Millhouse Veterinary Services Ltd

02/06/2026

Seven, sleek saluki pups have just arrived following an insemination with frozen semen from America. Congratulations to mum and owner

26/05/2026

Not only is this heatwave dangerous for our dogs (and ourselves), but it’s bad news for semen quality. S***m is produced and stored in the testicles which are usually at least 2-3*C below the core body temperature of 38.5*C. If the testicular temperature rises the s***m can’t function properly, and even a short term temperature increase can affect semen quality for the next 2 months.
So - Avoid any exercise in these high daytime temperatures
Don’t let your stud lie on hot surfaces - plastic grass, tarmac or anywhere hot
Allow them to cool down in water
Ensure the coat around the testicles is not matted and air can circulate

And if you have a mating planned then do it early morning or late evening, unless you have the luxury of aircon

21/05/2026

Vets, and doctors, have been aware for a few years of the effects that female HRT treatment can have on your dogs and cats - in particular the recently popular sprays, gels and creams that are put on our skin. Oestrogen absorption can cause signs of a season even in spayed bi***es and queens, feminisation of male dogs (small testicles, mammary enlargement) as well as hair loss and behavioural changes. It’s important to ensure your pets (and human babies) don’t come into contact with the areas of your skin that the treatments are applied to.
However this is the first I’ve heard about toxic effects of human hair restorer

A leading charity has urged cat owners to be vigilant as it warned other products could also be dangerous to pets.

17/05/2026

A picture of contentment.
WH Vizlas just a few hours old - feed, sleep, grow…and repeat

17/05/2026

What a great result for the frozen semen that arrived just in time (after ovulation!) Nine Barbet pups recently born in Switzerland. Great job by Blendivet, with semen frozen here at Millhouse

03/05/2026

Brucella canis in a breeding kennel is a nightmare scenario for the kennel, but it is a serious risk to human health too. It’s not the most infectious zoonotic disease (especially if dogs are neutered), but we, as vets and breeders are dealing with semen, vaginal secretions and whelpings/abortions - and these ARE the most likely fluids to cause infection. A Brucella test(with APHA) is relatively inexpensive.
Worryingly, vets are diagnosing Brucella in U.K. born dogs - see comments in Cat’s post

The risk of Brucella Canis infecting a member of my profession is low, but it should always be taken seriously. As this article published recently at a human infectious diseases conference shows.

This vet was extremely poorly with serious symptoms caused by Brucella Canis but, most importantly, had had no high-risk exposure to known positive dogs, beyond those who were patients she looked after.

This is why it is so important that imported dogs are tested, and confirmed negative, before they enter the UK. This is now mandatory for those travelling from Romania but a responsible importing organisation will do this for dogs from other high-risk countries as well.

It is also why a repeated test must be performed after the dog has been in the UK for three months, to ensure any who may have been developing the infection during the first testing period, are identified.

A positive result doesn't mean your local clinic won't care for your dog, but it does mean they know to put extra precautions in place to keep their staff safe.

To my colleague, (who, I must be clear, I do not know but we are all peers in this profession) I sincerely hope you are doing better now and I am very sorry this happened to you.

To find out more;

APHA Advice for Veterinary Professionals; https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/canine-brucellosis-summary-information-sheet-for-veterinary-staff

APHA Advice for Owners; https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/brucella-canis-information-for-the-public-and-dog-owners/brucella-canis-information-for-the-public-and-dog-owners

Veterinary Voices UK article on Brucella Canis; https://www.vetvoices.co.uk/post/brucellosis-canis-in-the-uk-an-overview

British Veterinary Association - BVA Advice on Brucella Canis; https://www.bva.co.uk/resources-support/brucella-canis/

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) announcement on the new testing requirements for Romanian imports; https://www.gov.uk/guidance/brucella-canis-testing-dogs-before-import

The abstract page at the ESCMID Conference; https://www.escmid.org/congress-events/escmid-global/abstracts/information-for-presenters/abstract-finder/ (there is no direct link to this image, I was sent it directly)

18/04/2026

Please be aware of these new regulations coming into force from 22nd April. If your main residence is GB then you need an AHC to travel to the EU (an EU passport will not be valid unless the owner is an EU resident). Nobody seems to know how strictly this will be enforced and if the initially proposed “grace period” until the passport is full will actually go ahead. APHA did not mention any leeway in their update to vets this week

16/04/2026

A webinar about disc disease - why it happens, treatments and rehabilitation. Should be interesting

16/04/2026

Karen will be working at the W and P Breeds Ch show in Builth on Saturday if anybody has any questions. Scanning and progesterone testing available too - just ring or message me😊

29/03/2026

For those of you who travel to Europe with your dogs, please be aware of some changes to legislation coming into force on 22nd April. The AHC rules AREN’T changing , but if your dog has an EU Pet Passport and you are resident in the UK then you could have some problems.
No new EU passports will be issued to dogs whose owners reside in the UK (ie you can’t get a passport issued while you’re on holiday in the EU) but if your dog’s current EU passport was issued correctly (the owner was resident in the EU when it was issued) then there should be a transitional period when it WILL be accepted until a new one is needed. If rules weren’t followed when it was issued ..🤷‍♀️
There is an excellent Facebook group run by Kathy Thomas which answers a myriad of questions about the AHC and related problems - well worth joining.
And hopefully, in the next 12m, we might actually have GB passports again🤞