With Halloween at the end of this month (and, dare we say it, shops getting ready for Christmas!), chocolates are currently on sale in even more abundance! If you are buying in for trick or treating, please be sure to keep chocolatey treats well away from inquisitive canines. Milk and dark chocolates are made with cocoa solids which contain theobromine, a substance toxic to dogs. And the darker the chocolate, the higher the concentration of theobromine. The severity of chocolate poisoning depends on how much chocolate your dog has eaten, how big your dog is and the concentration of cocoa solids.
We strongly advise contacting your vet for advice if you know your dog has eaten chocolate. It’s really helpful if you have the wrapper with the ingredients list to hand. Here are Rolo and Mars who were in to see us recently for this very reason. We were able to act quickly and make them sick to prevent the toxins from taking effect. Even though they are fabulously named, no chocolate-eating allowed!
Use our poisons checker on our 387 Vets’ Advice 24/7 page for guidance on chocolate poisoning and a whole range of other toxins too.
And don’t forget, registered clients can use our VidiVet service to touch base with a vet for free. Great for concerns out of hours if you are unsure whether your pet needs to be seen as an emergency.
We wish all pets a happy, healthy chocolate-free Halloween!
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Happy British Veterinary Receptionist Appreciation Day to our amazing reception team! Here are Laura, Angie and Nikki, today’s front of house reception team superstars! A shout out to Clare too who is off today, and Beth who is on maternity leave. We love you all!
The recognition day was first championed by the British Veterinary Receptionist Association (BVRA) in 2019 to recognise the importance, diversity and challenge of the veterinary receptionist role. As well as being the first port of call for owners contacting the practice, booking pets in, dealing with owner queries and following up appointment reminders, receptionists liaise with our clinical teams to offer administrative support and update records when pets join us from other practices. They unpack orders, rotate stock, help with preparation of items (food and meds orders) for collection, help with managing clinicians’ diaries and so much more. It’s an incredibly rewarding job seeing pets at set intervals on their life journey and getting to know pet owners. As well as being here to celebrate pet highs, team are also here to offer support at sadder times.
Thank you to our fabulous team for all you do to help support pets and pet owners and the rest of our 387 team. We would be truly lost without you.
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.
Many of you who have been into practice over the last month will have been invited to complete a customer satisfaction survey for our governing body, The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS). Huge thanks to those of you who have participated. Your responses form contributing evidence towards our application for an additional RCVS Client Service Award. We have already submitted a large bank of evidence for review. On Wednesday, we have site visit from an official assessor who will be coming in to chat to team and see our practices and protocols first hand. We are keeping all fingers and toes crossed for a great result!
Additional RCVS Awards allow any practice accredited through the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme to demonstrate how their practice excels in specialist areas. There are 9 additional awards. We are currently applying for Client Service and Team and Professional Responsibility.
The Practice Standards Scheme is a great initiative to help teams run veterinary practices to the highest standards of veterinary care. Choosing an RCVS-accredited practice for your pet gives you the reassurance that your furry friend is in great hands. RCVS practices are rigorously assessed every 4 years to ensure standards are maintained. 387 Veterinary Centre has been an RCVS accredited practice since 2009.
These two additional RCVS awards will enable us to show our governing body how much we’ve invested in our service provision, clinical excellence, team training and customer care over and above their standard framework recommendations.
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.
Maggie came in to see us as her owner suspected she had eaten a plum that had fallen into the garden from the neighbour’s tree and was anxious about the plum stone. As Maggie had potentially ingested the plum the day before, we scanned her to see if there was any evidence of seasonal snacking. Sure enough, the plum stone showed up nice and clearly on the scan. We gave poor Maggie something to make her sick and out came a 3.5cm long plum stone! Even though she didn’t think it at the time, it was lucky for Maggie that the stone emerged so easily as, had it become lodged, she would have needed surgery.
Do watch out for windfalls in the garden as eating plums and greengages can lead to problems further down the line for pets. Wasps are also partial to over-ripe fruit, and now we’re also coming into apple season, there will be more about to catch out unsuspecting inquisitive noses and paws.
If your pet is stung on the face, and especially in the mouth, please ring for veterinary advice immediately as swelling can restrict breathing and be dangerous for our four legged friends.
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 hope you and your pets have a happy, healthy long weekend wherever you may be and whatever you may be planning.
Both 387 Vets and The West Midlands Cat Clinic will be closed on Bank Holiday Monday. If you need to see a vet urgently when we’re closed, please continue to phone the practice and follow the answer machine instructions.
If you have a non urgent query, check out the advice pages on our websites for lots of guidance and support. All our registered clients also have access to our complimentary VidiVet facility – a 24/7 vet-led triaging service. You should have a PetsApp message or e-mail from us detailing how to set this up if you haven’t already. Great for checking if your pet needs to see a vet and how urgently.
We’re open as normal on Tuesday morning. Have a great weekend and fingers crossed the sun shines!
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.