Pets need treating too!!

So then, tomorrow is `Black Friday` and Monday is `Cyber Monday`

Who has a list of items that you would love to grab at a bargain price??

I have never really got the whole `Black Friday` thing but this year everywhere seems to have jumped on the band wagon by offering us consumers some amazing pre Christmas bargains.



`Black Friday` isn`t just about nabbing bargains for us though; hands up who had included their pets on the gift list?? Initially I hadn`t included my pets but then thought well they are part of the family so why not treat them too??


PetShop.co.uk is the one stop shop for all your pets needs and they have some amazing `Black Friday and `Cyber Monday` deals for your pets, all of which go live at midnight tonight and last the weekend.

Check out all of their amazing offers HERE.

Valentines Day Could Kill Your Cat

Its Valentines Day tomorrow and there will be hundreds of thousands of bouquets given and received containing Lilies; did you know that Lilies are highly toxic to felines?


Cats can be poisoned by eating any part of the Lily plant or flower, all parts of the plant are considered to be toxic, even the pollen.

How are they poisoned????

Cats are poisoned by ingesting ANY part of the Lily flower.

Small cats and kittens are especially prone to being poisoned due to their inquisitiveness and the tendency to chew things in their environment. 

Older cats are often poisoned by simply brushing against the pollen stems when sat on a mantelpiece or window ledge.

The pollen sits on their coat, they go to groom themselves and voila ingestion of pollen.

How does the Lily effect my cat?

The poisons main effect is on the kidneys and is absorbed into the system very quickly. 

The first clinical sign of ingestion is typically severe vomiting, but others can include loss of appetite, excessive salivation (dribbling), twitching of muscles, depression or sudden collapse.

The biggest complication of Lily poisoning is irreversible kidney damage; alot of cases will unfortunately die due to this. 

What should I do if I think my cat has ingested any part of the Lily?

If you think that your cat has either eaten or come into contact with a Lily get them to a Veterinary Surgeon ASAP, the quicker that treatment is started the better chance there is of reducing the severity of kidney damage.



To prevent your cat from rubbing the pollen onto their fur you can easily cut the stamen and pollen off of the flower but this does not prevent them from chewing or eating the plants.

Lets get this message out to all cat owners so we can try and minimize the effects of Valentines Day on cats!!!

Pets and Fireworks

Halloween is over and fireworks night is well and truly upon us; it may be fun for us but we must remember our pets.

As a Veterinary Nurse this is a crucial time to help educate pet owners on how to help their pets with the stresses of fireworks.

Yes animals get stressed and so do owners but the main thing to remember for you is to to not get too anxious about it as your pet will pick up on it and in turn be worse.

Fireworks will be going off around you and there is nothing you can do about it so DON`T STRESS!!

Here are a few pointers that could help with the firework period.

Please note that these pointers are not guaranteed to work with every animal, each animal is different. These are my own recommendations, your own Veterinary Surgeon`s advise may differ.

• If possible try to act as normal as possible, do not make a big scene if fireworks start up suddenly; animals, like children like routines.

• With dogs try to take them for a long walk before it gets dark to tire them out and to minimize the chances of them being out in the dark when the fireworks start.

• A meal of pasta can be given early evening to dogs to help make them slightly dopey, downside is that if they become too stressed and vomit it wont be pretty!!

• Keep the curtains shut and TV on a little louder than normal, or turn the radio on to help drain out the noise of the fireworks.

• Make sure all windows, doors and cat flaps are kept shut as soon as it gets dark.

• Keep cats inside overnight and provide a litter tray.

• Ignore bad behavior or signs of stress, eg panting and pacing.

• Provide distractions eg new toys or treats.

• DO NOT discipline your pets if they do mess in the house, this will only make the situation worse.

• There are many products available from your vets that can help calm your pets down prior to the fireworks going off. A diffuser called Adaptil for dogs and Feliway for cats can help to reduce anxiety. Plus natural remedies such as Zylkene tablets and even Bach`s Rescue Remedy!!

• For rabbits and guinea pigs that live outside DO NOT bring them inside for only a night or two, this can do more harm than good as they are acclimatized to the temperatures outside. Just provide plenty of bedding materials for them to nestle down in.

If you have any questions or concerns about your pets please do not hesitate to ring your local Veterinary Surgery for advise, we don`t bite and aim of our job is to prevent problems before they happen!!!