Ribble Vets

28/05/2026

The Wesham phone lines are down so please call Penwortham 01772 746393 to contact us

26/05/2026

🗑️ LANCASHIRE’S NEW FOOD WASTE BINS: A Warning to Pet Owners! 🐾

With the new weekly food waste recycling collections rolling out across Lancashire — including Preston, South Ribble, and West Lancashire — many households now have outdoor food caddies in their gardens.

While this is fantastic for the environment 🌍, it also introduces a hidden danger for pets and local wildlife: Mycotoxin Poisoning.

🚨 THE DANGER OF MOULDY FOOD
Mouldy leftovers — especially bread, dairy, nuts, and rotting meat — can produce toxic substances called mycotoxins. If a curious dog, cat, fox, or other wildlife gets into an unsecured food bin, ingesting even a small amount can be extremely dangerous.

⚠️ Symptoms can develop rapidly and may include:
• Severe vomiting and drooling
• Stumbling, wobbling, or appearing “drunk”
• Muscle tremors and twitching
• Seizures
• Hyperthermia (overheating)

❗ Mycotoxin poisoning is a veterinary emergency and can be fatal without urgent treatment.

🛡️ HOW TO KEEP PETS & WILDLIFE SAFE
✅ Always lock the outdoor caddy lid using the forward-click handle
✅ Store bins securely where possible — especially if you have determined pets or active wildlife nearby
✅ Stay vigilant on walks for discarded food waste or split bags on kerbsides

📞 WHAT TO DO IN AN EMERGENCY
If you suspect your pet has eaten mouldy food, do not wait for symptoms to appear.

☎️ Ribble Vets Emergency Line (24/7): 01772 746393
☎️ Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS): 0207 305 5055
🌐 Animal PoisonLine: www.animalpoisonline.co.uk

Let’s keep Lancashire green 💚 while keeping our pets safe too. Please share this post to help spread awareness to fellow pet owners.

25/05/2026

🩸 Upcoming Pet Blood Bank UK Session at Ribble Vets 🐾

We’re looking forward to welcoming Pet Blood Bank UK back to our Penwortham surgery on Sunday 31st May for their next canine blood donation session.

They are currently looking for more amazing dogs to come forward to donate, as there have been more cancellations than usual.
If your dog is already a donor — thank you! ❤️ And if you know a dog who could be a fabulous donor, please help spread the word.

Dogs may be eligible to donate if they are:
🐶 Fit and healthy
🐶 Between 1–8 years old
🐶 Weigh over 25kg
🐶 Friendly and confident

New donors can find out more and register at:
https://www.petbloodbankuk.org/

Existing donors can book onto the session by calling 01509 232 222 or emailing [email protected].

Every donation helps save the lives of dogs in need across the UK 🐶🩸
We look forward to seeing all the wonderful donor dogs soon!

22/05/2026

The 2026 BVNA Awards nominations are now open! 🏆✨

Has a member of the Ribble Vets team gone above and beyond for you or your pet? 💙🐾

If you’d like to recognise their compassion, kindness, or support, click on this post to nominate them for a BVNA Award 2026.

Thank you for helping us celebrate our amazing team! ✨

Nominations for our 2026 BVNA awards are open! 🤩 Find out more and nominate someone here; https://loom.ly/-0MINVM

The three finalists in each award category will be chosen and invited to attend BVNA Congress 2026 at Telford International Centre on Friday 9th of October – The awards ceremony will take place in the evening from 6.30pm.

✍️ VNJ Writer of the Year Award 2026 - This award is for articles which have encouraged discussions, positive change or improved clinical standards in practice. Whose article has inspired you?

🩺 Jean Turner Memorial Award: RVN of the Year 2026 - Do you know a veterinary nurse who has gone out of their way to show compassion, and/or empathy, either towards patients, clients or colleagues?

👥 The Des Thompson Award: Team Member of the Year 2026 - This award is for a team member, who is not a veterinary nurse, who has made a real difference in their role for showing compassion and/or empathy within the practice setting.

👩‍🎓 Jennifer Townson Award: SVN of the Year 2026 - This award is for a student veterinary nurse who is currently undertaking training and has contributed to the support of clients and patients by showing compassion and/or empathy during their training.

📅 Nominations will close on 31st July 2026, and our finalists will be announced shortly after.

If you have any questions, please email us via; [email protected].

22/05/2026

Found in the car park yesterday - please let us know if this belongs to you

21/05/2026

🌞🐶 With the weather predicted to start warming up, it’s a timely reminder that warmer days can quickly become dangerous for our pets — especially in cars 🚗

🚗🐾 A warm day can quickly turn deadly for pets left in cars.
Even with windows cracked open, temperatures inside a vehicle can rise dangerously fast, putting dogs at serious risk of heatstroke.

Dogs cannot cool themselves as effectively as humans, making them especially vulnerable in hot weather.

Signs of heatstroke include:

☀️ Excessive panting

☀️ Drooling

☀️ Weakness or lethargy

☀️ Vomiting or collapse

If you ever see a dog in distress inside a hot car, act quickly — try to locate the owner or contact the police or RSPCA for advice immediately.

Please remember:
NEVER leave your pet unattended in a vehicle, even for a few minutes.
Keeping our furry friends safe, cool, and hydrated could save their life. ❤️🐶

20/05/2026

✨ Available from June at Ribble Vets ✨

We are delighted to introduce Laparoscopic (Keyhole) Spay Surgery for suitable canine patients — a modern, minimally invasive alternative to traditional spay surgery designed with your pet’s comfort and recovery in mind 🐶💙

Why Choose Laparascopic spaying?

This advanced technique may offer:
✔ Reduced post-operative pain
✔ Faster recovery and return to normal activity
✔ Smaller surgical incisions
✔ Reduced tissue trauma and inflammation
✔ Lower risk of wound complications
✔ Improved surgical precision through enhanced visualisation
✔ Greater overall patient comfort

How does it work?

Performed under a full general anaesthetic, the procedure uses two or three very small incisions (around 1cm) to insert a specialised camera and surgical instruments. The magnified camera view allows our surgeons to perform the procedure with excellent precision and minimal disruption to surrounding tissues.

Is my dog suitable?

Dogs under 10kg will require a pre-operative assessment to ensure laparoscopic surgery is safe and appropriate for them. Our team will be happy to advise if you’re unsure.

Pricing

🐾 10–20kg — £620 (£558 P*P Member Price)

🐾 20.1–40kg — £660 (£594 P*P Member Price)

🐾 40.1–55kg — £710 (£639 P*P Member Price)

For more information or to discuss whether laparoscopic spaying is right for your dog, please contact our team today 🩺

☎ 01772 746393

19/05/2026

A huge well done to Anna on taking on the Welsh 3000 challenge in aid of the North West Air Ambulance 🚁⛰️

Despite incredibly tough conditions, she still completed the first two sections covering 8 peaks, nearly 20 miles and an incredible 10,000 feet of ascent — an amazing achievement! The weather unfortunately meant the full challenge couldn’t be completed safely this time, but it’s clear there’s some unfinished business and we know she’ll be back to conquer it 💪

Most importantly, thanks to everyone who sponsored and supported her, Anna has now raised over £1,405 for the North West Air Ambulance, which is absolutely fantastic and will make a real difference.

Thank you to everyone who donated, supported and encouraged her along the way — your generosity is hugely appreciated 👏

16/05/2026

🚚🐾 Feeding your pet’s prescription diet just got even easier with Ribble Vets!

You can now order your pet’s Prescription Royal Canin diets online through VetExpress and have them delivered straight to your door 🏡📦

✔ Convenient online ordering
✔ Home delivery available
✔ Easy access to your pet’s prescribed diet
✔ Trusted nutrition delivered direct to you

Click on the link below to visit the website 👇

https://royalcanin51426.securevetsource.com/index.pml

Prefer to collect your pet’s food in person? No problem! You can still phone the practice to order your pet’s food for collection from any of our branches with 48 hours’ notice ☎️🐾

If you have any questions about your pet’s prescription diet, the team at Ribble Vets are always happy to help 💚🐾

14/05/2026

💚 May is Veterinary Nurse Awareness Month, this years theme is Compassion 💚

To celebrate, the BVNA is helping us acknowledge the incredible work our nursing team do by inviting people to shine a light on individuals or teams who make a lasting difference.

Our Registered Veterinary Nurses (RVNs) Student Veterinary Nurses (SVNs) and Auxillaries (ACA’s) often work behind the scenes, providing care quietly and selflessly 🐾

The BVNA are looking for stories of nurses who have:
💚Offered kindness, patience, or reassurance during difficult times.
💚Treated your pet with dignity, gentleness, and genuine love.
💚Sat with you when your animal was unwell.
💚Supported you in ways you’ll never forget.

Please follow the link below to find out how to nominate , share your stories and help us celebrate our wonderful nursing team 💚

https://bvna.org.uk/blog/unsung-heroes-nomination-campaign-veterinary-nursing-awareness-month-vnam-2026/