Forest House Veterinary Surgery, Knaresborough

21/03/2022

If anyone is in contact with people from Ukraine planning to travel to the UK with pets, DEFRA have just published this information. Please feel free to share it.

Dear Official Veterinarian,

I am writing about the arrangements applying to people fleeing from Ukraine who want to come to the UK with their pets, as well as to other people or bodies who may be seeking to bring pets here (e.g. commercial and rescue movements).

We recognise that individuals fleeing Ukraine may not have had time to complete the correct health preparations to travel with their pets, or may not possess information verifying that their pets have received the correct health preparations. All such people will still be able to enter the UK with their pets, but they will first need to secure a licence to do so from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

We have streamlined the processes for providing licences, and APHA should be providing these very quickly. We are encouraging people to contact APHA as far ahead of travelling to the UK as possible. If they do not do this themselves but instead approach a carrier to arrange travel to the UK, their carrier should at that stage contact APHA. In addition to providing quick approval, APHA will arrange any required quarantine places. The pet may need to stay in quarantine for up to four months if it has had no rabies treatment. If the pet has received some preparations, the length of time it would need to remain in quarantine would be reduced accordingly. We will also be covering the costs of quarantine. Individuals are being asked to contact APHA at [email protected] or to call +44 3000 200 301 option 2.

These arrangements are in place for cats, dogs, and ferrets as well as any other domesticated animals that are commonly viewed as pets but are not legally part of the pet travel scheme. These arrangements apply to all people fleeing Ukraine, without a residency test or a nationality test applying to applicants.

These arrangements do not apply to commercial movements including rescue animals being evacuated from Ukraine, nor will we be covering the costs of unaccompanied pets or animals without owners. Commercial movements, including rescue animals will not be provided with licences from APHA. Instead, all such movements will only be permitted to enter the UK if they are already fully compliant prior to departing for the UK.

Any assistance you can provide to affected travellers on this matter would be most welcome.

15/03/2022

Samantha and her proud mum selina brought into the world by our Mr Barlow

12/03/2022

Some useful advice for our equestrian followers... 🐴

With spring just around the corner and the evenings getting lighter, here’s a timely reminder for our local equestrian communities to check on your security to keep your horses and tack safe and secure from opportunistic thieves.

Here’s our top tips:

◾️ Keep all tack and equipment in a secure, locked tackroom and keep up with maintenance as rusty or failing hinges and rotten wood are easily spotted.

◾️ Invest in good quality padlocks and chains for your gates and doors. Ideally padlocks with a heavy-duty hasp and staple on barn and outbuilding doors, fitted directly to the door, with two equally spaced locks from top to bottom.

◾️ If possible, fit bars on tack room windows as these are often a key entry point for thieves.

◾️ Get your tack and equipment property marked, we offer regular property marking events at local retailers so keep an eye out for posters and social media posts about these.

◾️ Consider installing CCTV. Although it can be expensive, cheaper alternatives are coming to the market all the time and it can be instrumental in both deterring and catching offenders.

◾️ Ensure your yard is well lit as this is a key deterrent for intruders.

◾️ All horses, donkeys and mules need to be microchipped by law and you should update your Passport Issuing Organisation (PIO) with the microchip number so this can be uploaded to the Central Equine Database. The database allows you to quickly report your horse is missing and check if a horse is legally for sale.

◾️ Be vigilant for anyone strangers visiting the yard and if it is a shared premises, try to make everyone aware of any known visitors.

◾️ Keep a regular check of all fences and field boundaries for any weak spots which would let horses out or allow thieves in.

◾️ Put padlocks on both ends of your gates so that they cannot be lifted off the hinges.

📷 Pictured is PCSO 5984 Sarah Harrod of our York and Selby Rural Taskforce with an equine friend she made a few months ago.

10/03/2022

Meet Peggy . At two hours old her mummy - Gloria, stood on her left front knee and severely bruised and sprained it. She couldn't weight bear on it and the front knee was very swollen and sore. Mr Barlow bandaged it in a beautiful pink dressing and the farmer pulled down some guttering. He used a hack saw to cut the gutter splint to the correct length and Peggy's medical team padded it and fitted it on with blue masking tape. Within ten minutes of starting the bandages Peggy was standing unaided and able to suck from her proud (but slightly clumsy) mummy - Gloria.

The dressings were applied to the accompaniment of two wrens singing their hearts out. They have Roosted overwinter in Gloria's milking parlour and one of them is about to rear her sixth annual brood in the same nest that she has used above the backs of Gloria's friends!!

09/03/2022

Key Facts About Equine Influenza

Key Facts About Equine Influenza

Equine influenza (flu) is highly contagious respiratory virus so will spread rapidly through an unvaccinated population of horses.

08/03/2022

Meet Anna who owns Roo

Have you vaccinated your horse against Equine Flu? 💉

#keepingbritainshorseshealthy

07/03/2022

Key Facts About Equine Influenza

https://www.facebook.com/1770008849957785/posts/2913089725649686/

Equine influenza (flu) is highly contagious respiratory virus so will spread rapidly through an unvaccinated population of horses.

01/03/2022

⭐𝕆ℕ𝔼 𝕎𝔼𝔼𝕂 𝕋𝕆 𝔾𝕆!⭐

Our Equine Flu Awareness week is set to start on the 7th March 🐎

Don't forget to get involved by sharing, commenting and liking our #EFAW2022 posts!

#KBHHCommunity #EquineFlu #EquineVaccinations

12/02/2022

🌟 UPDATE on the female, black cat found 1/2/22 between Birchfield Farm and Burnt Yates 🌟

This lovely little lady is still with us at Forest House. She is recovering incredibly well following surgery to repair her fractured jaw.
She has a lovely new home to go to. However, we wanted to try reach out to her owner(s) again, as we’re sure someone must be missing her

10/02/2022

Everyone meet Troy the Magnificent! Our fluffiest, puffiest visitor of the evening!! How cute is he?🥰😍🐻💜

01/02/2022

⭐️ PLEASE SHARE ⭐️ CAT FOUND THIS MORNING, injured female black cat found this morning on the B6165 between Birchfield Farm and Burnt Yates near the toll road, no chip or collar. Please contact us urgently on 01423 862121.

29/01/2022

We just love a puppy cuddle on a Saturday morning

21/01/2022

Feeling very proud of himself after a successful check up, he even got all dressed up for us.
Good to see you today in your gorgeous bow tie! Such a handsome little guy!

29/12/2021

Black domestic short haired cat, male neutered.
Has a few white hairs on his chest and lower tummy. He has a very saggy belly which swishes from side to side when he walks/runs.
He has golden coloured eyes.
Was staying on Kingsley Close Harrogate.
He escaped Christmas Day and has not returned.
We are extremely worried about him, much loved family cat.
Microchipped, doesn’t wear a collar.

Please contact Karen Turner mobile: 07575818840

Any information much appreciated.

22/12/2021

Not only has our lovely friend Maureen delivered us freshly baked buns every week throughout the pandemic ... look at this amazing Christmas cake she has made for us all! We are so very lucky.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of our clients for the continued support over the past year and for all of the kind gifts and cards that we have received this Christmas.

🎄🎅

22/12/2021

Christmas Opening:
We are open as normal over the festive period except for the following changes.
Christmas Eve (24th Dec): Closing early - no evening surgery.
Christmas Day (Sat 25th Dec): Closed
Sunday 26th Dec: Closed
Monday 27th Dec (Boxing Day): Open 9am - 12:30pm
Tuesday 28th Dec (Christmas Day Holiday): Closed
New Years Eve (31st Dec): Closing early - no evening surgery.
New Years Day (Sat 1st Jan): Closed
Holiday Monday (3rd Jan): Closed

As always, we will have a vet on call of any emergencies our regular patients encounter when the surgery is closed.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all.

02/12/2021

Has anyone lost this cat? She was found today around Wetherby area, if you recognise her or know who she belongs too please contact us on 01423 862121. Thank you

01/12/2021

This year's Christmas tree theme is all about our waggy tail friends and small furries, therefore we would love for you to send in a picture of your pet by commenting below and also including their name. We will be posting a picture of the finished tree in a couple of weeks time. Thank you and merry Christmas from forest house ☃️❄️🌲🎁🎅

23/11/2021

Avian Influenza Prevention Zone in the districts of Harrogate, Hambleton and Richmondshire of North Yorkshire.

It is now a legal requirement to keep all birds (poultry and captive birds) indoors in those areas. This is to limit the risk of spread of AI from wild birds and other sources.

Full letter from DEFRA below:

Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London SW1P 3JR
T: 03459 335577
[email protected]
www.gov.uk/defra

Dear veterinary colleague and poultry industry representative

I am writing to you to highlight the importance of your help to control and prevent the spread of avian influenza (AI) in the UK as a whole, and particularly in North Yorkshire.

Unfortunately, during the last few days several new cases of AI have been confirmed in North Yorkshire and there are further report cases pending. In response to this we have taken swift action and at 8:30 pm on 21 November 2021, declared a new Avian Influenza Prevention Zone in the districts of Harrogate, Hambleton and Richmondshire of North Yorkshire.

Therefore, it is now a legal requirement to keep all birds (poultry and captive birds) indoors in those areas. This is to limit the risk of spread of AI from wild birds and other sources.

This is in addition to the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) declared earlier this month across GB, requiring all bird keepers to take a range of biosecurity precautions, regardless of the number of birds they have, whether they have pet birds, commercial flocks or just a few birds in a backyard flock.

Recent disease incidents have disclosed essential biosecurity breaches both in commercial and non-commercial premises which could easily have been prevented by keepers ensuring simple low-cost but very effective 24/7 biosecurity measures. These include;

• adequate training of staff (regular and relief staff) when entering and moving through poultry houses.

• dedicated staff and house specific personal protective equipment for personnel attending different bird houses.

• maintain and clean yard, houses, and common areas.

• ensure that buildings are bio-secure, roofs, floors and walls are well-maintained eliminating access of any wild bird to bird houses.

• clear flow through system within the premises.

• minimise the need for visitors to the premises.

• maintain adequate records of visitors to the premises (veterinary surgeons, feed wagons, medicines representatives, relief staff)

• clean and maintain clean footwear before and after visiting your birds.

• maintain all hard areas clean and tidy and disinfect hard areas regularly.

It is vital that biosecurity measures are maintained both at the perimeter of poultry and captive bird premises but also within the premises, to prevent disease entering and/or spreading between different bird houses by wild bird faecal contamination being walked-in from the immediate surroundings of each shed.

Please ensure that all vehicles and personnel working or visiting your premises follow strict biosecurity measures and avoid entering animal houses, unless strictly necessary. This should not only include veterinary surgeons and farm workers, but also feed delivery drivers, egg collections, deliveries, staff working on farms, repairs and equipment maintenance personnel.

I enclose a link to an avian influenza Self-assessment biosecurity tool https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1030952/aipz-self-assessment-checklist.odt. Please note and share with your clients.

Keeping avian influenza out of the UK and minimising its impact is part of our collective responsibility and I urge you in your professional capacity to advise your poultry clients and keepers in your local community to maintain essential highest biosecurity measures and to adhere to housing requirements.

The declaration for the Yorkshire AIPZ with housing measures can be found here:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1035003/aipz-declaration-enhanced-measures-yorkshire.pdf Schedule 1 describes the requirements.

Further information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/avian-influenza-bird-flu

Yours sincerely

CHRISTINE MIDDLEMISS UK CHIEF VETERINARY OFFICER
T: +44 (020) 7238 6495
[email protected]