Rest assured we are working safely and will continue to care for your pets during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In order to protect you and our colleagues we are working safely and whilst clients are not currently permitted to enter the practice premises, our team are still there to help with telephone consultations with the vet, pre-booked appointments in practice, or to order and pick up repeat medicines.

To help us with our new ways of working and to keep us all safe. Please don’t attend the practice unless you have called us first and booked an appointment. Many thanks.

We are here to help if you need us

As pet owners, we understand that you may be worried about your pets at this time.
If you are concerned about the health or welfare of your pet, please contact us.

If we invite you to attend the practice, we’ll explain what you need to do, where your pet can be seen and we’ll make arrangements with you to safely collect your pet outside the premises, maintaining social distancing. We’ll contact you by phone to discuss the consultation and take payment.

In order to safely provide 24-hour emergency care for your pets at this time, the way you access emergency healthcare for your pet may not always be at your usual branch.

Flea and worm treatment and repeat medication

If you are due your next supply of flea and wormer treatment or repeat medication you can also request this via the website repeat prescription form.

Prior to dispensing your treatment, a member of our team will call you to take payment where applicable and arrange safe collection or postage options.

Advice on vaccinations during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

Your pet’s vaccination may be postponed temporarily to minimise human travel and inter-person contact, therefore reducing transmission of Coronavirus (COVID-19) within the human population.

To ensure the ongoing safety of our staff, clients and patients, a limited number of vaccinations are being performed – prioritising those animals most at risk or most in need, whilst maintaining stringent biosecurity protocols. If your pet is already registered with us and receives reminders, we will contact you to arrange their vaccination.

If you have a new puppy or kitten or have a specific query, our vets can give you advice regarding vaccinations and keeping your pet safe and happy. Please contact the practice and we will agree the best course of action.

Please be aware, the ability to safely vaccinate your pet is one of the many important factors to contemplate if you are thinking of getting a puppy or kitten during this period.

• Consider this advice from the RSPCA if you are thinking of getting a puppy: Thinking of getting a puppy while we’re on lockdown?
• Socialisation will be a little trickier during the COVID pandemic, but some helpful advice is given here: RSPCA_socialising a puppy during COVID advice; RSPCA_socialising a kitten during COVID advice.

The “Sounds Sociable” recorded sounds mentioned in this guidance are available for free from the Dogs Trust: Dogs Trust Sound Therapy

Frequently asked questions:

Dogs

My dog is due their annual vaccination, what should I do?

If your dog has had regular vaccinations as recommended by your vet, it is likely that they will keep a safe level of immunity for at least three months beyond their vaccination due date. After this time, a restart of their primary course may be recommended. Current government advice on social distancing, minimal travel and time spent outdoors will also reduce the risk your dog will encounter disease. Until your dog has received their vaccination, you can reduce risk further by avoiding contact with dogs of unknown vaccination status, access to stagnant water and contact with rodents. Therefore, your vet may consider it safe to temporarily postpone the annual vaccination.

If you usually receive reminders from us, we will contact you as soon as conditions allow, to arrange to see your dog for their vaccination.

My puppy is due their vaccination, what should I do?

If your puppy has not received a full vaccination course yet, we would advise keeping them in your enclosed garden only and do not allow contact with any unvaccinated dogs.

If your puppy has had the first part of their vaccination course, evidence suggests that up to 6 weeks can elapse between the first and second vaccines. If this interval is exceeded, we may need to restart their vaccination course.

Can my dog receive their kennel cough vaccination?

The kennel cough vaccination is not considered a core vaccination.  In light of the social distancing measures that are currently in place, your dog is significantly less likely to contract this disease. Therefore, it is generally considered safe to postpone kennel cough vaccination at this time.

If you need to board your dog during this period, please contact us to discuss if whether a kennel cough vaccination would be beneficial.

If you usually receive reminders from us, we will contact you as soon as conditions allow, to arrange to see your pet for their kennel cough vaccination.

Can my dog receive their rabies vaccination?

Rabies is not present in the UK and therefore this is not considered a core vaccination for dogs that reside here.

If you usually receive reminders from us, we will contact you as soon as conditions allow to arrange to see your pet for their rabies vaccination.

Current pet travel requirements are that a rabies vaccination must be administered at least 21 days prior to the date of travel if the vaccine has lapsed, so please bear in mind this 21 day ‘wait’ period if your pet’s vaccine is postponed beyond the ‘valid until’ date in their passport.  The advice regarding rabies vaccination and pet travel may also change after January 2021.

Cats

My cat is due their annual vaccination, what should I do?

If your cat has had regular vaccinations as recommended by your vet, it is likely that they will keep a safe level of immunity for at least three months beyond their vaccination due date. After this time, a restart of their primary course may be recommended. Until your cat has received their vaccination, you can reduce risk of contracting disease, by keeping your cat indoors. Therefore, your vet may consider it safe to temporarily postpone the annual vaccination.

If you usually receive reminders from us, we will contact you as soon as conditions allow to arrange to see your cat for their vaccinations.

My kitten is due their vaccination, what should I do?

If your kitten has not received a full vaccination course yet, we would advise that you do not let them outside and avoid bringing any new unvaccinated cats into the household.

If your kitten has had the first part of its vaccination course, evidence suggests that up to 6 weeks can elapse between the first and second vaccines. If this interval is exceeded, we may need to restart their vaccination course.

Rabbits

My rabbit is due their vaccination, what should I do?

If your rabbit’s vaccination has lapsed, we would recommend for you to move your rabbit(s) indoors to prevent contact from wild rabbits and continue to monitor them closely as change can be stressful for rabbits too.

We recommend using appropriate insecticides/repellents to prevent disease transmission through biting insects; we can prescribe appropriate products and post these to you. You can also consider covering the hutch with a fine mesh to prevent biting insect access.

If you usually receive reminders from us, we will contact you as soon as conditions allow to arrange to see your rabbit for their vaccinations.

 

Your veterinary team is here and able to support you with telephone consultations and urgent and emergency appointments where applicable.

Please contact us if you have any specific questions or pet health concerns.

As the situation may change over time, we may issue further updates in due course.

We recognise that there are questions around animal transmission of Coronavirus Covid19.

The World Organisation for Animal Health states that “There is no evidence that companion animals, such as dogs, play a role in the spread of this human disease or that they become sick.”

If you are diagnosed with Covid-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that you restrict contact with your pets as a precautionary animal health measure, until more information is known about the virus. If you must care for your pet while sick, it is recommended that you wash your hands before and after any interaction with your pet and wear a facemask, just as a precaution.

In the very unlikely event that your pet shows clinical signs, please do not bring it in to the practice; please ring us for further advice. Visit our “Contact us” page for all our contact details.

We are delighted to announce a new SignVideo service for our deaf clients who use British Sign Language (BSL).

The free SignVideo service for deaf clients who use British Sign Language (BSL) works using video calls connected to fully qualified BSL interpreters and enables deaf clients to communicate through SignVideo either by calling the practice from home or when they attend the practice with their pet, for consultations, to pick up food, medication or for advice etc.

A client will need their own smartphone, computer or device with video and sound and their own data to use the service. The service is accessed by clicking on the SignVideo practice link from the practice contact us page on the website or using the SignVideo app.

You don’t need to go to the Healthy Pet Club practice finder referred to in the video if you are already viewing this video from our practice website, you can access the Sign Video link from the Contact us Page on our website.

More information

To find out more about this service including the equipment you need, and to view the terms, click on the Deaf BSL Service page on our website.

The new service is available from 8am – 6pm Monday to Friday, excluding Bank Holidays. Please note that this service may not cover all our opening hours, which you can check on our website.

To contact us now, using the new SignVideo service, click on the direct practice SignVideo link on our Contact Us page on the website.

The Cinnamon Trust is our charity of choice for 2020.

The charity provides support and peace of mind for elderly, hospitalised and terminally ill pet owners and their pets. The Trust’s primary objective is to respect and preserve the treasured relationship between owners and their pets.

What does The Cinnamon Trust do?

The Trust operates a national network of over 15,000 community service volunteers providing practical help when any aspect of day to day care poses a problem – for example, walking the dog for a housebound owner.

There is a national fostering service for pets whose owners face a spell in hospital – volunteers take pets into their own homes and care for them until owner and pet can be reunited.

The Trust also provides long term care for pets whose owners have died or moved to residential accommodation which will not accept pets.

When a pet is in the Trust’s care because the owner is in care, where possible the owner is kept in touch with visits or regular photos and letters.

How we can help The Cinnamon Trust?

In addition to the financial support that we can give through fundraising throughout the year, we all have the opportunity to make a positive difference for Cinnamon Trust by raising awareness of the work that they do throughout the UK.

The Trust is always on the lookout for volunteers who can help with dog walking or offering short term foster care for pets. Their website includes a map indicating the areas where they have the most urgent need for volunteer support. This is updated weekly.

The more volunteers they have the more people and pets they can help.

If you want to help, view the real time map and download a volunteer registration form.

The Cinnamon Trust regularly post heart-warming news and valuable information on their Facebook page, be sure to give them a like to stay updated.

They are also happy to accept personal donations via their Facebook page as Facebook does not not charge a fee for this service.

MiPet Cover has launched its new LifetimeFlex, 365 and WalkawayCover pet insurance policies.

These policies offer pet owners peace of mind that the costs of veterinary care are covered in the event of their pet’s unexpected illness or injuries.

The new range aims to help more pet owners find suitable cover for their cats and dogs at a price that suits their budget.

LifetimeFlex – Lifelong cover to suit your needs…and your budget

LifetimeFlex offers pet owners greater choice and flexibility when it comes to choosing suitable lifelong cover for their dogs and cats.

With vet fee cover ranging from £2,000 to £12,000, a choice of fixed excess amounts and a bundle of other great benefits, you can enjoy being in control of selecting a policy that suits both your needs and your budget.

365Flex – 12 months’ cover for new illnesses and injuries

You can choose from £2,500 and £5,000 vet fee cover amongst a range of other benefits in the new annual cover option, 365Flex.

The 365Flex annual policies offer 12 months of cover for new illnesses and injuries within the policy period. One thing to be aware of is that once the 12-month period is over, there will be no additional cover available and any conditions that came about during that time may not be covered elsewhere.

WalkawayCover – Free pet insurance for puppies and kittens

MiPet Cover understands the importance of supporting new pet owners during their puppy’s or kitten’s early days.

Curious kittens and boundless puppies can often find themselves returning to the vets sooner than our clients would imagine.

This is why WalkawayCover* was created; four weeks’ of free pet insurance offering you £500 of vet fee cover and additional exclusive benefits.

What’s more is if your new furry friend gets into a spot of bother and you need assistance with the costs, you have the option to top up your vet fee cover amount. Simply upgrade to a MiPet Cover LifetimeFlex or 365Flex policy within 72 hours of treatment commencing and they’ll help you with the vet bills.

We understand that your pets should be able to continue with their clinical care they need, no matter what.

Let’s get #morepetsinsured

We’re a nation of pet lovers. Let’s cover our best friends throughout all of their adventures. Let’s get #morepetsinsured.

To find out more and get a quote, please speak to reception, visit mipetcover.co.uk or call 0808 164 8000.

*About WalkawayCover: Kitten or puppy must be between 8 weeks and 1 year old and is subject to a CVS health check. WalkawayCover offers instant cover for illness with a 24 hours exclusion for accidents. Not all breeds of dog are eligible. WalkawayCover provides you and your new puppy or kitten four weeks of insurance, including up to £500 of free veterinary fee cover. Should you need to make a claim for an accident or illness during the four week period and need further veterinary fee cover, you have the choice to purchase a MiPet Cover LifetimeFlex or 365Flex policy to do so. This must be arranged within the first 72 hours of the treatment commencing or there will not be any additional cover available.

MiPet Cover is a trading name of CVS (UK) Limited which is an appointed representative of Insurance Factory Limited. Insurance Factory Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (No. 306164). Registered in England and Wales number 02982445. Registered office: Markerstudy House, 45 Westerham Road, Bessels Green, Sevenoaks, Kent, TN13 2QB. You can check this by visiting the Financial Services Register at www.fca.org.uk/register