Aberdeen Veterinary Referrals

27/08/2025

Welcome Dr Catherine Davidson to the AVR team

We are pleased to inform you that a new veterinary surgeon will be joining our team, and we will be available to begin scheduling appointments for Catherine starting Monday, 8th September. Please find below a brief biography highlighting some of Catherine's achievements.

Dr Catherine Davidson BVMS (Hons) PhD FHEA MRCVS

Catherine graduated from Glasgow Veterinary School in 2007 and spent a year working in mixed practice in Suffolk before completing a 1-year rotating small animal internship at the Royal Veterinary College. Following several years in small animal practice and veterinary charity work abroad, Catherine was awarded an ECAT Welcome Trust Fellowship in 2015 to undertake a PhD followed by a residency in small animal surgery at the University of Edinburgh. Catherine completed her PhD at the Queens Medical Research Institute in 2018 within the field of cancer immunology. During her time at the University, Catherine was also awarded a Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy. She completed her residency at the Hospital for Small Animals, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Medicine, in July 2025 and she is working towards ECVS diploma examinations. Catherine will be joining AVR as a referral surgeon in September 2025 and will be accepting both soft tissue, orthopaedics and spinal surgeries.

To make a referral, please contact us on 01224 002221 or email [email protected]

15/08/2025

💙Looking for pet blood
donors💙
Recently we have seen an increased need for pet
blood in Aberdeen and the surrounding areas. We would like to update and add to our blood donor list of
pets we can call on in our time of need.

We are looking for dogs who;
* Are fit and healthy
* Are between 1 and 8 years old
* Weigh more than 25kg
* Have a good temperament
* Have never travelled abroad
* Are vaccinated
* Are treated for worms and fleas
* Are not on any medication
* Have never been pregnant
* Have never had a blood transfusion themselves.

We also ask that their owners;
* Are happy to attend blood typing appointments prior
to be added to the list
* Are happy to be contacted up to 10pm at night
* Have access to transport at short notice
If you think your dog would be a suitable candidate to
enter our list please email [email protected] for an
application form.
Thanks you 🐾

28/07/2025

🐾 TPLO Surgery – Helping Pets Get Back on Their Feet! 🐾

We often see dogs with torn cruciate ligaments in the knee, and one of the most effective treatments is TPLO surgery. 🦴💪

TPLO stands for Tibial Plateau Levelling Osteotomy—but don’t worry about the long name! What matters most is that it helps stabilise the knee, reduce pain, and get your dog back to running, playing, and enjoying life again.

It’s most common in active medium to large breeds like Labradors, Boxers, and Staffies—but we’ve treated dogs of all sizes. If your dog is limping on a back leg or struggling to get up, this might be the cause.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve had several amazing patients undergo TPLO surgery, and we’re wishing them all a smooth and speedy recovery. They’ve been absolute stars! See pictures of just 4 of many star patients we see at AVR 🐾🐶🌟

If your pup is limping or seems uncomfortable, don’t wait—early diagnosis and treatment can make a big difference.

📞 Give us a call or send us an email—we’re here to help your pet feel their best again!

**Please note any referral to AVR will be required from your first opinion practice along with clinical history.

22/07/2025

The staff at AVR would like to send out a heartfelt thanks to Cooper and his owner for coming forward in a patient's time of need to donate blood. 💉❤️‍🩹

At AVR we have a list of clients we can call upon when we have any urgent cases that are in need of a blood transfusion so, when we called Coopers owner they did not hesitate to come straight in to help. 🥰💙

Cooper received a lot of special fuss, and he loved every minute of it. He was an absolute star giving blood and was rewarded with his own special blood donor hero bandana and a bag of goodies.

Thank you Cooper, you are a hero 🦸‍♂️🐾🐶😍

21/07/2025

🐾 Elbow Dysplasia – A Common Condition We Treat Often 🐾

Elbow dysplasia is a condition we frequently encounter at AVR. It’s one of the most common reasons dogs present with front leg lameness, especially in medium to large breeds such as Labradors, Golden Retrievers, and German Shepherds. But it’s not just big dogs—it can also happen in small breeds and even cats! See pictures of just 4 of many star patients we see at AVR 🐶🐱

It happens when the elbow joint doesn’t form quite right, which can cause pain, limping, or stiffness. If left untreated, it can lead to the development of arthritis. The good news? We have great treatment options—like arthroscopy (keyhole surgery)—which lets us fix the problem with a tiny camera and instruments, meaning smaller incisions and quicker recovery. 🔍🦴

This past couple of weeks, several of our brave patients had arthroscopic surgery for elbow dysplasia, and we’re sending them all our best wishes for a smooth and speedy recovery! 💙💪

If your pet is limping, stiff, or just not quite themselves, don’t ignore it—early treatment can really help.

📞 Call us or send an email —we’re always here to help keep your pets happy, healthy, and moving well!

21/07/2025

The Petplan Veterinary Awards 2025 are still open for nominations. These awards, now in their 26th year, recognize excellence within the veterinary profession, celebrating teams and individuals who go above and beyond for pets and their owners. Nominations are open to anyone who wants to acknowledge the dedication and hard work of veterinary professionals, including pet owners, fellow staff, and friends.

Nominating allows you to acknowledge and celebrate the hard work and dedication of veterinary professionals who make a difference in the lives of pets and their owners.

Categories:
Nominations can be made in the following categories: Practice of the Year, Vet of the Year, Vet Nurse of the Year, Practice Manager of the Year, and Practice Support Staff of the Year.

If you are happy with the service you have received from AVR, please can we ask that you take a minute to complete a 2 minute nomination form.

19/07/2025

Look how happy lovely girlies Bailey and Holly look after their cruciate ligament procedures in June! 😍

Labrador Bailey presented to her own vets with cruciate instability in both knee joints. A swift referral to AVR saw her undergo her first TPLO surgery in February on her left hind and after some rest and recovery, she underwent another TPLO in June on the right leg - both knees are now stable! 👍💪

Westie Holly had a Lateral Suture placed instead of a TPLO. After an initial work-up and some investigations, Holly was found to have some complicating conditions which indicated the shorter Lateral Suture procedure would be better suited for her. 🦴🩺

We're absolutely delighted with their progress and wish them both a continued good recovery! Good job girls! 🌟🤩

17/07/2025

🌟 Star patient alert! 🌟

We're now at 6 weeks post-op for little Millie so it's time for us to share her story 🐈

Millie first presented to our Out Of Hours Service, Vets Now, one evening after a suspected fall or road traffic accident. She was mobile but not bearing weight on her hind leg; her respiratory effort increased overnight 🏨🩺

Once a transfer had been arranged to AVR, and after having x-rays done, Millie was rushed to surgery to repair her diaphragmatic hernia - a hole in the diaphragm resulting in abdominal contents entering the chest cavity. This allowed her to breathe more normally 🫁👍

A week later, Millie was re-presented to AVR to repair her complex fracture and following a long surgery, her tibia was repaired with plates and screws 🦴🪛

While Millie still has another 6 weeks of rest ahead of her, she's starting to return to her usual habits at home and moving around more comfortably 🏡🗓

If your pet gets into a spot of trouble and requires orthopaedic attention, please ask your primary vets to reach out on 01224 002224 📞📨

We wish you a continued good recovery Millie and well done for being so brave! 🌟😻

26/06/2025

🌟 Star patient alert! 🌟

Let us introduce you to our wonderful patient Missi-Sox! 🐶

Missi was diagnosed with Lymphoma, a type of cancer. She has had a course of 16 chemotherapy treatments with our Internal Medicine Vet, Jan. 🩺💊

During each visit, Missi had blood tests and chemotherapy was administered. She was a brave girlie during all of her visits and we wish her well in the future 🐕

We can provide free advice to vets; should you like to arrange a consultation with us at AVR, request a referral from your primary vets or get in touch directly via phone 01224 002224 or email [email protected]

Good job Missi-Sox! 🌟🐾🎉

23/05/2025

This brave girl Khali was in for BOAS surgery with Cristina. Just look at how proud she looks with her bravery certificate 🥰🐾🐶

Khali will now be going home to rest and try to stay cool in this warm weather.
We all wish you a speedy recovery Khali and thank you for all of your cuddles.

16/05/2025

🐾Donny's Story🐾

Donny was diagnosed with what is sadly a very common cancer amongst dogs: Multicentric Lymphosarcoma, or Lymphoma for short. Without treatment he would no longer have been with us today...
Donny started chemotherapy treatment in October last year, and has received treatment every week initially, thereafter every two weeks, for a grand total of 16 treatments, with his last treatment just recently! He has reacted very well to all this extra inconvenience, and is currently totally without any sign of cancer, although, sadly, it is expected to return at some point (hopefully not too soon!).

Donny spent his last day of treatment with Vet Jan and Nurse Freya and even had some time to go outside and enjoy the sunshine showing off his bravery certificate 🥰

Right now, we just want to say a huge well done for being such a good boy and so brave for all his treatments, and to wish him all the very best; Donny you're a star! 🥳🤩🐾

15/05/2025