Vets4Pets Ayr

19/09/2025

👁️
Applying Eye Drops to Cats..🐱

Eye drops or ointments can be essential for treating many cat eye issues, conjunctivitis, injuries, or infections. At Vets4Pets , we want you to feel confident when giving your cat eye medication. Here are some tips from our trusted Vets4Pets sources. 

🩺 Why it matters

Using the correct medication, prescribed by your vet, is vital. Over-the-counter medicines meant for humans can make certain eye problems worse. Early treatment helps avoid pain, irritation, and serious complications. 

👣 How to do it safely & gently
• Make sure you’re familiar with how much medication to use and how your drops or ointment tube works, sizes and designs can vary. 
• If your cat resists, you may need a helper: someone to gently hold them while you apply the drops. 
• Use gentle restraint: support their chin, tilt their head up slightly, and draw down the lower eyelid to make a ‘pocket’ for the medication. 
• Hold the dropper or tube steady, ideally rested on something (even the cat’s head, if safe), so you can control the drop without sudden movement. 
• Once medication is applied, have a treat ready. Rewarding calm behaviour helps with giving drops in the future. 

⚠️ Things to watch out for
• Don’t force it or rush, stress can make it harder.
• Be careful not to touch the tip of the dropper/ointment tube to the eye or eyelashes, this can contaminate the medicine.
• Keep your cat calm and avoid letting them rub at the eye afterwards. A short collar might help if needed.
• If there’s increased swelling, discharge, or if things seem worse after applying the drops, get veterinary help.

At , we’re always here to help walk you through the process. If you’re unsure or uneasy, ask a vet or nurse to show you in clinic - it makes a big difference. Call us on 01292 430530 📞

15/09/2025

👁️🐾 It’s

This week we’re putting the on your pet’s peepers 👀. Just like us, pets can develop eye problems, from irritation and redness, to infections or more serious conditions if left untreated.

✨ Keep an eye out on our socials’ all week as we’ll be sharing , , and about pet eye health. Here are our top recommendations to help you see clearly when it comes to caring for your pet’s eyes:

✔️ Regular eye checks during wellness exams
✔️ Watch for signs like tearing, redness, cloudiness, or squinting
✔️ Keep fur around the eyes trimmed and clean
✔️ Contact us straight away if anything looks unusual

Let’s keep those beautiful eyes shining bright‼️💚 https://www.vets4pets.com/pet-health-advice/looking-after-your-pets-eyes/

11/09/2025

Woody stopped by for his 6 month health check‼️🤗 It's part of his plan.
For more information, click here.. 👇
https://www.vets4pets.com/pet-health-plans/complete-care-junior/puppies/

ℹ️ At around 6 months old, your puppy should have a full head-to-tail check. The vet will assess weight, growth, and general development, looking out for things like teeth coming through properly, ears, eyes, coat condition, joints, and overall body condition. Parasite control will also be reviewed - flea, worming, ticks, etc. You’ll talk about vaccination status (if any boosters are needed), possibly discuss neutering, diet changes, and behavioural or socialisation advice to make sure your puppy is growing up healthy and confident.

07/09/2025

A fantastic day, we were proud to help support ‼️🐕

06/09/2025

🐾!! MISSING CAT !!🐾

Could everyone in the area please keep your eyes peeled for little Spike who has been missing from the area since the September the 4th.

Spike is a very friendly cat and he is microchipped. Please check cars and garages as he may be wandering. Lets get him home‼️❤
You can call us on 01292 430530 with any info.

03/09/2025

🚨 BE AWARE | Ayr Air Show & Your

The International Ayr Show: Festival of Flight is back at the Low Green on Friday 5th (evening) & Saturday 6th September (afternoon) 🎆✈️. It’s an amazing event for people, but not so much for our furry friends.. 🐶🐱🐰🐴

👉 Full line-up & aerial display times are available @ south-ayrshire.gov.uk - search ‘Air Show Info’

💚 Our top for this weekend ⬇️

🐾 Bring small furries (rabbits/guinea pigs) inside or check them often.
🐾 Check on horses/larger outdoor pets regularly in fields/stables.
🐾 Leave your dog at home - loud displays can spook them!
🐾 Keep cats indoors where possible.
🐾 At home: block out any air show sights and sounds via ambient noise and darker rooms and offer a chew/treat for comfort and distraction.

🚗 Travelling to our branch for an appointment or collection this weekend? Please allow extra travel time, the area will be busier than usual‼️ We are, as always, on hand to help with nervous pets or distressed animals, you can call us on 01292 430530 📞

27/08/2025

Sign up here.. 🐾 😄👉 https://www.ayrshirehospice.org/event/waggy-tail-walk-and-dog-show/

With only days to go until our Waggy Tail Walk, our Ambassadog Hugo is getting ready to be the best leader of the pack 🐕‍🦺. He's been in training to make sure everyone marches with pride as all the waggy tails and the hoomans set off round Eglinton Country Park🐾🐾

There is still time to sign up your pooch to the dog show to win coolest puppy or best rescue. With fantastic prizes to be won on the day, don't miss out! ⏳

Be part of the pack on Sunday and sign up at our 🔗link in bio. (What's On)

Vets4Pets Ayr

24/08/2025

We are SO looking forward to seeing lots of our clients and friends at the end of the month‼️ 😎⬇️

With only one week to go, time is running out to sign up to our sponsored Waggy Tail Walk and Dog Show. ⏳⏱️🐾🏅

This time next week, all of the waggy tails will be getting ready to strut their stuff at the Vets4Pets Ayr dog show, before lining their paws up ready for a wander around Eglinton Country Park.

There is still time to join us 🐕‍🦺🐶. Sign up now to make sure your pooch is part of the crowd 👉 https://bit.ly/4j4SWOP

21/08/2025

W E
A R E
H I R I N G

🐾 We’re recruiting a Senior RVN in Are you an experienced RVN ready for your next step? Join our supportive, forward-thinking team across , & Vets4Pets.

✨ What we offer:
✔ Salary up to £34k (DOE)
✔ Flexible full/part-time hours
✔ 1:4 Saturday rota, no OOH
✔ CPD allowance + paid CPD days
✔ Private healthcare, pension & more

With modern equipment, a team that values nurses at the heart of what we do, and a culture built on support, respect, and work-life balance, this is more than just a job, it’s a career where you can thrive.

📩 Apply today and take the next step in your nursing journey,
https://www.vets4petscareers.com/job-vacancies/34092-senior-registered-veterinary-nurse/

19/08/2025

🐾 Join the at Eglinton Country Park for a pawsome 5km stroll with your four-legged friend, and take part in a fun-filled hosted by our team @ 🎉🐶 From 'Coolest Puppy' to 'Best Rescue', you can enter up to 3 tail-wagging categories and compete for fur-tastic prizes‼️ 💫

📍 Where: Eglinton Country Park
📅 When: Sunday 31st August
💰 Entry: £10.00 per dog (walk only) | £20.00 with dog show entry
🎯 Suggested sponsorship: £50.00

Let’s walk, wag and raise vital funds for Ayrshire Hospice. Find out more and book your place @ ayrshirehospice.org ⬇️💜 *And tag a walking partner below..😉

17/08/2025

🐇 H O P to it‼️

Is your fully protected? ✨ Let’s keep your bunnies safe and healthy. With just one annual injection, your rabbit can be vaccinated against three deadly diseases:
✅ Myxomatosis
✅ Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease 1 (RHD1)
✅ Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease 2 (RHD2)

These diseases are highly contagious and often fatal, but they can be prevented. Rabbits can be from 7 weeks old, and yearly boosters will keep their immunity strong.

📅 Book your rabbit’s vaccination: 01292 430530
📍 Vets4Pets Ayr, Allison St. Retail Park,

*In hot weather, remember to keep rabbits cool by ensuring they have constant shade, fresh water, and good airflow. Provide cool surfaces like ceramic tiles or frozen water bottles wrapped in a towel for them to lie against, and avoid handling or exercise during the hottest hours‼️☀️

15/08/2025

📢 B A N K H O L I D A Y
Reminder

If your pet needs medication or food before Tuesday 26th August, please make sure you place your prescription orders before 5pm on Wednesday 20th August..🍽🐾

✅ Orders placed by this time will be included in our Friday 22nd August delivery.
❌ Any orders made after this will not be available for collection until Tuesday 26th August.

*This is due to our supplier being closed on Monday 25th August for the

📍 Contact your branch to place your order:
Ayr – 📞 01292 430530

Irvine – 📞 01294 322550

Kilmarnock – 📞 01563 522225

Thank you for helping us keep your pets happy and healthy‼️🐶🐱💚

25/02/2024

When Kelly from our Colton store's Pets Grooming salon discovered a lump on the tail of nine-year-old Rufus she suspected something wasn't right, so alerted his owners Les and Andrea so they could get it checked out. They brought him to Vets for Pets Leeds Colton where it was confirmed he had a cancerous tumour which needed surgery.

Les, who adopted Rufus from Dogs Trust in Leeds as a puppy, said: “Rufus is such a big part of our life; we’re absolutely besotted with him. We probably wouldn’t have noticed the lump if not at the groomers as the tail isn’t somewhere you would usually stroke and feel. Kelly loves Rufus and really looks after him, so we want to say a big thanks for spotting it. Who'd have known what would have happened if she hadn’t noticed.”

Rufus had to have his tail removed, but is now making a good recovery. He's been visiting Kelly for a groom every six weeks for the last three years. She said: “You get to know everything about a dog as you groom them. I’ve discovered similar things before on other dogs so I mentioned it to the owners so they could get it checked out. Dogs are my life and you do worry; I’m so pleased they caught it. Now he’s got a fully docked tail like a little bunny rabbit. It’s lovely and suits him – when he gets washed he wiggles his bum.”

21/02/2024

Arthur's owner Louise says he "looked like a brand-new tortoise" after having his beak filed at Sutton in Ashfield Vets4Pets.

Louise adopted the four-year-old Horsefield Tortoise from a family member in October. Although she has had other pets, Arthur is her first tortoise, so she has been doing some research on how to best care for him.

Louise said: "I noticed Arthur's beak was unusually long, so I brought him in to Vets for Pets; I bring all my pets there. When he came out, I thought 'you beautiful boy, look at you – you look so handsome!"

Vet Steph, who looked after Arthur, says that tortoise beaks continuously grow and normally grind down themselves while they're eating. She said: "Arthur needed a little help as his jaw isn't perfectly aligned; his lower jaw is further out than his top jaw, so I filed it around half a centimetre. He was really good; a real cutie."

18/02/2024

Owner Claire says she couldn't be more grateful to Vets4Pets Hamilton after their quick diagnosis saved the sight of six-year-old Alba.

Claire knew there was something terribly wrong with her miniature dachshund cross when she called her in from the back garden last summer and Alba ran headfirst into a closed patio door. She rushed her to the vets, where investigations led the team to diagnose her with uveitis – an eye condition which causes inflammation of the middle layer of the eye.

Claire said: "It all happened so suddenly; Alba must have heard my voice and guessed where to go. It was quite scary seeing how bad she was. We couldn't be more grateful for the team in Hamilton spotting the uveitis as quickly as they did, otherwise Alba would have gone blind within a matter of days. Their knowledge saved Alba's sight. I still can't believe it happened. It's taken months of treatments, but it's such a relief to have our girl back to being her funny, bossy self."

Vet Neil, one of the team who treated Alba, said: "Alba's pupil was really narrow and wouldn't respond to light properly, which can be a sign of uveitis. Once we had ruled out other conditions, we were able to get her to an eye specialist for ongoing treatment. She's now doing really well."

16/02/2024

Ducky's owner Antonia was in a state of panic when she saw a fox had dug its way into the field where she keeps him – killing two of her other ducks and chickens.

Antonia was about to move her brood into their pen for the evening when she saw what had happened and noticed that Ducky had severe bite wounds under his wing. She rushed him to Vets4Pets Vets Milton Keynes for emergency surgery – and after having his wound stitched up the one-year-old duck is now making a good recovery.

Antonia said: "I was so worried. You don’t often hear of ducks recovering from fox attacks, but there is something about Ducky and the way he was so brave. I'm sure he was protecting a lady duck, as he's a bit of a romantic. It's the first time we've gone to Vets for Pets, and the team were amazing; they've done an incredible job."

Vet Becca, who treated Ducky, said: "He's a really lucky duck, as it was quite a big wound. When he first came in, he was understandably subdued and quiet but when he came back for his stitches to be taken out, he wanted to explore and tuck his head into everyone’s shoulders."

07/02/2024

Well done to the team at Vets4Pets Guildford who've been awarded a silver level certificate for being a rabbit-friendly clinic.

After head veterinary nurse Ella noticed that more customers were bringing in rabbits the practice took a series of steps to give them as stress-free an experience as possible. Ella, who also fosters rescue dogs in her spare time, said: "There was a long list of things that we needed to prove that we did from making sure the rabbits are kept separate from other animals and not booked in at the same time as barking dogs, to providing heated kennels for those who need to stay in, and using special equipment made especially for rabbits."

Practice manager Kevin said: "All of our vets have plenty of experience with rabbits we have some real rabbit geeks here, so it was a big thing to us. There are so many good people in this world and I'm so proud to be around them."

28/01/2024

Beautiful Bear was born deaf, so he's learned to follow his owner Lisa's visual commands.

Lisa, who shops at our Tamworth store – "it's my second home!" – got two-year-old Bear as a kitten and suspected he was deaf when he didn't respond to her voice. She had it confirmed by her vet soon after. She said: "He was very scatty, and scared of people he didn’t recognise. He wasn’t bothered by loud noises like my other cat Emily and when I came home from work he wouldn’t hear the door open.

"He's doing really well though. I try to do some sign language with him – I point at him and do a solid hand sign at him to stop. He picks up on vibrations and scents too. He meows, making a really loud chirping sound which I’ve never heard a cat do before, and he’s always rubbing his head against my legs and following me everywhere. I was advised not to let him out because he wouldn’t hear cars or other dangers, so he comes outside with me every morning to have a sniff around the garden and always comes straight back in." Bear and Lisa's other cat Emily are on Instagram as

27/01/2024

Ten-year-old Dutch rabbit Alfie has been visiting vet Kate at Vets4pets Wolverhampton for dental treatment for the last eight years – and she says he's such a loveable character that he's become "part of the family".

He's one of the oldest rabbits treated by Kate and the team, and she says his longevity is down to the care and love he gets from his owner Tracy and her family. Kate said: "Alfie is famous in this practice – everyone knows him. We and his family are dedicated to making sure her little old man is happy. The beautiful thing about being a vet or vet nurse is you build these relationships with the owners and their pets – they become your surrogate pets."

Tracy's been keeping rabbits all her life, and says that having space and routine is key. She said: "Alfie is an old man now and has a routine. He goes into a hutch at night and is let out in the morning. He's out all day and has his favourite spots in the house. We clean him out every day and give him a lot of attention. When he was younger he would follow us around; if I was clearing a cupboard out he would be in the cupboard to help. Now he's old and wants to be warm and watch instead. I can't thank Kate and the practice enough. Kate's been fantastic with him."

26/01/2024

Eight-year-old Winnie the Schnauzer cross is running around like a puppy again thanks to laser treatment and physiotherapy after two successful knee operations at Vets for Pets Basildon.

Worried owner Tracy brought Winnie in to the practice after she collapsed on a walk last year – and the team discovered the cruciate ligament in a knee had ruptured. She’s since had ops on two knees and is on a recovery plan led by vet physiotherapist Izzy.

Tracy said: "Winnie has had a tough year with 15 teeth removed, two cruciate ligament operations and two bouts of pancreatitis but thankfully she's hardy. She’s treated fabulously at the Basildon practice. Izzy is great with her – she totally relaxes in her hands and does little snores with her eyes open. Winnie has a new lease of life again and is running around like a puppy."

Izzy said: "When pets have surgery or injure themselves they move differently which causes them to be sore in other places. Winnie has laser therapy then a massage to help the healing process. Laser treatment is a specialist service that not enough people know about – it can help in so many ways after an operation.”

19/01/2024

The team at Vets4Pets Cramlington say greyhound Frank was "an absolute gentleman" when he came in for some dental work.

Seven-year-old Frank was brought in by owner Harriet to get rid of some plaque which had built up and to treat a gum inflammation. Veterinary nurse Vicki said: "Frank was a very good boy and left with clean, fresh and sparkly teeth. It's so very important to get your dog's teeth checked and we advise pets to have an annual dental check. Eighty per cent of dogs over the age of three have dental disease. Prevention is much better than cure and regular checks and routine cleaning keep your pet's mouth healthier for longer and can help to prevent extensive extractions later in life. We are always happy to offer advice on maintenance and dental care at home such as teeth brushing or dental supplements."

18/01/2024

Veterinary nurse Mel from Vets4Pets Bristol Longwell Green loves cats so much she's helped the practice make a number of improvements to give cats as stress-free an experience as possible when they're brought in.

Mel, who has an Advanced Certificate in Feline Behaviour for Veterinary Professionals, helped introduce facilities like a separate feline waiting area and cattery and the use of quiet clippers – and the practice now has a silver level certificate for being a cat-friendly clinic. She said: "I love dogs but I'm really a cat person. Cats can be misunderstood which can lead to them having quite a stressful life, so if we can make things easier for them and help people understand what cats need then everyone will be happier.

"As animal lovers there's always more to learn and understand about what makes them happy. Enrichment at the home is important for a happy cat – and as cats are naturally solitary animals if you live in a multi-cat household it's important to understand what they need. The rule is to have a resource per cat, plus one spare. So if you have two cats you should have three feeding stations, three litter trays and three scratch posts spread around the house so they have the opportunity to move around to wherever they want to go. Scratching is as natural a thing for cats to do as going out hunting is, so if they're unable to go out it's about providing the chance for them to behave as naturally as possible."

07/01/2024

Four-year-old Sebastian the Jack Russell is back to his usual boisterous self after being treated at Vets4Pets Abingdon for a condition that was causing the knee caps on his back legs to dislocate when he walked.

The condition, known as medial patellar luxation, would cause him to hop or skip when exercising. It's quite common in terriers and small dog breeds, but Sebastian's case was quite severe and he was given surgery by orthopaedic surgeon Joe to deepen the groove his patella runs in on his right hind leg, and also to move and reattach his patellar tendon.

Sebastian is owned by practice vet Hannah who said: "After the operation he just wanted to get back to normal straight away but he couldn't ... and that's where we struggled. He wanted to be out and about, charging around and playing with his toys but he needed to rest." Hannah had to give him medication for six weeks to give his knees time to heal. She said: "He's absolutely fine now – he's fully recovered and running around like a lunatic again!"

05/01/2024

When 11-year-old lurcher Jess was brought into Vets for Pets Leeds Birstall 24/7 Small Animal Hospital on Christmas Eve feeling very poorly with pyometra – a life-threatening uterus infection – the team knew they had to act fast; so vet Emily and nurses JD and Hannah headed straight in to perform emergency surgery on her in the early hours of Christmas morning.

The operation went so well that by lunchtime nurse Krishna was able to call her owner Beth to say she was well enough to come home to recuperate – and Beth made the hour-long drive from her home in Keighley so she could bring Jess home before the family sat down for their Christmas dinner. Beth said: "It was a stressful start to Christmas, as we were worried about Jess because of her age and because she's never had anything wrong with her before. We're so grateful for everything – it was so nice of them to come in on Christmas Day to operate on her, to look after her so well and to get her home on top form. The vets were fantastic from start to finish. Jess is recovering nicely – you can see the happiness is back in her!"

Krishna said: "Our night team always do an amazing job, and performing serious surgery like that at that time of night and on Christmas Day of all days is just brilliant. Jess did amazingly well to bounce back so quickly, and it was amazing being able to call her owners to say that she could come home to spend Christmas with them. It's the sort of call we all love to make, but doing it on Christmas Day was extra nice."