Haycombe Veterinary Centre

07/11/2025

🎆 Fireworks and fear: Lulu’s story 🎆
“Lulu is terrified of fireworks. During lockdown, there were so many I genuinely thought she might have a heart attack. I believed I'd tried everything. I never thought my vet could help, but last year, I mentioned it during a visit and was given something to apply to Lulu’s gums. It worked. She’s 13 now, and I feel awful knowing she suffered for so long because I didn’t ask sooner.”

If your dog struggles with fireworks, you're not alone - and there are ways
we can help. From calming products to tailored advice, your vet can offer
support to make firework season less stressful for your pet.

05/11/2025

Fireworks Night - 5th November
With fireworks night happening tonight, check out our
our last minute top tips on getting your pet prepared.
🐶🐱👇
For more information and support:
vetcollection.co.uk/health/pets-and-fireworks in

04/11/2025

StreetVet provides free accessible essential and emergency veterinary care to the pets of those experiencing homelessness. This partnership reflects our shared values of compassion, care and community support, and we’re excited to work together to make a meaningful difference throughout the year.

When you next visit us, we invite you to consider making a small donation to support StreetVet. Every contribution, no matter the size, helps provide vital veterinary care to the pets of people experiencing homelessness.

Thank you for helping us support this incredible cause.

01/11/2025

The loud bangs and flashes of fireworks can be very frightening for our pets. Read our advice below on what not to do around our pets during firework season and the reasons why.

For more advice on keeping your pet safe during firework season: vetcollection.co.uk/health/pets-and-fireworks

31/10/2025

Happy Halloween!
We hope you and your pets have a spook-tacular day!

Make sure to show us your pets getting in the Halloween spirit in the comments below. 🐈‍⬛🎃

31/10/2025

People dressed in costumes and unexpected knocks at the door can be confusing and scary for many dogs. Here are our Halloween top tips:

🎃 Be careful when opening the door so your dog doesn’t accidentally escape

👻 If your dog is really worried, consider a sign saying ‘nervous dog, please do not knock’. You could still leave treats out for children to help themselves

🍬 Keep human sweets and chocolate safely out of your dog’s reach

🧛 Keep dressing up for humans only. Costumes can feel restrictive and prevent your pet from communicating their discomfort

30/10/2025

Maybe a stray turns up and never leaves. Maybe a friend asks you to “temporarily” look after theirs. Or maybe a kitten appears just when you weren’t looking.

It’s all part of what the internet calls the cat distribution system - a tongue-in-cheek way of describing how cats seem to end up exactly where they’re meant to be.

Thinking of getting a cat? Read more about the options for responsibly choosing (or being chosen by) a cat:
🔗 https://www.vetcollection.co.uk/health/adopt-or-shop-rescue-a-cat-or-buy-a-kitten/

29/10/2025

With fireworks season on the horizon, check out our top tips on getting your pet prepared before and on the night.

For more information and support: vetcollection.co.uk/health/pets-and-fireworks

27/10/2025

As we start to enjoy crunchy-leaved autumn walks, it's important to be aware of Seasonal Canine Illness (SCI) - a rare condition that can affect dogs during the autumn months.

Symptoms usually appear 1-3 days after a woodland walk. These symptoms can have many causes, but it's worth knowing that SCI is one possibility, even though it's thankfully very rare.

Some areas are known to be associated with cases and we advise looking out for signage and keeping an eye on local news. Don’t worry though - the vast majority of woodland walks are perfectly safe.

❓ What causes SCI?
The exact cause is still unknown; awareness and early treatment is key.

📞 Worried about your dog?
If your dog shows any unusual symptoms after a woodland walk, contact your vet.

Stay safe and enjoy your autumnal adventures! 🍁

25/10/2025

20/10/2025

Just like us if we injure ourselves during exercise or through wear and tear as we age, our pets can also end up with discomfort or pain in their limbs, causing lameness. This may be a breed disposition like hip dysplasia in dogs, your cat jumping from a fence at an odd angle and injuring their leg or perhaps an aging pet showing the first signs of osteoarthritis.

If you think your pet is struggling with movement or doesn’t seem themselves, please give your local vets a call today to book an appointment: vetcollection.co.uk/practice-finder

19/10/2025

Millions of dogs fear the noise of fireworks going off, but has your dog developed a noise phobia?

Find out what noise phobia is all about, how it develops and what to do about it here: vetcollection.co.uk/health/noisephobias-in-pets