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Category: SMALL

PetPlan Veterinary Awards 2020

The PetPlan Veterinary Awards 2020 are now open!

2020 marks an amazing 21 years of these awards celebrating excellence within the veterinary industry.

The Petplan Veterinary Awards recognise the fantastic work that goes on in veterinary practices across the UK. Petplan has worked closely with the veterinary profession for over 40 years and hosts these independent industry awards to recognise the hard work and dedication of veterinary staff caring for our pets.

If you think that the Oakhill Veterinary Centre practice or someone in our practice team deserves to win, click here to complete the nomination form.

Thank you!

Sneaky peek at our new small animal facilities?

Join us for a behind-the-scenes look at the brand new small animal facilities at our Goosnargh branch on:

Sunday 13th October 2019
1pm – 4pm

at Oakhill Veterinary Centre, Langley Lane, Goosnargh, PR3 2JQ

  • Practice tours 
  • See behind the scenes at your local vets
  • Meet the team
  • Refreshments
  • Demonstrations
  • Children’s activities

PLUS there’ll be a FREE PRIZE DRAW to be in with a chance of winning a Chocolate Hamper!

We hope you can join us!

Pippa – Patent Ductus Arteriosus

PippaPippa, a beautiful Cockerpoo, was diagnosed at 4 months of age with a serious congenital heart defect known as Patent Ductus Arteriosus (or PDA for short) after a heart murmur, that was picked up during her initial vaccination appointment, failed to disappear.

A PDA is caused by a blood vessel that connects the body’s major artery (aorta) to the main vessel that supplies the lungs (pulmonary artery) failing to close after birth as it should normally do. This can lead to poor growth, damage to the lungs, heart failure and ultimately death with 50% of cases not even seeing their 1st birthday.

Pippa’s diagnosis was made at our Conway Drive branch by vet, Giles Lambert, performing an ultrasound scan of her heart which showed the PDA and the abnormal blood flow that it was causing. The scan also revealed that her heart was already becoming enlarged because of the PDA, a worrying sign that heart failure would develop if left for too long.

Fortunately for Pippa she was able to be referred to specialists at Liverpool University’s Small Animal Teaching Hospital. A month after her diagnosis she underwent an operation to place a small device into the PDA (via a catheter in one of her back legs) to stop blood flowing through it.

Pippa PDA Angiogram

Pippa PDAThe procedure has been a complete success so far and Pippa can hopefully now look forward to a completely normal and lengthy life!

Thank you to Pippa’s owners for letting us share her story.

RCVS Accredited


RCVS accredited – What does that mean?

What is the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons’ Practice Standards Scheme?


The Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) is a voluntary accreditation scheme for veterinary practices. It was set up by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) in 2005 to promote and maintain high standards in veterinary care. The Scheme does this by setting standards and inspecting the practices that choose to take part.

RCVS Accredited Practice LogoAll RCVS-accredited practices have to meet Core standards, including hygiene, health and safety, clinical governance and the facilities provided. On top of this ‘Core’ accreditation, General Practices can gain species – or discipline-specific accreditations, for example, small animals, farm animals, equine patients.

Oakhill Veterinary Centre is RCVS accredited for all 3 divisions (small animal, farm animal and equine).

 

To maintain the accreditation, practices are inspected by RCVS Assessors every four years and there are random spot checks.

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It can be hard for owners to know what happens behind the scenes at the vets so the scheme can reassure people about hygiene and facilities available at an individual practice.

If you have any questions about the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme you can visit their website: https://animalowners.rcvs.org.uk/accredited-practices/about-the-practice-standards-scheme/

Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month!

Outside of the consulting room, most of the attention and medical care your pet receives is at the hands of a veterinary nurse. It is this we celebrate each May, as Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month (VNAM) gives us an opportunity to talk about our role in caring for your pets.

In any given day a veterinary nurse may find themselves taking x-rays, medicating patients, doing consults, maintaining equipment, monitoring anaesthetics, dressing wounds, answering phones, and the list goes on!

The title “Veterinary Nurse” is not yet protected in law (meaning anyone can use it), but it is advised by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons that it should be taken to mean only Registered Veterinary Nurses (RVNs). Our RVNs have undertaken a rigorous training programme, sat examinations, and are subject to a Code of Conduct, which includes a disciplinary process if a grievance should arise. We continue to study, and log professional development hours to maintain our Registration throughout our careers. Some RVNs undertake specialist training in a range of topics, especially the care of exotic pets, canine behaviour, advanced nursing and more. There are several different routes to becoming a veterinary nurse, and BVNA can provide you advice on the career and studying, if you are interested in pursuing this career.

The British Veterinary Nursing Association (BVNA) represents RVNs and promotes responsible pet care to the general public through Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month (VNAM). During VNAM you may see a display in your local practice, or an event in your town or village. This is a chance for us to interact with our clients and the public, so don’t be shy – ask about what your RVNs do, and their special interests. You may find they can help you with a pet problem you have been having. Also, RVNs usually have pets themselves, and love to talk about them just as you do!

Did you know we have 12 fully qualified RVN’s at Oakhill Veterinary Centre!

https://www.oakhill-vets.com/nurse-clinics/

Injured cat found at local scrap yard

Two year old Bonnie was recently found with some serious injuries, under the bonnet of a scrap car at a local recycling plant.

Bonnie was brought to our Conway Drive surgery with a fractured tibia, broken canine tooth and some wounds around her face.

Unfortunately Bonnie is not microchipped, so local charity, Lancashire Cat Rescue, agreed to take her in.

The first stage of Bonnie’s treatment was for our vets to repair Bonnie’s leg with pins and an external frame to stabilise the fracture – see images.

The next stage planned is to remove Bonnie’s broken tooth when she has post op radiographs in 6 weeks time.

Bonnie is now recuperating with Lancashire Cat Rescue.

The kitten & the dinosaur

At Oakhill Veterinary Centre our vets see many species of animal but don’t expect to come across dinosaurs!

Kodi, a 10 month old kitten presented with intermittent vomiting that had been going on for one week.  During his examination at our Watling Street Road branch, Oakhill Vet Ciara Callan could feel something abnormally firm and knobbly in his abdomen. Concerned that he may have eaten something that had become stuck Ciarra decided to sedate Kodi and take some X-rays.

The xrays didn’t show a bony foreign body but while Kodi was sedated the vet could have a really good feel of his abdomen and could feel there was something very strange going on in there so decided to take Kodi to surgery.

During surgery Ciara found that Kodi’s guts were inflamed and in his small intestine she found the culprit….. a dinosaur! Well the torso of what looks to be a toy T-Rex. 

The dinosaur was made of a soft rubber which is why it didn’t show up on the xray. If the dinosaur had been left Kodi wouldn’t have been able to eat and the results would have been catastrophic.

Kodi is doing very well after surgery, although he doesn’t like resting and wants to go back to playing with his brother.

Thank you to Kodi’s human mum for letting us share this story as warning to other cat parents to be careful with what their furbabies play with (although we have no idea where he found the dinosaur!).

Brexit: Travelling with pets after UK leaves the EU

Pet owners will still be able to travel to Europe with their pet after the UK leaves the EU, whatever the outcome of the Brexit negotiations. However, in the event of no deal, they may need to take some additional steps to be able to travel with their pet to the EU.

If pet owners are planning to travel after 29 March 2019 the Government will recommend they contact their vet at least four months in advance to check what they need to do.

Those wishing to travel to the EU on 30 March 2019, for example, should discuss requirements with their vet as soon as possible and by 28 November 2018 at the latest.

The requirements for travel would include making sure that pets are effectively vaccinated against rabies before they travel. This involves having an up-to-date rabies vaccination and a blood test to demonstrate sufficient levels of rabies antibody.

The blood test would need to be carried out a minimum of 30 days after any initial rabies vaccination and a minimum of three months before their travel date. This means that pet owners will need to talk to their vet about health requirements in good time to make sure they are able to travel with their pet.

The Government has published further guidance for pet owners on its website.

If you wish to discuss further, please contact us.

Petplan Awards – Vote for us!

Petplan Veterinary Awards – Vote for us!

The Petplan Veterinary Awards recognise the fantastic work that goes on in veterinary practices across the UK. Petplan has worked closely with the veterinary profession for over 40 years and hosts these independent industry awards to recognise the hard work and dedication of veterinary staff caring for our pets.

Does our practice or someone in the team deserve to win a Veterinary Award?

To nominate Oakhill or a member of our team, please visit petplan.co.uk/vetawards

#PetplanVetAwards