North Wales Veterinary Referrals

17/02/2026

🐾 Clinical Spotlight 🐾

This is Bailey.
Bailey was taken to VillageVets And Meadowbank as he was generally under the weather and had vomited a few times over the previous 24hours.
Blood tests showed Bailey was jaundiced and had evidence of an infection. An ultrasound scan confirmed the presence of a gall bladder mucocele (GBM).

A GBM can be a very serious condition affecting the biliary system. It is an accumulation of thickened, mucoid bile within the gall bladder which can lead to obstruction of the biliary system and/or rupture of the gall bladder. Complications associated with a GBM can prove fatal for the patient.

This condition is more common in certain breeds with Border Terriers, like Bailey, being one of the most commonly affected.

Bailey was referred to Tom and the team at NWVR. Bailey underwent stabilisation with intravenous fluids and medications. Bailey underwent surgery to remove his gall bladder and restore bile flow through his bile duct.

We are pleased to say that Bailey has made a remarkable recovery following surgery and is well on the way to being back to his normal, inquisitive self 🩵.

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14/01/2026

12/01/2026

Case Spotlight:
Meet Lottie. She is a 4month old Boxer puppy that lives life to the max. Lottie was brought to NWVR as she had become severely lame and was unable to stand on her right back leg.

After examination, it was recommended that Lottie undergo some diagnostic tests to find out what was wrong. X-rays of her knee showed excessive fluid in her knee joint and blood tests confirmed the presence of severe systemic inflammation.

In the light of these findings, we decided to take a sample of joint fluid from her knee joint for analysis.
The laboratory report confirmed the presence of a bacterial infection within the joint (septic arthritis)

Septic arthritis occurs when bacteria enter the joint, leading to inflammation, pain, and potential damage to the cartilage if not treated promptly.
Dogs can develop septic arthritis when bacteria spread through the bloodstream from another infection, enter through a wound or bite near a joint, or less commonly after surgery or joint injections. Young puppies are especially vulnerable due to their developing immune systems. In Lottie's case, we think that the bacteria spread to the joint via the bloodstream.

Early signs of septic arthritis may include lameness, joint swelling, fever, lethargy, and reluctance to play. Prompt veterinary evaluation and aggressive treatment are essential to protect joint health and support normal growth.

Lottie was prescribed antibiotics to treat the infection and we are pleased to say that within 24hours, she was walking comfortably on the leg and getting up to no-good again.

Lottie will stay on antibiotics for a further 4 weeks and we are confident she will make a full recovery.

Lottie's mum took her to the vets as soon as she noticed something was wrong and because of this we were able to act quickly and treat the infection in it's early stages. Given Lottie's diagnosis, if this infection was left untreated, it could have had life changing, if not, life-threatening consequences.

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05/01/2026

01/01/2026

🎉🌟Happy New Year to all of our clients and referring practices, from all at North Wales Veterinary Referrals! 🌟🎉

10/12/2025

Our administrator Wendy! 🌟🐾

Wendy has worked within Village Vets since 2020, starting off at our Meadowbank branch and is now working within the Referral!

She is responsible for keeping the diary in check, accounts and insurance claims and making sure all of our clients are kept up to date with their pets procedures and appointments.

In her downtime away from work she will be out and about walking her lovely waggy dog, Milo. 🐶🩵

09/12/2025

🌟Meet Sophie Dean - Our Referrals Manager and RVN 🌟

Sophie qualified as a Registered Veterinary Nurse in 2015 and also gained her Diploma in Advanced Veterinary Nursing not long after.

Sophie is responsible for overseeing the referral process, supporting clients and referring practices, and ensuring high standard of communication and care across the service. She still works alongside the clinical team too, with her main interests being inpatient care and anaesthesia.

Outside of work you will find Sophie out schooling and competing her young horse Ember and looking after her ever growing collection of animals. Horses, a dog, a cat, chickens and some fish too! 🐾🐴

08/12/2025

🌟Hydrotherapy and K - Laser therapy 🌟

At our Meadowbank practice, Northop, we provide a fantastic rehabilitation service 🐾

Jo Clarke is our Level 4 hydrotherapist and will take on referred patients from primary vets. There will be an initial longer consultation with Jo, where she will create the plan she will follow for the duration of the patients needs.

Jo.W is our K - Laser RVN and she carries out laser therapy and massage to patients, giving one on one tailored patient care.

Head to our website for more information and to refer 🐶🐱

https://www.villagevetshydrotherapy.co.uk/

Village Vets Rehabilitation Hydro Physio Canine Hydro Physio K-Laser UK

05/12/2025

🌟Let's introduce more of our team 🌟

❤️On Wednesdays here at NWR we have James Specialist Veterinary Cardiology team visit us and provide cardiac evaluations and care to patients that need their expertise ❤️

Services they offer include: blood testing and interpretation, blood pressure monitoring, electrocardiography (ECG) & interpretation, doppler echocardiography, radiography & interpretation, heart testing, puppy & kitten clinic, minimally invasive cardiac interventional surgery and holter monitoring.

https://jsvc.co.uk/services/

If you would like more information please call us or ask your primary vet to refer you to us for an appointment with the cardiology team

04/12/2025

Clinic Spotlight: Meet George

George was referred to North Wales Veterinary Referrals by his vets (Wern Vets Cyf), as he had recently developed difficulty walking. After a consultation with Tom, George was diagnosed with bilateral cranial cruciate ligament (CCL) rupture.

The CCL is one of the major stabilising ligaments in the knee and damage to the CCL is the most common cause of hindlimb lameness in dogs. When the ligament becomes damaged or ruptured, the knee joint becomes unstable, and patients struggle to weight-bear on the affected limb. Unfortunately, George had ruptured his CCL in both knees and so was unable to stand unaided.

Unlike with the equivalent human injury, we do not recommend reconstructing the ligament with a graft. We suggest altering the muscle forces acting on the knee joint by performing a cut in the tibia (osteotomy) and levelling out the slope of the tibial joint surface (tibial plateau). This procedure is called a Tibial Plateau Levelling Osteotomy (TPLO)

George underwent his first TPLO on 18th November and as he was doing so well, he underwent his second TPLO on 2nd December.
We wish George a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him back for his X-rays in 10 weeks time

19/11/2025

🌟Meet Emma Porter - our Small Animal Medicine Vet! 🌟

Emma, BSc MRCVS Cert SAM Advanced Practitioner, first qualified in 2012 as a Veterinary Surgeon and she then gained her RCVS Advanced Practitioner certificate in Small Animal Medicine.

Emma has a passion for medicine and is also a strong advocator for pain management. Emma also offers acupuncture clinics for those patients that may benefit. Please contact us if you would like to refer.

Emma always likes to travel and explore anywhere she can with her family and her dog Arnie 🐾🐾🐾

18/11/2025

🌟Today's meet the team... 🌟

Meet our Referral Nurse... Evie Robinson 🐾💙

Evie graduated with a Foundation Degree in Veterinary Nursing, qualifying in July 2013. She has since also gained her Bsc in Veterinary Nursing and her diploma in Advanced Veterinary Nursing.

Evie's main interests include anaesthesia, pain management, scrubbed in surgical nursing and radiography.

In her spare time Evie will be out in the countryside exploring with her lovely dog Moss 🐾