Best friends | veterinary surgery

A plea for help

Cats Protection has today issued an emergency appeal in response to a dramatic rise in the number of unwanted cats needing the charity's help.

The cat charity, which looks after up to 7,000 unwanted cats at any one time, has experienced a sudden increase in the numbers of cats being brought to parts of its 253 volunteer-run branches and 29 adoption centres in recent weeks.

Among the worst-affected is a branch that has taken in six-times more cats than normal and an adoption centre that is inundated with a record number of 100 unwanted kittens.

As a result, the charity has issued an emergency appeal asking people to make a donation to stop the situation getting any worse.

Peter Hepburn, the charity's Chief Executive said: "This surge in unwanted cats is extremely distressing. It is a crisis for the cats and it piles additional pressure onto our volunteers. Our network of branches and centres are already stretched to the limit looking after the cats in their care.

"I fear this could push the charity to breaking point if it continues and leave us unable to help the many thousands of unwanted cats out there so we are urgently asking for help. For example, just £16 could enable us to care for one extra cat - providing them with food, veterinary care and a warm place to sleep."

If you would like to make a donation go to www.worcestercats.org.uk or call 01386 751925

Open Day 24th April 2010

Best Friends Veterinary Surgery is having a charity fundraising and open day on Saturday 24th March from 1-5pm.

• A look behind the scenes and to meet the staff
• Childrens' treasure hunt and animal characters
• Careers advice
• Charity stalls including Cats Protection tombola, second hand books, lucky dip, raffle to win Pet's Portrait, bric-a-brac, pick-a-card and much more.

Children and adults of all ages welcome. Please call 01684 573333 and speak to Kirsty for more information.

A new face at Best Friends

We are very pleased to welcome Sharon Bevan RVN as a new addition to the team at Best Friends. With twenty-one years in the veterinary industry including head nurse for over ten years, Sharon brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience. Please make  Sharon very welcome when you telephone or call in to the surgery.

You can read more about Sharon here.

Alfrick and Lulsley annual show - 5th September 2009

Best Friends Veterinary Surgery are pleased to announce that vet Jon Slattery has been invited to be the official veterinarian for the Alfrick and Lulsley show again.

 There are dozens of stalls, arena events including a Kennel Club championship dog show, and much, much more. It is the 'Event' of its type in the area with over 3000 visitors.  So come along, enjoy the day, and remember all of the profit from the event goes to support local good causes.

Please click here for more details.

Lungworm - an emerging threat

Angiostrongylus (or lungworm as it is more commonly known) is a roundworm that most pet owners will not have heard of. Transmitted by slugs and snails, lungworm has been rife in Wales for a number of years now where it is well suited to the damp conditions that favour its vector. The change in our climate leading to more prolonged episodes of heavy rain and saturated ground have proved ideal breeding grounds for slugs and snails. Their exponential increase in the wet summer months of 2007 saw a massive jump in numbers of pets being infected with lungworm.

Lungworm can remain undetected for a number of weeks whilst it interferes with blood clotting and lung function. Often the first an owner knows of an infection is when their pet comes in bleeding from the nose, mouth or eyes with no obvious cause. Prompt aggressive treatment is required but even so there is about a 50% mortality rate. Prevention is the best option by dosing with a wormer known to cover lungworm every eight weeks during the wetter months, particularly if it is warm as well.

The surgery has two different, easy to use products for both preventing and treating lungworm. Please don't hesitate to call us for advice if you are concerned.

National Microchip Month - June 2009

June is National Microchip Month where the benefits of microchipping your pet are promoted nationwide.

Microchipping has been around for over twenty years now but has gained increasing popularity in the last few years as new manufacturing processes have brought the price right down to only a few pounds.

A silicone coated electronic device not much bigger than a grain of rice is inserted underneath the skin at the base of the neck in a quick and easy injection. This 'microchip' has a unique fifteen digit number encoded into it.

A handheld scanner can be used to interrogate the microchip and read the unique code. This code is then matched up to the particular pet's details on a secure central database.

Should a pet be lost and brought in to any veterinary surgery, rescue shelter, police station or dog warden, they can be checked for a microchip and the owners notified immediately, twenty-four hours a day.

The microchip doesn't have any batteries to run out and so lasts the life of the animal. The system is also global which means that an animal that was 'chipped' in the UK and subsequently moves abroad can still be traced back to the UK database.

As well as being an excellent means of permanent identification for your pet, microchips are also being used for other applications such as the PetPorte microchip cat flap.

During National Microchip Month, Best Friends are able to microchip your pet while you wait for only £12.50 (usual cost £17.50). For more information or to book an appointment please telephone the surgery on 01684 57 33 33.

A new arrival...

Jon and Kirsty are pleased to announce the arrival of their baby girl. Baby Carys arrived at 7.04am on Saturday 2nd May by normal delivery despite a birth weight of 8lb 12oz.

Both mother and daughter continue to do well though father is still very shell shocked!

A big thank you to all the cards and gifts that have poured in over the last couple of days and for your kind words.

The Cinnamon Trust
For many owners, especially the elderly or those with poor health, their pets are their only source of companionship and their raison d’etre. It is widely acknowledged that pets can positively benefit the well being of their carers, offering solace from loneliness and despair. Pets are affectionate and loyal, do not criticise or judge and help to give structure and routine to the day.

The special relationship between owner and pet adds incalculably to the quality of life, but all the pleasures and benefits can be completely neutralised by intense anxiety regarding the fate of their devoted companion should the owner die, fall ill or have to move into residential accommodation. If an ‘old faithful’ dies, elderly owners are often reluctant to have another pet for these reasons, and life for them loses much of its warmth, light and purpose.

The Cinnamon Trust is the only specialist national charity which seeks to relieve the anxieties, problems and sometimes injustices, faced by elderly and terminally ill people and their pets. The Trust’s primary objective is to respect and preserve the treasured relationship between owners and their pets. To this end it works in partnership with owners to overcome any difficulties that might arise.

As well as practical help such as walking a dog for a housebound owner, the Trust also provides short-term fostering whilst their owners are in hospital, or more long-term care for pets whose owners have died or moved into residential accommodation. Arrangements are made between the Trust and the owner well in advance, if possible, so that owners do have peace of mind in the knowledge that their beloved companion will have a safe and happy future.

For more information on the Cinnamon Trust, to make a donation or leave a legacy, or to become one of a growing network of over 10,000 volunteers, please contact them using the details below.

The Cinnamon Trust
10 Market Square
Hayle
Cornwall TR27 4HE

Tel: 01736 757 900

www.cinnamon.org.uk

Coping with Firework Night - advice for pet owners

With the winter nights drawing in, and Guy Fawkes night just around the corner many pet owners wait with nervous anticipation for the first fireworks to be set off. It seems that each year bigger and louder fireworks are sold creating explosions the like of which have not been seen and heard since the Second World War.

Cats are naturally nervous and shy creatures and for the most part will try and hole up somewhere until the barrage is over. Additionally many domestic dogs are also totally unfazed by the flashes and crashes outside the house. For those that are firework phobic though, their worst nightmare is repeated night after night like a hellish version of Groundhog Day.

Download the article below (Adobe PDF format) for some practical tips on how you can help your pet survive firework night.

Firework advice for pet owners.pdf

The surgery also stocks  DAP canine pheromone diffusers/collars and also Skullcap and Valerian compound for aiding coping with firework phobic pets.