Vets for Pets Leeds Kirkstall

09/10/2025

We were so excited to see Teddy in for a weight check and parasite control. He's such a diddy little lad, we're having to tailor what medication we use so that it is safe for him, being so petite and all. Lots of growing to do for this pup, we can't wait to see him blossom.

Team Kirkstall 🐾

09/10/2025

Please don’t be offended if we ask to see proof of an imported dog’s Brucella Canis test. See below for further information on new rules for dogs imported from Romania.

As of today, 7th October 2025, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) have announced that any dog being imported commercially from Romania, which includes all those brought over for rescue, must be tested, and confirmed negative, for Brucella Canis infection.

The samples must be taken and sent to the APHA lab in the U.K. by an authorised vet in Romania for both the ELISA and SAT tests.

Once negative results are received and the paperwork uploaded into the import system (the IPAFFS), dog then has 30 days from the time of the sample being taken to be transported into the country.

If either test is positive the dog cannot enter the U.K.

All dogs currently in transit or planned to arrive before the 15th October are exempt but those coming after that must be imported under this ruling.

This is excellent news and I am delighted the government has put this measure in place as it will protect the health of both humans and dogs in this country and prevent future dog owners from being faced with very difficult decisions when they discover the dog they took on from overseas is carrying the infection.

Since 2020 the numbers of dogs diagnosed with Brucella Canis has been rising, in part because of an increase in testing, but this is simply confirming what was already happening and highlighted the issue.

And with around 50% of the positive cases originating from Romania, it is a logical place to target with this legislation.

It is not easy for a dog to pass on an Brucella Canis infection but the risk is there, particularly to other dogs in close contact, human family members and veterinary staff.

This isn’t a disease we have naturally in this country and we certainly don’t want it establishing itself as it can be very serious, challenging to treat and the once infected it is more or less impossible to remove the bacteria entirely from the body.

Responsible importers were already doing this testing but this will ensure consistency across the board and discourage those not acting in the best interests of the dogs.

For more information about Brucella Canis in imported dogs, this is an excellent summary article; https://www.vetvoices.co.uk/post/brucellosis-canis-in-the-uk-an-overview

08/10/2025

Tali was such a champ when she joined us for the day to have her teeth attended to. First we took a blood sample, which she sat extremely nicely for, and the good news was, she was as health on the inside as she looked on the outside. Fast forward to the dental procedure, Tali coped well with the general anaesthetic and three teeth were removed.

Here she is in recovery where nurse Charlotte paid her lots of attention and it wasn't long until she was purring away and doing head butts of affection. Love her.

Team Kirkstall 🐾

07/10/2025

Welcome to Alison, joining us on the team as a Client Care Assistant. A familiar face, Alison worked here a few years ago and we're delighted to have her back. With a wealth of experience in the veterinary field, Alison is sure to be able to look after you when you visit.

Team Kirkstall 🐾

06/10/2025

Protecting you and your pets.

From 7 October 2025, new rules will require mandatory pre-import testing for Brucella Canis for all commercial dog imports from Romania into Great Britain.

This protects both pets and people from Brucella Canis, with around 50% of all identified infections in Great Britain since 2020 coming from Romanian dog imports.

To protect you and your pet, only source your dogs from reputable breeders and rescue organisations. 🐕

Find out more: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/public-urged-to-buy-pets-from-reputable-sources

06/10/2025

Everything your pet needs to keep them in tip-top health for the year, with great savings on preventative health care. Ask us for about our care plans.

Terms and conditions apply.

05/10/2025

📣 NEW SERVICE 📣

All of our registered clients now have access to a call line when we are closed. This is manned by Registered Veterinary Nurses. ☎️ Please call : 0333 332 4471

All calls are answered by Registered Veterinary Nurses and a triage will be performed over the phone. If they need to clarify with a vet, they will do.

📞 If they think your pet needs urgent care they will advise you to go straight to our out of hours provider (Leeds BIRSTALL Vets for Pets).

📞If it is something that can wait until we reopen then they will advise you to call back when we open.

📞If it is something they can offer advice for over the phone, then they will.

📝 All conversations are recorded and notes are sent directly to us so we will always know you’ve called. Do please bear in mind, as it's a third party service, they do not have access to our medical records for your pet/s.

💷 We hope this will help you avoid unnecessary trips to out of hours vets and also the bill that comes with that. Every little helps.

Team Kirsktall 🐾

05/10/2025

Laundry day and they still want to be near the people in their lives. What are you and yours up to today?

Team Kirkstall, knee deep in washing 🐾.

04/10/2025

RAISING THE STATUS OF ANIMALS TO IMPROVE WELFARE STANDARDS AROUND THE GLOBE.

RAISING THE STATUS OF ANIMALS TO IMPROVE WELFARE STANDARDS AROUND THE GLOBE. World Animal Day unites the animal welfare movement, mobilising it into a global force to make the world a better place for all animals. Each one of us can make a difference – together we make change! Be p...

03/10/2025

In recognition of World Smile Day, do share your pet's best smile. We'd love to see them! Go on, brighten up our day.

Team Kirkstall 🐾

03/10/2025

We still have some appointments available this coming Saturday 4th October. If you need to book your pet in for vaccinations, general health check or you have some concerns, get in touch and we can book you in.

☎️ 0113 239 9930

Team Kirkstall 🐾

25/02/2024

When Kelly from our Colton store's Pets Grooming salon discovered a lump on the tail of nine-year-old Rufus she suspected something wasn't right, so alerted his owners Les and Andrea so they could get it checked out. They brought him to Vets for Pets Leeds Colton where it was confirmed he had a cancerous tumour which needed surgery.

Les, who adopted Rufus from Dogs Trust in Leeds as a puppy, said: “Rufus is such a big part of our life; we’re absolutely besotted with him. We probably wouldn’t have noticed the lump if not at the groomers as the tail isn’t somewhere you would usually stroke and feel. Kelly loves Rufus and really looks after him, so we want to say a big thanks for spotting it. Who'd have known what would have happened if she hadn’t noticed.”

Rufus had to have his tail removed, but is now making a good recovery. He's been visiting Kelly for a groom every six weeks for the last three years. She said: “You get to know everything about a dog as you groom them. I’ve discovered similar things before on other dogs so I mentioned it to the owners so they could get it checked out. Dogs are my life and you do worry; I’m so pleased they caught it. Now he’s got a fully docked tail like a little bunny rabbit. It’s lovely and suits him – when he gets washed he wiggles his bum.”

21/02/2024

Arthur's owner Louise says he "looked like a brand-new tortoise" after having his beak filed at Sutton in Ashfield Vets4Pets.

Louise adopted the four-year-old Horsefield Tortoise from a family member in October. Although she has had other pets, Arthur is her first tortoise, so she has been doing some research on how to best care for him.

Louise said: "I noticed Arthur's beak was unusually long, so I brought him in to Vets for Pets; I bring all my pets there. When he came out, I thought 'you beautiful boy, look at you – you look so handsome!"

Vet Steph, who looked after Arthur, says that tortoise beaks continuously grow and normally grind down themselves while they're eating. She said: "Arthur needed a little help as his jaw isn't perfectly aligned; his lower jaw is further out than his top jaw, so I filed it around half a centimetre. He was really good; a real cutie."

18/02/2024

Owner Claire says she couldn't be more grateful to Vets4Pets Hamilton after their quick diagnosis saved the sight of six-year-old Alba.

Claire knew there was something terribly wrong with her miniature dachshund cross when she called her in from the back garden last summer and Alba ran headfirst into a closed patio door. She rushed her to the vets, where investigations led the team to diagnose her with uveitis – an eye condition which causes inflammation of the middle layer of the eye.

Claire said: "It all happened so suddenly; Alba must have heard my voice and guessed where to go. It was quite scary seeing how bad she was. We couldn't be more grateful for the team in Hamilton spotting the uveitis as quickly as they did, otherwise Alba would have gone blind within a matter of days. Their knowledge saved Alba's sight. I still can't believe it happened. It's taken months of treatments, but it's such a relief to have our girl back to being her funny, bossy self."

Vet Neil, one of the team who treated Alba, said: "Alba's pupil was really narrow and wouldn't respond to light properly, which can be a sign of uveitis. Once we had ruled out other conditions, we were able to get her to an eye specialist for ongoing treatment. She's now doing really well."

16/02/2024

Ducky's owner Antonia was in a state of panic when she saw a fox had dug its way into the field where she keeps him – killing two of her other ducks and chickens.

Antonia was about to move her brood into their pen for the evening when she saw what had happened and noticed that Ducky had severe bite wounds under his wing. She rushed him to Vets4Pets Vets Milton Keynes for emergency surgery – and after having his wound stitched up the one-year-old duck is now making a good recovery.

Antonia said: "I was so worried. You don’t often hear of ducks recovering from fox attacks, but there is something about Ducky and the way he was so brave. I'm sure he was protecting a lady duck, as he's a bit of a romantic. It's the first time we've gone to Vets for Pets, and the team were amazing; they've done an incredible job."

Vet Becca, who treated Ducky, said: "He's a really lucky duck, as it was quite a big wound. When he first came in, he was understandably subdued and quiet but when he came back for his stitches to be taken out, he wanted to explore and tuck his head into everyone’s shoulders."

07/02/2024

Well done to the team at Vets4Pets Guildford who've been awarded a silver level certificate for being a rabbit-friendly clinic.

After head veterinary nurse Ella noticed that more customers were bringing in rabbits the practice took a series of steps to give them as stress-free an experience as possible. Ella, who also fosters rescue dogs in her spare time, said: "There was a long list of things that we needed to prove that we did from making sure the rabbits are kept separate from other animals and not booked in at the same time as barking dogs, to providing heated kennels for those who need to stay in, and using special equipment made especially for rabbits."

Practice manager Kevin said: "All of our vets have plenty of experience with rabbits we have some real rabbit geeks here, so it was a big thing to us. There are so many good people in this world and I'm so proud to be around them."

28/01/2024

Beautiful Bear was born deaf, so he's learned to follow his owner Lisa's visual commands.

Lisa, who shops at our Tamworth store – "it's my second home!" – got two-year-old Bear as a kitten and suspected he was deaf when he didn't respond to her voice. She had it confirmed by her vet soon after. She said: "He was very scatty, and scared of people he didn’t recognise. He wasn’t bothered by loud noises like my other cat Emily and when I came home from work he wouldn’t hear the door open.

"He's doing really well though. I try to do some sign language with him – I point at him and do a solid hand sign at him to stop. He picks up on vibrations and scents too. He meows, making a really loud chirping sound which I’ve never heard a cat do before, and he’s always rubbing his head against my legs and following me everywhere. I was advised not to let him out because he wouldn’t hear cars or other dangers, so he comes outside with me every morning to have a sniff around the garden and always comes straight back in." Bear and Lisa's other cat Emily are on Instagram as

27/01/2024

Ten-year-old Dutch rabbit Alfie has been visiting vet Kate at Vets4pets Wolverhampton for dental treatment for the last eight years – and she says he's such a loveable character that he's become "part of the family".

He's one of the oldest rabbits treated by Kate and the team, and she says his longevity is down to the care and love he gets from his owner Tracy and her family. Kate said: "Alfie is famous in this practice – everyone knows him. We and his family are dedicated to making sure her little old man is happy. The beautiful thing about being a vet or vet nurse is you build these relationships with the owners and their pets – they become your surrogate pets."

Tracy's been keeping rabbits all her life, and says that having space and routine is key. She said: "Alfie is an old man now and has a routine. He goes into a hutch at night and is let out in the morning. He's out all day and has his favourite spots in the house. We clean him out every day and give him a lot of attention. When he was younger he would follow us around; if I was clearing a cupboard out he would be in the cupboard to help. Now he's old and wants to be warm and watch instead. I can't thank Kate and the practice enough. Kate's been fantastic with him."

26/01/2024

Eight-year-old Winnie the Schnauzer cross is running around like a puppy again thanks to laser treatment and physiotherapy after two successful knee operations at Vets for Pets Basildon.

Worried owner Tracy brought Winnie in to the practice after she collapsed on a walk last year – and the team discovered the cruciate ligament in a knee had ruptured. She’s since had ops on two knees and is on a recovery plan led by vet physiotherapist Izzy.

Tracy said: "Winnie has had a tough year with 15 teeth removed, two cruciate ligament operations and two bouts of pancreatitis but thankfully she's hardy. She’s treated fabulously at the Basildon practice. Izzy is great with her – she totally relaxes in her hands and does little snores with her eyes open. Winnie has a new lease of life again and is running around like a puppy."

Izzy said: "When pets have surgery or injure themselves they move differently which causes them to be sore in other places. Winnie has laser therapy then a massage to help the healing process. Laser treatment is a specialist service that not enough people know about – it can help in so many ways after an operation.”

19/01/2024

The team at Vets4Pets Cramlington say greyhound Frank was "an absolute gentleman" when he came in for some dental work.

Seven-year-old Frank was brought in by owner Harriet to get rid of some plaque which had built up and to treat a gum inflammation. Veterinary nurse Vicki said: "Frank was a very good boy and left with clean, fresh and sparkly teeth. It's so very important to get your dog's teeth checked and we advise pets to have an annual dental check. Eighty per cent of dogs over the age of three have dental disease. Prevention is much better than cure and regular checks and routine cleaning keep your pet's mouth healthier for longer and can help to prevent extensive extractions later in life. We are always happy to offer advice on maintenance and dental care at home such as teeth brushing or dental supplements."

18/01/2024

Veterinary nurse Mel from Vets4Pets Bristol Longwell Green loves cats so much she's helped the practice make a number of improvements to give cats as stress-free an experience as possible when they're brought in.

Mel, who has an Advanced Certificate in Feline Behaviour for Veterinary Professionals, helped introduce facilities like a separate feline waiting area and cattery and the use of quiet clippers – and the practice now has a silver level certificate for being a cat-friendly clinic. She said: "I love dogs but I'm really a cat person. Cats can be misunderstood which can lead to them having quite a stressful life, so if we can make things easier for them and help people understand what cats need then everyone will be happier.

"As animal lovers there's always more to learn and understand about what makes them happy. Enrichment at the home is important for a happy cat – and as cats are naturally solitary animals if you live in a multi-cat household it's important to understand what they need. The rule is to have a resource per cat, plus one spare. So if you have two cats you should have three feeding stations, three litter trays and three scratch posts spread around the house so they have the opportunity to move around to wherever they want to go. Scratching is as natural a thing for cats to do as going out hunting is, so if they're unable to go out it's about providing the chance for them to behave as naturally as possible."

07/01/2024

Four-year-old Sebastian the Jack Russell is back to his usual boisterous self after being treated at Vets4Pets Abingdon for a condition that was causing the knee caps on his back legs to dislocate when he walked.

The condition, known as medial patellar luxation, would cause him to hop or skip when exercising. It's quite common in terriers and small dog breeds, but Sebastian's case was quite severe and he was given surgery by orthopaedic surgeon Joe to deepen the groove his patella runs in on his right hind leg, and also to move and reattach his patellar tendon.

Sebastian is owned by practice vet Hannah who said: "After the operation he just wanted to get back to normal straight away but he couldn't ... and that's where we struggled. He wanted to be out and about, charging around and playing with his toys but he needed to rest." Hannah had to give him medication for six weeks to give his knees time to heal. She said: "He's absolutely fine now – he's fully recovered and running around like a lunatic again!"

05/01/2024

When 11-year-old lurcher Jess was brought into Vets for Pets Leeds Birstall 24/7 Small Animal Hospital on Christmas Eve feeling very poorly with pyometra – a life-threatening uterus infection – the team knew they had to act fast; so vet Emily and nurses JD and Hannah headed straight in to perform emergency surgery on her in the early hours of Christmas morning.

The operation went so well that by lunchtime nurse Krishna was able to call her owner Beth to say she was well enough to come home to recuperate – and Beth made the hour-long drive from her home in Keighley so she could bring Jess home before the family sat down for their Christmas dinner. Beth said: "It was a stressful start to Christmas, as we were worried about Jess because of her age and because she's never had anything wrong with her before. We're so grateful for everything – it was so nice of them to come in on Christmas Day to operate on her, to look after her so well and to get her home on top form. The vets were fantastic from start to finish. Jess is recovering nicely – you can see the happiness is back in her!"

Krishna said: "Our night team always do an amazing job, and performing serious surgery like that at that time of night and on Christmas Day of all days is just brilliant. Jess did amazingly well to bounce back so quickly, and it was amazing being able to call her owners to say that she could come home to spend Christmas with them. It's the sort of call we all love to make, but doing it on Christmas Day was extra nice."