Emergency number

01457 852367

Both our clinics our open - please call your registered clinic.

Chocolate Poisoning

Chocolate is one of our favourite treats but for dogs it is poisonous and given in large amounts can be fatal. One of the ingredients is theobromine which is dangerous to dogs. Many pet owners like to give their dogs chocolate or sometimes they help themselves. Very rapid first aid advice and treatment is required for animals who have eaten large amounts. Dark chocolate is much worse as it contains higher levels of theobromine.

Christmas and Easter tend to be the time where dogs will seek out boxes of chocolates and Easter eggs but please be extra careful all year round and store your chocolate out of reach of all animals. If your pet eats any amount of chocolate please ring us for advice on 01457 852367.

Feeding Bones

Many owners like to feed their animals a raw meat diet and give their dogs bones to eat. Bones can become stuck in their stomach or intestines if the dog can’t pass them naturally. This can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and pain. We would then have to surgically remove the bone and it can be a traumatic time for pets and their owners. Not only can it be traumatic but very dangerous for your animal. The bones can cause very serious problems and sometimes be fatal. So please be extra careful when giving your pets bones from your Sunday lunch. We would recommend a complete diet such like Hills and all our staff are fully trained to give nutritional advice.

Giving Human Drugs to Animals

Sometimes within practice we may use human medication such as aspirin to help with a medical condition but it’s never a good idea to medicate your animals without seeking our advice first. Paracetamol and Ibuprofen are highly poisonous to cats and dogs and should never be given as can be fatal. Please keep all your medication out of reach of pets and locked safely away in a cupboard.

Stick Throwing

Throwing sticks for dogs can be very good exercise and a way of teaching them to fetch. However they can cause terrible injuries. Parts of a stick can break off and cause deep wounds in their mouths (or even be ingested causing internal injuries) so please use specially designed toys for playtime to prevent any unwanted trips to our clinic!