Four Seasons Holistic Veterinary Care

22/05/2025

What is a Phantom Pregnancy, and what can we do about it?

17/05/2025

Nominations are open for the PetPlan Veterinary Awards... your local holistic vet would love a nomination!

I have just nominated for the Petplan Veterinary Awards! - Would you like to thank your veterinary practice or someone in the team? Nominate today at www.petplan.co.uk/vetawards

15/05/2025

Herbs can't have any medical effects... can they? Well, there are plenty that will kill you at the right (do we mean wrong?) dose. If plants can have such powerful negative effects then it's easy to imagine they can also have more positive effects.

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1AvYUrXhoy/

14/05/2025

Happy Receptionist Day to... me!

There's just me running Four Seasons... I make the bookings, send out the forms, do the visits, write up the visits, do the orders, balance the accounts...

This is one of the reasons I strongly prefer communication by text or email. I can't answer the phone during consultations and can't make appointments while driving! A written message is easier for me to respond to when I am free, and makes sure I don't forget anyone. It also means I can accurately copy communication into your pet's records!

12/05/2025

What is a Holistic Vet?
First, I am a proper vet! I have my BVetMed from the Royal Veterinary College and I am an MRCVS which all vets must be to practice in the UK.
Holistic means that I take the whole pet into consideration instead of just focusing on the symptoms. I may look at a pet's lifestyle and emotional state as well as their physical condition. It also means that I have a larger 'tool box' when treating pets... acupuncture, herbal tonics, physical therapies, dietary manipulation, and behaviour modification sit alongside surgery and conventional medicines. Often a combination of treatments provides the best result.
Holistic doesn't mean avoiding conventional medicine, diagnosis, surgery, or vaccinations. I do like to use treatments backed by science... but there's a sprinkling of art and maybe a little magic too sometimes.

28/04/2025

It doesn't need to be that hot for dogs to be at risk of heat stroke. A hairy, old, brachycephalic (short nosed) dog could be at risk at temperatures as low as 18°C! This week is set to be much hotter...
Signs of Heatstroke
🥵 Excessive Panting
🥵 Big Red Tongue
🥵 Not Listening to Known Cues
🥵 Unsteady Gait
🥵 Vomiting
🥵 Collapse, Coma, Death

If you suspect even mild heat stress start treatment immediately!
🥶 Cool The Dog Fast, preferably with cold running water.
🥶 Call your Vet while you Cool.
🥶 Continue Cooling with open windows, fans, or air conditioning as you travel.
🥶 Offer small drinks of room temperature water to conscious dogs only.

Heatstroke kills.

Ignore all the posts about bathing their feet with tepid water, or iced water being dangerous. Research tells us rapid cooling is a lifesaver!

27/04/2025

Dogs and Livestock/Wildlife

Management
🐶 Use a secure lead when necessary.
🐶 Make sure your dog can't escape your garden.

Training
🐶 Train a rocket recall. Your dog should LOVE recall.
🐶 Train stop to movement.
🐶 Top tier, train auto recall from desired
things.

Fulfilment
🐶 Add activities that meet your dog's innate NEED to hunt, fetch, sniff, track, destroy, dig...
🐶 Work as a team on every walk, and then your dog won't go self-employed.

We will run the Wildlife and Livestock Predation Prevention Course again this summer if there is demand. Comment below if interested (it will be a weekday course).

26/04/2025

New Blog!

Deciding to add a new puppy to your family is big decision that can’t be taken lightly. A puppy is a 15-year commitment, and you are responsible for every aspect of their life. Puppies are great fun, but they are also hard work. By planning ahead and being prepared you can choose the perfect new b...

21/04/2025

With my vet behaviour hat on, I think it is incredibly important children learn how to act safely around dogs... but not everyone agrees!

18/04/2025

Heading into the countryside with your dog this Bank Holiday weekend? Make sure you do it responsibly.

10/04/2025

It's the time of year that my dogs love grazing!
Today they are nibbling Cleavers (Gallium aparine) and Nettles (Urtica dioica).
Cleavers are used in herbal tonics to support the urinary system, improve lymphatic drainage, and promote healthy skin.
Nettle leaves are rich in minerals which support skin and coat health, and can also be useful in allergies.
So are my dogs self medicating, or are these young plants just tasty?!

30/03/2025

I love working with reactive dogs. It is so satisfying to help them learn new ways to deal with their fears. This video shows some great ways to help a reactive dog cope with their triggers.

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