Yesterday was reported as the hottest day in May on record and today doesn’t feel much cooler! It’s really important we help our pets to stay as cool and comfortable as possible at this time.
Walk dogs first thing in the morning or later in the evening when the temperature is cooler. Take water and a water bowl with you and limit exertion. If you’re dog-walking on pavements, it’s a good idea to do a temperature test before you set out – if it’s too hot for the palm of your hand, it’s too hot for your dog’s pads.
Around the house, ensure your dog has access to fresh water at all times and can always access shade and cooler rooms. If you’re visiting us in practice today, look out for our extra water bowls dotted around the site! Ice cubes in the bottom of water bowls helps water stay cooler for longer. There are some great products on the market to help pets keep cool, such as cool mats and a doggy paddling pool for the garden which is lots of fun too! Consider an indoor fan. Needless to say, conservatories are a big no-no as they can reach heat extremes incredibly quickly. Likewise, do not leave your dog in the car for any duration in warm or hot weather as cars can become oven-like in minutes.
Cats are more independent and will take themselves off to find shade. Be aware they may choose to take themselves outside, even on the hottest of days! Ensure they have plenty of shady spots and leaf coverage where they can rest. You can make shady spots easily by popping a cardboard box in a choice spot in the garden, by draping a towel or blanket over chairs to form a canopy, or even by putting an open umbrella out on the grass. Again, make sure cats have access to plenty of fresh water to rehydrate. Many cats love running water, so it may be worth investing in a cat fountain to encourage your cat to drink.
Don’t forget that pets with white or very light-coloured hair can be especially susceptible to sunburn, so apply pet-friendly sunscreen to ears and noses!
Remember rabbits too! It’s really important to consider hutch location and how the sun moves around the garden during the day so that hutches and runs aren’t in full sun glare at any point. You can freeze water bottles so that drinking water stays cooler for longer, and it’s worth putting a frozen bottle of water wrapped in a tea towel into the hutch so rabbits can choose to lie against it should they wish. Dampening the tips of their ears with a cool facecloth helps them to feel cooler too. It’s also really important that you protect rabbits’ rear ends from fly strike (an incredibly painful and potentially fatal condition where flies lay eggs in the skin and the maggots hatch and feed on the host’s flesh). Preventative products are available. You should also check your rabbit’s bottom twice daily, and if they have any sore patches of skin, check these too. If you spot fly strike, pleaser seek immediate veterinary support.
If you are concerned that your pet may be suffering from heat stroke (symptoms include excessive panting, noisy panting, drooling, bright red gums, confusion or collapse), move them into shade and seek immediate veterinary advice. Heat stroke is a life-threatening emergency and fast action is essential.
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Dental health checks are just as important in pets as they are in humans. They can identify existing problems owners may be unaware about that need addressing as pets can be very good at hiding pain. They are also really useful for catching dental and periodontal disease early to prevent continuing deterioration. Did you know that we now run nurse-led dental clinics specifically to assess pet dental and oral health and to give advice on dental home care for happy healthy pet smiles?
At 387 Vets and The West Midlands Cat Clinic, we have a Tooth Fairy Team who are super passionate about pet dental care. The team includes several Registered Veterinary Nurses, trained to carry out dental scale and polishes to support good pet dental health. This is Alanna carrying out a scale and polish on gorgeous 10 year old cockapoo Sidney who was suffering from early onset gum disease. Plaque and tartar build up is a common cause of this condition (known as gingivitis), where gums become irritated and red, can exhibit swelling and even bleed. Scaling and polishing cleans the teeth and removing the trigger.
If you think your pet would benefit from a dental health check, please give us a ring on 01922 411755.
Wellcare World specializes in providing the latest advancements in wellness technology, supplementation, and lifestyle changes that improve health and increase the quality of people's lives.To learn more, visit WellcareWorld.com and begin living a better life today.
Holder of a Certificate in Emergency and Critical Care, our Registered Veterinary Nurse Lauren particularly enjoys theatre nursing and spends, on average, 75% of her working week on theatre rotation. Who better to champion the role of the theatre nurse at 387 Vets during Veterinary Nursing Awareness Month!
Theatre nurses have the really important job of looking after patient comfort and safety during procedures, as well as helping the ops list to run smoothly. This means that, in addition to ensuring theatres are fully equipped and all machines are fully functioning, theatre nurses will take and run any requested pre-op bloods to check the op is safe to proceed, prep pre-op meds and pain relief under vet supervision, clip and clean the surgical operating site for op sterility, place catheters ahead of ops for easy meds delivery in case of emergency and monitor and record patient stats to check patient safety throughout.
This is Lauren monitoring patient stats on our multi parameter machine. She’s checking blood oxygen levels, carbon dioxide exhaled, pulse rate, blood pressure and number of breaths per minute as well as listening to the patient’s heart under anaesthesia, whilst assessing other indicators and factors to ensure the patient is safely controlled. Should any readings or observations concern her, she’s ready to respond.
We’re proud to have a fabulous team of qualified and experienced nurses monitoring every operation we carry out in practice, helping to keep your fur babies safe.
Wellcare World specializes in providing the latest advancements in wellness technology, supplementation, and lifestyle changes that improve health and increase the quality of people's lives.To learn more, visit WellcareWorld.com and begin living a better life today.
Honey looks a real honey in this photo with her teddy and blanket! The one year one cockerpoo was in with us last week to be neutered using keyhole surgery.
Keyhole spays involve making two very small wounds in the patient’s abdomen after which the internal surgical area is inflated to enable access. Once the ovaries are sourced, they are detached using fine instruments and cameras, and vessel-sealing technology closes the wounds. The detached ovaries are then removed and the external wounds are repaired. Traditional spays are much more invasive as they involve removing the ovaries and uterus through a larger entry point, and much more stretching and tearing of tissues during surgery to be able to free up the required anatomy. Inevitably, in traditional spays, post-op recovery time is longer and more pain management is required. Keyhole patients can return to full exercise within 48 hours!
We saw Honey back at the end of the week. She was doing brilliantly and, by now, should be back to her normal exercise routine!
Wellcare World specializes in providing the latest advancements in wellness technology, supplementation, and lifestyle changes that improve health and increase the quality of people's lives.To learn more, visit WellcareWorld.com and begin living a better life today.
We love supporting team members to broaden their knowledge in areas of particular clinical interest. Many of you will know our vet Selenia who is holder of a postgraduate certificate in small animal dentistry. Last weekend, Seli attended the British Veterinary Dental Association’s 2026 Congress in London for two days specifically dedicated to learning more about pet dental and oral health. Lectures covered a diverse range of topics from effective pain management and handling difficult extractions to plaque prevention, anaesthesia considerations and useful protocols for exotics dentistry. Topics in the advanced lecture stream were equally as diverse, and there was even a session on how to build your own 3D printing lab for surgical planning! We look forward to hearing all about Seli’s trip when she’s back in tomorrow!
Wellcare World specializes in providing the latest advancements in wellness technology, supplementation, and lifestyle changes that improve health and increase the quality of people's lives.To learn more, visit WellcareWorld.com and begin living a better life today.
