Park Hall Veterinary Clinic

17/05/2026

Urgent Found Cat - Please Share

Male entire domestic short haired cat, no collar or chip. Found on Petersmith Park, New Ollerton heading towards Whinney Lane. He appears to have been involved in a road traffic accident. He has significant injuries and if he has owners we need them to contact us urgently so that they can help us decide on the most appropriate next steps. Please ring us on 01623620784.

Please rest assured, if an owner does not come forward we will ensure that his welfare remains our absolute priority and any comments alluding to the contrary will not be tolerated.

15/05/2026

🐾 How to Start With Muzzle Training 🐾

Step One

This is the first post in a short series breaking down the muzzle training process step by step, so keep an eye out for the next stage.

The aim of these early stages is to create a positive association with the muzzle — first by helping your dog feel comfortable seeing it, and then gradually building up to them choosing to place their nose inside.

Muzzle training should always be introduced slowly, positively, and at your own dog’s pace.

The key is to keep sessions short and achievable:

⏱️ 5–10 minutes at a time
✅ Lots of rewards
✅ No forcing the muzzle on
✅ Let your dog choose to interact with the muzzle and participate in the training
✅ Build positive associations gradually

Muzzle training can be really beneficial for many dogs, including those who may feel worried at the vets, need extra support with handling, or are working through other behaviour challenges.

If you have any questions about muzzle training, or you’d like support getting started, please contact the practice to book a phone call or appointment with Jess, one of our veterinary nurses who is currently completing a Master’s degree in Animal Behaviour and Training.

14/05/2026

🚨Travelling your horse to Park Hall Vets

Due to the outbreak of Equine Influenza, please can all horse owners:

🐎 Check your horses temperature prior to travel. Please contact the practice for any temperatures of 38.6C or above.

🐎 Any symptoms such as nasal discharge, coughing, fever, lethargy must be reported to us prior to arrival.

🐎 Please DO NOT unload your horse until the vet checks it is safe to do so.

🐎 Horses must up to date with Flu vaccinations for any non-urgent admissions.

Equine Influenza
With the current outbreak of Equine Influenza we thought we would repost this information we shared last month.

As we move into the competition season, your horse will come into contact with many others, increasing the risk of infection and illness. We would like to provide you with some key facts about equine influenza to help you stay informed and keep your horse healthy.

What is Equine Influenza?
Equine influenza (or equine flu) is a highly contagious viral respiratory disease that
spreads quickly between horses. While it’s rarely fatal, it can seriously affect your horse’s health, comfort and performance and outbreaks still happen every year in the UK.

Spot the Signs Early
Know the warning signs of equine flu:
• High temperature (often over 38.5°C/101.3°F)
• Persistent cough
• Nasal discharge
• Lethargy
• Reduced appetite

Equine flu spreads fast through:
• Coughing and sneezing
• Nose to nose contact
• Shared buckets and grooming kits
• Clothing, hands and equipment
• Poorly ventilated stables

Small Hygiene Steps, Big Impact-Simple actions make a huge difference:
• Clean and disinfect equipment
• Don’t share buckets or tack
• Wash hands between horses
• Change clothing if handling sick horses

Vaccinating Still Matters
Vaccinating is the single most effective tool we have to reduce the severity and spread of equine influenza.
Even vaccinated horses can be affected, but symptoms are usually milder and outbreaks are easier to control. Biosecurity isn’t overkill — it’s essential.
Many disciplines have strict flu vaccination rules and it’s always the owner’s responsibility to stay compliant. Check your dates before events to avoid disappointment (or worse, risk).

If You Suspect Equine Flu — 🚫 Stop and Isolate

Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions on 01653 695743 or [email protected]

14/05/2026

Meet Louie!

Little Louie presented to our vet Nicole on Tuesday morning. His Mum had taken him for a walk earlier that morning and an hour later he really wasn’t his normal self! He was very wobbly, a little bit d***y and quite sensitive to touch.

Nicole decided that Louie had most likely ingested some cannabis or possibly some mouldy rotten food. He must have done it very sneakily as he was on the lead the whole time!

Louie was admitted to the practice for a day of care by our RVN Libby. She took a blood sample from him so we could check his major parameters before placing an intravenous catheter so we could administer supportive care including fluids to help his body tackle whatever he had eaten.

Libby checked him regularly throughout the day to make sure he was improving and after a very long nap and some excellent munchies he was feeling much better. Nicole was happy to send him home in the evening and his Mum happily came to collect him! She was delighted to have him back but ever so slightly bemused… as the mother of two teenagers she really wasn’t expecting to worry about the puppy being the one partaking in the consumption of recreational drugs! 🙈

12/05/2026

Welcome to the family Harriet! 💕

Some of you may know that our vet Kate has been slowly growing a person over these last 9 months.

We’re overjoyed to announce that she gave birth to a strong healthy girl last Thursday. After a long labour and an emergency surgery she arrived through the side door entrance and has brought much joy to Kate and Dan and her big brother LB who has very quickly taken on nanny-dog duties!

Congratulations Kate and Dan! We can’t wait to meet her! 🥰

08/05/2026

🚨 Equine Gastric Ulcer Scoping Clinics

Does your horse display behavioural issues, lack condition, suffer with poor appetite or is just generally a grumpy girl or gelding?

Next available dates for gastroscoping:
13th May
14th May
3rd June

Please call reception to book
01623 620784

£155 includes hospitalisation and sedation

06/05/2026

Some of you may have met our new vet Emma who started with us as a new graduate back in September 2025. She’s settled into Park Hall life well and recently was surprised to find a mare unexpectedly giving birth during her visit! Luckily her quick thinking meant Mum and Baby were referred to Pool House immediately so they could receive the urgent care they needed! We’re very glad to hear they’re both doing well! Well done Emma! 🥰

01/05/2026

The animals in our lives form a huge part of our lifestyle and we’d like to feature our clients and your animals on our Facebook / Instagram page this Spring / Summer.

Whether it be cuddles with your cats, a wonderful long walk or agility class with your dog, happy hacking with your horse, getting your best suckler ready for the local country show or chilling out with your sheep on a warm sunny day we want to see what you get up to with your four legged friends!

If you would like to feature please send us an email at [email protected] with your pictures and a short story and we’ll choose a few people to post about each week!

To get us started here is 6 year old Hettie and the gorgeous Rockbourne Lilly of the Valley having a wonderful time at Kirkby Riding Club (which we now sponsor!) last weekend! Hettie loves spending as much time as possible with her four-legged friends and she certainly knows how to impress in the show ring! 😍

29/04/2026

🌺 EARLY MAY BANK HOLIDAY OPENING 🌺

Saturday 2nd May
Open as normal - 8am - 4pm

Sunday 3rd May
CLOSED

Monday 4th May
CLOSED

Tuesday 5th May
Open as normal - 8am - 6pm

As usual, when the practice is closed our on call vets will be available 24/7 to assist our registered clients with any accidents or genuine emergencies. If you need us please contact us on 01623620784 to find the duty vet’s mobile number.

Please note that this mobile number changes constantly throughout the weekend so please ensure you ring us at the time of needing us to ensure you get the correct number.

25/04/2026

CAT OWNERS!

If your cat fits the criteria below, please consider adding yourself to Pride Veterinary Referrals’s blood donor register.

They will always start with a pre-screening test to make sure that your feline friend is healthy enough to donate. On this occasion, Nicole’s cat Twm didn’t have enough red blood cells to give so they put his health first and luckily were able to find a second donor.

In the UK we don’t currently have a store of blood for cats so we do rely on cat owners helping each other out when the need arises! Could your cat be a life saver?! 😻💪🏼

Thank you Twm and Marley!

We had a cat in need of a blood transfusion last week and thankfully a couple of our regular donors very kindly came to the rescue!

On this occasion Twm was unable to donate due to a slight abnormality found on his bloods which was picked up in the pre-screen, however that didn't stop him enjoying some chin scratches and Dreamies!

Marley did a fantastic job donating for the second time and his donation has made all the difference to the little cat in need, who has now gone home and on the road to recovery.

If you think your cat would like to join our list of feline life savers, simply follow the link to register - https://wkf.ms/4vE1F1n

Suitable cats should be:
✔️1-10 years old
✔️ Over 4kg
✔️ Healthy with no ongoing health issue
✔️ Up to date with vaccines and flea/ worm treatment
✔️ Not travelled outside the UK
✔️ Never had a blood transfusion
✔️ Calm and doesn't get too stressed in the veterinary environment

A full health check with complete bloods, FeLV/ FIV testing and blood typing is included as part of the pre-screen check to make sure they are safe to become a donor, which is all free of charge.

They will also get a goodie bag full of treats and toys as a thank you after each donation

25/04/2026

🚨 Equine Influenza Alert 🚨

We’re seeing a rise in equine influenza cases across the UK, so now is a great time to check your horse’s vaccination status.

We strongly recommend that all horses are up to date with their flu vaccinations to help protect them and others.

Signs to watch out for include:
• Dry, hacking cough
• Nasal discharge
• Lethargy
• High temperature (over 38.5°C)

If you’re concerned about your horse, or would like to book or discuss vaccination, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

Keeping vaccinations up to date is one of the best ways to protect your horse and prevent the spread 🐴