Cat fights – a first aid tip
What should you do if your cat has been beaten up? I treat cat bite abscesses on a weekly basis. These are the consequence of a pet getting bitten or badly scratched by another cat, if the germs that get in under the skin get a chance to multiply. I do love treating a nice […]
A cat has 5 weapons
“Oww! What shall I do now??” I was a fourth year student in my first ever placement at a veterinary clinic, learning the ropes. The Vet, John who practised as a GP in Cambridge, had asked me to restrain his feline patient, Tiger, to calm him whilst John trimmed his claws. Tiger was not impressed. […]
E cuniculi in rabbits and Zoonosis
Have you ever seen a rabbit try to tie itself into a knot? I remember the first time a saw a pet bun twisting herself around, with her head on one side, and rolling around her whole axis. Her name was Flopsy, and I thought she must have had a stroke! I was anxious that […]
First Aid – Top tips
Over the last four or more years I have been helping many people to learn First Aid for pets. Some emergencies are very serious, and I teach how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation on cats, dogs and rabbits. Others are less serious, but it still helps to know what to do in an emergency. Cuts and […]
My favourite dog walks around Sussex
Well, the excitement and the feasting of Christmas are over, and the guilt is kicking in. Walking the dog is a great way to help me work off both the calories and the guilt. My favourite local walks, where my Labrador, Jazzy, can safely go off lead include: Beechurst Garden This is a large open […]
Kittens and Christmas
Having a new kitten in the home is a magical time. I adore their early innocence, and watching them explore every new environment and toy. You can end up wasting hours just watching them having fun with a feather or a toy on a string. I feel so privileged that I am one of the […]
Common things are common
Just last week a special friend popped in to see me. She is a white, brown and black chihuahua cross called Cleo. Her whole body was wagging, and her eyes were sparkling as she tried to reach my face to kiss me. But twelve months ago things were very different. I remember being taught at […]
Even cats can be stressed
The Build up to Christmas Do you find this time of year a bit challenging? We are all a bit inclined to try to do too much, and for some this can become stressful. You might look at a cat and think, “They have such a good life, lying there on the sofa. No stress […]
Pet Travel and Christmas Party
Planning to travel abroad with your pet next spring? If you must travel around the end of March 2019, please be aware of the effect that Brexit may have on your PETS’ passport. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons are keeping me informed about how the […]
Tortoises can hold their breath for a long time
“The poor little soul! I will have to anaesthetise her to deal with that wound.” I was newly qualified, and keen to assist any member of the animal kingdom who needed me, even a tortoise. This little patient had attempted to hibernate in a less than secure place and had been attacked by rats. Luckily […]
It’s like she’s losing her marbles
Elsie’s owners were worried that she seemed to be forgetting things. She would go outside as if to toilet, then come inside and immediately have an accident. She was also crying more loudly than she used to, especially at night. I suspected that she might be experiencing senility or Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS), a relatively […]
If you cannot beat them, join them
The Boatie crowd were roaring with laughter in the bar. “And stroke caught a crab!” Another raucous round of hilarity. I was not amused. However hard I listened, I could not follow the tale, because of all the technical speak. It was as if those that rowed at College had their own alien language. That […]
Fireworks – Not always fun for all of the family
Remember, remember the fifth of November! To be honest, when I am working, this is not usually the highest priority in my mind. Fireworks night has a huge impact on pet’s lives in mid Sussex every year, and at The Mewes Vets we do everything we can to minimise the trauma. We have information sheets […]
Acorns – They can be fatal to pets
This time last year Robbie was seriously ill. Robbie is a boisterous blue roan Cocker Spaniel, who normally arrives in the consulting room with an enormously wagging backside and kisses for everyone in range. But last October he had to be carried in, because he had been repeatedly vomiting overnight, and was groaning in pain. […]
Contest open to all – including dragons
Last summer I met a dragon. His name is Harry, the Rankins Dragon. He could comfortably sit on my flat hand, although his tail doubles his length to about ten inches, so I was not too worried! He is one of the group of bearded dragons. He was rescued from the RSPCA by an experienced […]
It was a long road to recovery for Alfie
Alfie was a black and white shih-tsu. A few days earlier he had started passing strangely flattened motions. His owners were a bit embarrassed to mention it, but then he began to strain to pass water. His bladder felt incredibly swollen when I palpated his belly, and I became concerned that he had a blockage […]
For us, every day is Animal Day!
My regular readers will know that I am a bit bonkers about animals. I was the one at school called to rescue a bat swimming in the toilet. I still carry the scar on my arm from when, as a child, I came across a horse in a field tangled in barbed wire. I successfully […]
Would it help to spread the cost of your rabbit’s routine veterinary care?
We know that many families choose rabbits as pets because they are seen to be relatively easy to care for. Most of us realise that they need company, a comfortable home, lots of nice fresh grass and vegetation to eat, and access to clean water. But sometimes this is not enough. Even rabbits housed indoors […]
Some things are just meant to be
I can’t help wondering if it was always my destiny to become a veterinary surgeon. Even at primary boarding school, I hung around the house-matron when I had heard there was a splinter to be removed. She would make a start on the unfortunate, using a sterile needle and a pair of tweezers. She was […]
Busy Busy Busy
We are having an exciting week at The Mewes, with two big events coming up. Firstly we have launched our annual pet Supermodel Competition. I had noticed that our canine pals had been over-represented as Pet of the Year. But last year, our overall winner was fabulous black and white puss, Chenoa, our first feline […]
What are Anal Glands
People often ask me, “What are anal glands?”. Dogs have anal glands in order to mark their territory. Each dog and cat has a pair of anal glands placed just inside the anus. They create small amounts of liquid scent material similar to that used by skunks for defence, which has a strong rather fishy […]
The Challenge of Horse Riding
My brother, Alastair, had hopes of becoming a jockey, and on leaving school joined a racing yard in Somerset as a lad. I summoned up the courage to ask whether I might be allowed to ride out one day. I arrived at his tiny mid terrace house, built on a very steep hillside. There were […]
Press Release following the Cuckoo Fayre Dog Show
Despite record temperatures nearly 60 dogs were entered into the Dog Show at the Cuckoo Fayre on Bank Holiday Monday. The top prize of “Best in Show” was won by handsome Doberman – Lurcher cross breed ‘Indie’ having qualified by winning the “Best Cross Breed”. The show is run as part of the Independent State […]
Are you in the garden this Easter weekend?
This is the time of year we all start planning our flower beds and planting our summer colour. This year, perhaps I can encourage you to think about bees? It may seem a bit odd to you that I would advocate encouraging bees that might sting your pets into your gardens. But you cannot have […]
