News & views

This Friday is the official opening of our new independent local veterinary surgery in Lincoln. We invite you to pop down to the Carlton Centre from 10am – 3pm and see our brand new state of the art facilities.

Every year, as we approach the excitement of Bonfire Night, we run through all the safety considerations for us humans. But for those of us with pets, let’s consider the impact on them and their levels of anxiety at this time of year.

As we head towards the winter months, we asked our Senior Veterinary Surgeon, Ximo Huertas, to talk us through some of the hazards of the coming season and how best to protect our pets.

This month, we are focussing on what it means to own and care for a cat. There are all sorts of things to consider for these curious, often independent furry friends. So far, we have explored how to find the right cat (or kitten) for you and how to safely introduce it to your home.

There are many reasons why your cat’s behaviour may change; it may be that they are simply exhibiting normal cat behaviour! Some behaviours you may wish to discourage, but others may be a sign of an underlying condition that requires more attention.

This week, Veterinary Nurse, Alison Pearcy, talks about the needs and the life of both indoor and outdoor cats. Alison has seven cats of her own: two Maine Coons Trevor and Cedric, and five rescued moggies: Beryl, Pushka, Matilda, Claude and Zach! There’s not a lot Alison hasn’t seen or experienced on the feline scene!

If only our pets could talk life would be a little easier!  But as it is unlikely they will ever master the art of human language, we need to look at other ways to understand what our cats are trying to tell us. 

When making the decision to bring a new cat or kitten into your home, there are many things to consider to ensure that it’s the right decision not only for you and your family, but also for the new pet.

We all know dogs love a good walk, to run, jump and chase. All of these movements depend on a healthy nervous system from the brain, through the spinal cord and out to the nerves around the body. So, why does this become a concern when owning a flat-faced dog?

We’d like to provide some insight into the breeding of these dogs and highlight some of the lesser-known complications they face when giving birth.

Just as overcrowding of teeth in humans presents dental and gum issues, so does the overcrowding of a dog’s mouth. As the brachycephalic breeds have a shortened skull, it follows that they have a shortened jaw, yet the number and size of their teeth remain the same as those of their species with longer snouts.

Here at The Pet Vet we are going to be looking at some of the complexities of owning a ‘flat-faced’ (brachycephalic) dog. There are several breeds that fall into this description including French bulldogs, English bulldogs, Boston terriers, pugs, Cavalier King Charles spaniels, shih tzus and boxers.