Maidstone Vets for Pets

05/11/2026

Fireworks & Pets Reminder 🎆🐾

With fireworks season upon us, please remember that loud noises and bright flashes can be very distressing for our pets. Keep animals indoors where possible, close curtains, create a safe, comfortable space, and ensure they are microchipped and wearing ID tags. Take your walks during the day.

For anyone looking to help calm their pets, Classic FM will be playing soothing classical music from 5th–7th November, 5pm–10pm, which many pet owners find helpful during fireworks displays.

Let's help keep our furry friends safe and stress-free this fireworks season. ❤️🐶🐱

04/11/2026

🐾💛 Meet George! 💛🐾

This week we had the pleasure of welcoming George, the adorable Golden Retriever puppy, back to the practice for his second vaccination! 🐶✨

George was so excited to be here, making lots of new friends and exploring everything around him, that it took us quite a few attempts to capture the perfect photo pose! 📸😂

Despite his busy schedule of tail wags, puppy kisses and general cuteness, George was an absolute superstar throughout his visit and took everything in his stride. ⭐

We're sure you'll agree he's growing into a very handsome boy! 💛🐾

🐾💛🐶📸

03/11/2026

🎄🐾 Our Memory Christmas Tree is Returning for 2026 🐾🎄

Christmas can be a time when we remember those special pets who are no longer with us but will always hold a place in our hearts. ❤️

This year, we're once again creating our Memory Christmas Tree at the practice, where we will display photos of beloved pets who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge. 🌈🐾

If you would like your cherished pet to be included, please send us a photo via WhatsApp to 07862136295 by 20th November. Unfortunately due to demand we will be unable to add more after this date.

Together, let's celebrate the love, memories, and companionship they brought into our lives. ❤️🎄

✨ Please include your pet's name when sending your photo. ✨

🐾🎄❤️

31/10/2026

🎃👻 It's Time to Announce Our Halloween Competition Winners! 👻🎃

A huge thank you to everyone who entered our Halloween photo competition this year. We absolutely loved seeing all of your amazing entries and choosing a winner was no easy task! 🧡

🥇 Our Winner: The ever-so-cute Reggie, having the best time in the pumpkin patch! 🎃🐾 Reggie has won some fantastic prizes and will also be our Facebook profile picture throughout November!

🥈 Runner-Up: The wonderfully spooky Ava! 👻🖤 Ava has also won a little prize for her fantastic Halloween photo.

🎁 Both prizes are now ready to collect from the practice whenever you have time.

Congratulations to both of our winners, and thank you again to everyone who took part. Your photos brought lots of smiles to our team and we truly loved every single one of them! 🧡🐾

🎃👻🐶🐱

31/10/2026

🎃👻 Happy Halloween from all of us at Vets for Pets Maidstone! 👻🎃

Today we're sharing the wonderfully spooky Bertie, Client Care Advisor Chloe's tortoise, who is all dressed up and ready to go trick-or-treating! 🐢🧡🕸️

Don't forget to cast your vote in our Halloween Photo Competition and help us choose this year's winner! 🎃📸 The competition has been full of fantastic costumes, spooky outfits, and adorable entries.

🗳️ Voting closes this afternoon 🏆 Winner announced between 3:30pm and 4:00pm today

Good luck to all our entrants, and have a fun, safe, and spooky Halloween! 👻🍬🕷️

🧡🖤🎃🐾

30/10/2026

🎃 👻 Some Spooky Halloween Pet Stories 🎃 👻

👻 The Dog Who Barked at Nothing

In 2019, a family reported that their Labrador, Charlie, would sit at the bottom of the staircase every night at exactly 3am and bark at the same empty corner. Nothing was ever found there... but the behaviour stopped the day they moved house. 🐾🎃

Coincidence... or was Charlie trying to tell them something?

🐈‍⬛ The Black Cat's Warning

A cat named Salem reportedly refused to let his owner enter a spare bedroom one evening, hissing and blocking the doorway. The next morning, a section of ceiling had collapsed into the room overnight.

Did Salem sense danger before anyone else? 👀🖤

🎃 The Mystery Visitor

A family's outdoor camera repeatedly captured their dog sitting in the garden every Halloween night, tail wagging and staring at what appeared to be empty space. The dog would remain there for several minutes as if greeting an old friend. 👻🐶

🦇 The Midnight Pawprints

One Halloween morning, muddy pawprints were found throughout a house. The strange part? The family's cat had been asleep on the owner's bed all night... and there were no other pets in the home. 🐾🕸️

👀 The Cat Who Knew

Several owners have shared stories of cats repeatedly sitting beside a particular family member days before they became ill. Many believe their pets sensed something before any symptoms appeared.

Do you think our pets know more than we give them credit for? 🐈✨

🐕 The Loyal Guardian

A retired police dog was said to visit the bedroom of his late owner's granddaughter every night, despite always having slept downstairs. His family believed he was watching over her just as he had protected his handler for years. ❤️👻

29/10/2026

🎃 only a couple of days to go guys 🎃

🎃 Don’t forget to add your pets and vote in our Halloween competition 🎃

If you are adding new pics please add to original post or sadly they won’t count

1 week to go 👻

🎃👻 HALLOWEEN PET PHOTO COMPETITION! 👻🎃

Halloween has arrived at Maidstone Vets for Pets, and we'd love to see your pets looking their spooky best! 🐾🧡

To enter our Halloween competition, simply post a photo in the comments of: 🎃 Your pet in their best Halloween costume 🍂 Your pet looking wonderfully autumnal 👻 Or your pet showing off their spookiest style!

How to enter:
✅ Add a photo of your pet in the comments below✅ Include your pet's name✅ Like and share this post

Prizes: 🥇 The photo with the most likes will win a prize and become our Facebook profile picture for November! 🥈 The photo with the second highest number of likes will also win a special prize.

Competition Rules:
🎃 Pets only - no humans in the photo please 🐾
🎃 Entries must be posted in the comments on this original competition post
🎃 Only comments on the original post will be counted
🎃 Please include your pet's name with your entry

📅 Competition closes at on 31st October PM

Good luck everyone!

We can't wait to see all of your furry, feathered, and scaly friends showing off their Halloween spirit! 🎃🕸️🐶🐱

🍂

28/10/2026

🍂🐰 As the temperatures start to drop, don’t forget to give
your rabbits some extra love and care this autumn.

27/10/2026

🐈‍⬛ Happy National Black Cat Day 🐈‍⬛

🐈‍⬛✨ Did you know that black cats are considered a symbol of good luck in many parts of the world?

While some cultures associate them with superstition, others believe they bring prosperity 🛡protection 🛡️and happiness💖.

📸 We’d love to see your beautiful black cats! Share a photo in the comments below

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."