Congratulations Cat!

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Hollybank is very pleased to announce that Cat has passed the Certificate of Veterinary Nursing in Emergency and Critical care.

This has covered aspects of veterinary nursing vital for emergency and critical care cases allowing Cat to develop and enhance her patient care and knowledge, something that is extremely important to her and to Hollybank as a practice. It is a industry recognised qualification accredited by Vets Now and City and Guilds involving many hours of study and coursework, as well as three difficult final examinations.

Over the past 18 months Cat has worked very hard and we are really proud of her. Well done Cat!

Keeping those unwanted ‘visitors’ under control…

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There are lots of different products on the market to help control parasites for our pets. Sometimes the difficulty is knowing which one to pick to ensure your pet is covered for everything they are at risk of getting.

It is important to choose a product that is effective against everything you want, for example some worming products will just treat tapeworms and some will cover roundworms too. Some dogs will be more at risk of picking up ticks, for example if they spend a lot of time walking in long grass, whereas if you dog eats slugs and snails you may be more concerned about lungworm.

Sometimes we may need to use two products to provide protection or to treat everything that is needed for your pet. However it is important again to make sure that they can be used in combination.

This is where our Veterinary Nurses can help. For any advice on what products are appropriate for your pet and how often you can use them just give them a call on 01606 880890.

Travelling under the Pet Travel Scheme

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Being able to easily take our pets with us when we travel abroad is great! However it is important to make sure before you go that your pets meet all the requirements for travel and for re-entry into the UK. There are some simple steps for travel under the Pet Travel Scheme for many of the countries we visit. However requirements can vary further afield.

Under the Pet Travel Scheme dogs, cats and ferrets can travel to most European countries without a quarantine requirement on their return. The government website has a full list of the included countries. See https://www.gov.uk/take-pet-abroad for more details. It is always important to check the entry requirements of whichever country you are going to.

In order to travel and re-enter the UK from an EU or listed country your pet will need a microchip. This is used to identify your pet. They also need an up to date rabies vaccination which was given after the microchip was implanted and a valid pet passport signed by an official veterinarian. If it is the first time your pet has had a rabies vaccination they have to wait 21 days before they can travel. Before returning to the UK your pet will need a specific tapeworm treatment which has to be veterinary certified. This has to be between 24 and 120 hours before your return.

To re-enter the UK from other countries there are often additional entry requirements. These can include specific import or export certificates or bloods tests. If you are unsure what the requirements are for the country you are visiting just ask one of our vets for more information.

It is also important to consider how your pet will travel as it needs to be with an approved transport company and along an authorised route.

Several of our vets are able to issue pet passports. If you are planning to go away with your pet and are unsure what you may need we suggest getting in touch in plenty of time so we can get everything organised for you. Just give us a call on 01606 880890.