Raising funds for wildlife rescue


Do join us this Saturday for a free cup of mulled wine, a mince pie and the opportunity to raise funds for Rogers Wildlife Rescue. Our Christmas Party takes place at The Mewes Vets, in our garden – so dress warmly! It’s this Saturday 4th December, starting at 11am. We will be announcing the twelve […]
Insecticides in waterways


I had a huge excitement recently – an appearance on ITV Meridian News. My TV debut! It was a privilege to be asked to offer comment on their story about the cost of pet insurance. ITV aired another story of more urgent concern to me in the same week. This was the recent discovery that […]
When science sounds fictional / How animals help medical research


Have you heard of fluorescent felines? They have been genetically engineered to try to help our understanding of viral diseases in people. One of the most recent human viral outbreaks was the AIDS epidemic. It sparked an enormous amount of charity fund-raising to support the effort to find cures for viruses. It was noted that […]
Bunnies and Winter


With winter just around the corner, let’s spare a thought for our hutch friends. Experienced rabbit and guinea pig owners will be used to watching out for signs of frost or freezing weather. This could cause our hutch friends’ water bottles to freeze, putting them at risk of dehydration. Consider using a water bottle ‘warmer’, […]
Ermie and his purse string suture


At twelve years of age, Ernie is a cat of strong opinions. For instance, he knows he prefers vets kept at claws-length. He wants our relationship to be strictly hands-off! But when he started passing blood and diarrhoea, and getting more sickness than usual, his owner knew he needed us. And although he was reluctant […]
Celebrate Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month with us


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 […]
Thoughts return to university days


At this time of year, my thoughts return to memories of my early days at University. My first two years at Vet School involved taking many of my lectures with the students training to become doctors. We shared Physiology, Biochemistry, Pathology and Pharmacology lecture halls. Only for the Anatomy classes were the Veterinary students separated […]
Julia’s Weekly Column For The Middy – Pets can sometimes suffer similar conditions to humans, so keep an eye on their health and wellbeing
Robert is a race-horse trainer. It is from him that I learnt the phrase ‘racing-fit’, which I use occasionally to describe a pet, person or racehorse who is ready for peak athletic performance, all muscle and no fat. About six months ago Robert discovered that he has hip dysplasia, which led to premature arthritic changes […]
Julia’s Weekly Column For The Middy
An important introduction to student life “Julia, this essay is awful!” I must have written thousands of essays in my life, but as this was my very first written at Cambridge University, it was not a great start. My critic was Donald Stevens, my Anatomy tutor. I had only met him a couple of times, […]
It’s great to invite friends over for a barbecue, but don’t invite your pets!


Summer is here! But I have only just got the barbecue out. If you are a new pet owner, and, like me, you are preparing for the BBQ season, please be aware of the extra pet risks this can create. Every time I barbecue I cannot help remembering a party we held years ago. It […]