One of the first and most important things to consider before letting your cat outdoors is to ensure that they have some form of identification, ideally cats should be microchipped or at least be wearing a safety collar with an Id tag.

Risk of infection due to interacting with other cats is now possible, nasty conditions such as enteritis, cat flu and leukaemia can be spread so it is advisable that your cat is fully up to date with their vaccinations before allowing them to explore the outdoors. 

 Whilst your cat is still indoors it is a good time to practice recall, you can encourage this by using a tin with treats inside, shake the tin whilst shouting his/her name. Reward them with a treat when they come to you. Another useful idea is to spread some of their used cat litter around the edges of your garden, cats as we know are extremely sensitive to smells and this familiar smell may help them to feel safe and help with confidence. As well as informing neighbouring cats there’s a new cat in the area.

Cats are cautious by nature, so it’s unlikely they will bolt straight out the door. Most will take their time deciding if it’s safe or not. Do not pick them up and take into the garden be patient. 

Choose a quiet time of day preferably when the weather is dry. Do not feed your cat as they tend not to roam very far on an empty belly. 

Open your door and accompany your cat outside, leave the door open so they can retreat quickly to what they know as a safe haven if they feel the need to. Do not be alarmed if they disappear into a nearby bush this is actually a normal strategy in order for them to acclimatise to a new environment. After approximately 20 mins call your cat indoors using your tin if necessary.

As each day passes your cat will gain more confidence staying outside for longer periods at one time, learning and having fun displaying their natural behaviour.

Blog post written by RVN & Cat Advocate of Bay Vets, Jo McCartney.

To celebrate Rabbit Awareness Week (17th-25th June) here at Bay Vets, we will be holding FREE Rabbit Health Checks for the whole month of June.

What is RAW 2017?
This year’s Rabbit Awareness Week (RAW) is running from June 17th -25th, and this year we will be addressing the fact that rabbits remain one of the most misunderstood pets in the UK.

The key issue for the 2017 campaign is the lack of pet owner understanding around the importance of a hay-led, fibre-rich diet in supporting good digestive health, dental health and behavior, after the news that only 30% of owners report that their rabbits have constant access to fresh feeding hay for eating.

For more information speak to your nearest Bay Vets surgery to book in for a FREE rabbit health check.

May is VETERINARY NURSING AWARENESS MONTH!

Throughout the month of May we will be sharing advice about each and every service our amazing Nurses provide here at Bay Vets!

Veterinary nurses play an important role in the care of your pet, and are a vital member of the veterinary team. They carry out technical work and are skilled in undertaking a range of diagnostic tests, medical treatments and minor surgical procedures, under veterinary surgeon direction.

Veterinary nurses also advise on keeping pets healthy and in many practices run their own nursing consultations and out-patient checks.

Take a look at just how skilled our nursing team are here at Bay Vets by visiting the following webpage: https://www.bayvets.co.uk/nurse-clinics/

ANITA’S ZAMBEZI CANOE CHALLENGE COMPETITION!! 

To help raise funds for the WVS (Worldwide Veterinary Service) and to support Bay Vets Administrative Director Anita in her 100 mile Zambezi Canoe Challenge in September, we will be running the following competition at all 4 of our surgeries. To read more on Anita’s challenge, you can visit the following Just giving page:https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Anita-Lowis1  or for more information on this amazing charity you can visit: https://wvs.org.uk

To enter: Select one of the 265 male names from our surgery list for just £3 per entry!!!

The winner will win a BRAND NEW APPLE IPAD MINI worth £250 and also have the opportunity to take our adorable elephant home to keep.

ENTER NOW FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!!

Competition closes end of April 2017.

Two two swans were brought to us via the RSPCA late one evening. (They are not actually a bonded pair.) One had substantial damage to its tongue and the other had damage to its wing.

The swan with damage to its tongue, had a hook removed from it by a passing farm vet the day before. The swan was kept in a barn over night to recuperate but in the morning the tongue was very swollen and sticking out of the side of the beak!

The RSPCA were called and brought the swan to us for assessment. Our Vet gave the swan a full check over and there were no other injuries and the swan seemed to be healthy.

The tongue was so swollen due to infection that it was being pushed out of the beak. The swan was then inadvertently cutting the blood supply off to its own tongue with its beak. The swan was given long acting antibiotics and pain relief and sent to a local rehabilitation centre to recover. We suspect that once the swelling reduces in the tongue the swan will be able to return to normal life and be released back into the wild. Below are some pictures of the swan.

The second swan seemed to have a broken wing upon arrival so the vet gave the swan a full examination to ensure there were no other injuries. the swan seemed to be fine other than having a slightly limp wing. The vet could not feel any obvious breaks but we decided to take an x-ray to be sure. A swan cannot be released to the wild if both wings are not fully functioning. Once the swan was settled on the x-ray table we placed a towel over its head to keep it calm and dimmed the lights. The vet studied the x-ray and couldn’t find any obvious reason as to why the wing was limp, there were no breaks. The bird was given some pain relief and sent to a rehabilitation centre along with the other swan to be assessed over the next couple of days.

A couple of days past, and we have been updated that the swans have made a full recover and been release back where they were found.

Following on from our Christmas Quiz we had for Save-A-Pet animal charity based in Morecambe, we are super pleased to announce £108.00 has been raised.

The winner with an amazing 25/25 for the quiz is Mrs Lyth from Carnforth. Here Mrs Lyth is, with our Boutique Assistant Linda collecting her prize being a yummy chocolate hamper. 🙂

Thank you to all that entered and helped us raise funds for this amazing animal charity. Here are the answers for those of you who racked their brains to enter.

NATIONAL PET DENTAL HEALTH MONTH – FEB 2017 

To celebrate National pet dental health month, here at Bay Vets we will be hosting “FREE DENTAL HEALTH CHECKS” with our Veterinary Surgeons for the month of February only.

Brushing your pets teeth isn’t just about fresh breath. Gum Disease is a common, serious problem in pets, yet brushing can prevent it.

Vets estimate that 85% of dogs over 5 years of age suffer from periodontal disease, which develops when food particles and bacteria collect along the gum line and form soft deposits called plaque.

Over time plaque develops into hard tartar and this can cause gum inflammation. As the inflamed gums begin to separate from the teeth, pockets form in which bacteria grow, causing periodontal disease to get worse. This can lead to pain, loss of teeth and bacterial infection which can speak to kidneys, liver or their brain.

Periodontal disease is irreversible so prevention is the key to keeping your pet healthy & happy.

It is ideal to brush your pets teeth daily like you would your own, but if you schedule doesn’t allow this then aim to brush at least several times a week.

If you are unsure on your pets dental hygiene or have any concerns, simply contact your nearest Bay Vets surgery to book your free check up.

Offer ends 28th February 2017.

 We understand that owners want the best service available for their beloved pets. Therefore to give our clients peace of mind of what goes on behind the scenes and what services we provide during procedures, we now have BRAND NEW 360 Virtual Tours available for each of our surgeries.

Simply visit the “Our Surgeries” section of this website and select your chosen surgery. You will then see at the top of the page the option to “Take a tour”. Select this option and our surgery will be available to view.

Once loaded simply click around the screen and where an arrow may appear will be possible for you to move and view that area or room. Our 360 Virtual Tours are provided by professional Google Trusted Photographers that have access to our surgeries.

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