upset tummy. He wasn’t quite himself but there was nothing to make us worry too much about him. He was treated with some paste containing gut-friendly bacteria to try and settle the problem down, but was no better the next day and had started...
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Posted By: 15 Feb
Neutering, or castration for male dogs specifically, is a routine operation carried out regularly at veterinary practices. Castration is usually performed preventatively, to reduce or eliminate the risk of developing testosterone driven diseases, as well as for behavioural reasons and preventing unwanted pregnancies. However this surgery is also a...
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Posted By: 8 Feb
Does your dog get itchy ears? Romeo, pictured here, saw Polly the vet at our Wells practice recently with just that problem, clinically called Otitis Externa. It’s very common in dogs. Sometimes we treat it with antibiotics, but in fact that is far from the first line of treatment. Primary infections in the ears in dogs are actually...
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Posted By: 1 Feb
Emergency surgeries are commonly performed both at our Shepton practice and Wells branch, and are some of the most satisfying treatments we do when the animal operated on recovers and is able to go home, especially following a caesarean when they have puppies or kittens in tow! Equally however, they can also be some of the most disappointing,...
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Posted By: 25 Jan
When a worried owner comes to see us because something is not right with their pet, it can be really rewarding to make an accurate diagnosis, and even more so to correct the problem. We always aim to do both of these if we can. Occasionally, however, we can neither pin down the cause of the problem nor solve it, and yet the outcome is still good. Our...
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Posted By: 11 Jan
Billy is a lovely little West Highland White Terrier cross now just over 2 and a half years old. He is lively and loves life and has no health issues. When he was around 2 years old, however, he developed an itchy bottom which did not settle with supportive treatment. We were suspicious that this was a result of allergic skin disease. Dogs...
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Posted By: 1 Aug
Siamese cats are well known for their chatty personality, with a loud miaow asking for attention and affection as often as possible! So when Crumble the 11 year old Siamese started losing his voice and sparkle during a bout of sickness, everyone was determined to bring it back for him. Unfortunately Crumble was no stranger to illness and had spent...
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Posted By: 1 Apr
Oscar is a rather handsome young Persian and knows it all too well! When he’s not sitting looking pretty he loves nothing more to lie around in the lap of luxury, enjoying the best of a cat’s life. However it came as a shock to him one day when he became ill and was scooped up to be taken into the vets. Oscar ended up with an emergency...
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Posted By: 1 Mar
On the Saturday morning after ‘The Beast from the East’ had hit Somerset, a small team battled their way into the practice, expecting at least a few emergency patients in need of help. One definite emergency was Garfield the cat. Garfield had been off colour for a couple of days and during the last 24 hours had not been seen to urinate...
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Posted By: 1 Jan
As our dogs get older unfortunately we accept they may develop more health problems. Roxy is one such patient. She is a lovely 12 year old Doberman who came to see us almost a year ago now. She is generally a very fit and well girl who looked great for her age. Her owners bought her in when they noticed she was drinking more and generally a bit off...
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It’s not just dogs, cats and rabbits at the vets – there...
Lambing season is upon us again. It is a busy and exciting time of...
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