Many of you will have met our new veterinary receptionist Emma Kiejda who started with us this June. No stranger to veterinary practice, Emma has a diverse range of industry-related experience. She started out as a Veterinary Care Assistant at the age of 18, using her VCA qualification to support in-patient care. She later moved into a purely customer-facing role as a veterinary receptionist and, after a two year hiatus as an audit coordinator for a pharmaceutical stock taking company, is back in small animal practice – this time with us! Emma thrives on multi-tasking, loves working with people and pets and has a great understanding of front of house activity as well as a useful knowledge of more clinical elements of practice life. She also comes highly recommended by our nurse Rachael Leonard as they used to work together before coming here! We’re delighted to welcome Emma to the 387 Vets & West Midlands Cat Clinic team!
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Rabbit Awareness Week (RAW) is celebrated annually in order to promote the health and welfare of pet rabbits and to raise awareness about the unique needs of one of the UK’s favourite pets.
RAW runs from 23rd – 27th June and the focus for 2025 is ‘Happy Hoppy Homes.’ Did you know that rabbit homes should have a minimum footprint of 3m x 2m so that bunnies can hop and run, and that they should be 1m in height so they fully stretch upright without their ears touching the roof.
Introducing different levels in a bunny home is great for enrichment and for separating feeding, resting and exercise spaces. Get creative with tunnels to maximise bunny fun! And don’t forget lots of fresh straw bedding so bunnies can snuggle and keep cosy.
Rabbits love to play, and toys enable them to exhibit natural behaviours like digging, jumping and chewing. You can stuff cardboard tubes with hay and healthy treats as engagement activity, provide a digging box filled with shredded paper and include wickers toys that rabbits can toss and chew. Remember to include plenty of hiding places, which could even be cardboard boxes which rabbits can chew too!
Rabbits are sociable soles and are happiest with another rabbit companion, but make sure they are neutered! Ask us for tips on introducing a new friend to your rabbit’s home as this needs to be carefully managed for optimum results.
The Rabbit Awareness Action Group have heaps more great advice on helping rabbit owners to create a ‘Happy Hoppy Home’. Click here to download your free Rabbit Awareness Week Owner Pack from the group’s website, and make sure you follow Rabbit Awareness Week on Facebook and other social media channels for top tips on helping bunnies to live their best life!
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.
Nominations for the Petplan Veterinary Awards 2025 are now open! Hailed as the Oscars of the veterinary world and now in their 26th year, the awards are designed to celebrate excellence in the industry and to recognise vet teams and individuals who go that extra mile to support owners and their pets.
Whilst nominations remain anonymous, every nominee is sent a nomination certificate which gives recipients a real buzz. Shortlisted finalists are invited to a glamorous ceremony later in the year, and it’s here that winners of the five nomination categories will be announced.
If you feel that the 387 Vets’ team and/ or a specific team member deserves to be nominated, we’d love your support. Simply click on this link to share your story.
Nominations are only open online until 12th September so don’t miss out on your chance to place your vote!
For more of an insight into the Petplan Veterinary Awards and to see just how much the awards mean, check out the videos on our ‘About Us’ page (www.387vets.com/about/).
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.
Just as we have regular check ups at the dentist, it’s really important that pets’ teeth and gums are checked routinely to ensure our four legged companions are enjoying good periodontal health. We check pet oral health at annual vaccination appointments and at various other pet visits to the vets. However, as an owner, it’s worth knowing issues to look for that may require more of an impromptu trip to the vets!
Common signs that your pet may be suffering dental or mouth pain include rejecting dog biscuits or treats, chewing on only one side of the mouth, taking more time over food, increased drooling, pawing at the mouth and even a reluctance to play or increased grumpiness. You may notice your pet’s breath smells less than fresh, or if you can safely lift up their lip to inspect the gums, that they look red and angry or may even be bleeding. Teeth may exhibit discolouration. When plaque – a clear sticky film on the tooth that hangs on to bacteria – collects, this leads to gum disease and tooth decay. When left, plaque deposits calcify, becoming hard tartar as shown in the accompanying photo. This needs professional removal.
As we know, gum disease and tooth decay can be incredibly painful, so please do visit a vet if you’re concerned about your pet’s oral health in any way for the wellbeing of your pet. For dogs, we offer a scale and polishing service run by our qualified RVNs and use an ultrasonic scaler to clean teeth. We’ll also probe beneath the gum line whilst your dog is under anaesthesia to check for any hidden pockets that may harbour bacteria and cause subsequent problems. For any teeth that cause concern, we’ll x-ray as part of the service and advise on any further treatment as necessary.
It may, however, be that your pet needs veterinary dental care. We’re proud that our vet Selenia has a Postgraduate Qualification in Small Animal Dentistry and is brilliantly placed to carry out more complex dental procedures in practice.
As a preventative measure, regular tooth brushing using a pet friendly toothpaste will help reduce pet dental disease. Please ask us for advice on how best to encourage your pet to tolerate this. Check out the Veterinary Oral Health Council’s website for other strategies to help reduce periodontal disease in pets.
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 have a great second May Bank Holiday! This little bee is making the most of our currently dry weather and getting some breakfast in!
387 Veterinary Centre and The West Midlands Cat Clinic will be closed on Bank Holiday Monday. If you have a pet emergency at this time, please continue to call us on 01922 411755 and follow the answer machine instructions. If you have a general pet query, or aren’t sure if of how urgently your pet needs to see a vet, don’t forget our VidiVet service, a complimentary benefit to all our registered clients which gives you free access to vet advice 24/7. Check communications from us for more details.
Wishing you and your pets a happy, healthy long weekend, and keeping fingers crossed for sun!
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.
