News

Friday, 23 February 2018 - 7:30pm

Genetic evaluation is changing.  Genomic testing is revolutionising the way dairy producers make management, selection and breeding decisions on the farm.  Up until now the major focus on genomic testing has been the benefit in identifying high quality young bulls early.  We can now use exactly the same power of prediction for female youngstock, as a cost-effective management tool available to dairy farmers.

Genomic tests provide the genetic information, and therefore potential, an...

Friday, 16 February 2018 - 2:51pm

Here at St Boniface we are extremely proud to offer our own out of hours service 24/7 with owners able to phone and talk straight to the vet on duty.

This is becoming increasingly rare these days and is now not uncommon for practices to use a separate vet service to run out of hours cover for them. Frequently vets now use a call handling service to manage incoming calls, we continue to handle the calls ourselves allowing you to chat straight to the duty vet.

We feel it is...

Friday, 16 February 2018 - 2:23pm

Kennel cough is something we’re all aware of and have heard of, but we rarely hear of canine infectious tracheobronchitis – its true title.

Infectious tracheobronchitis (ITB) has potentially three causative agents – most commonly Bordetella Bronchiseptica, followed by canine parainfluenza and canine corona virus.  Interestingly whooping cough in people is caused by a Bordatella bacteria, although a different type, helping us to draw comparisons.

ITB is transmitted through...

Wednesday, 14 February 2018 - 4:11pm

Nearly 3 weeks ago we saw the symptoms that we had all been dreading here at the surgery. Alabama Rot is a disease that is fatal in 90% cases.

I want to start by saying a very heart felt thank you to Nicola who has let us share Fizz’s story with you. She wants this to reach as many dog owners as possible so please do share this with whoever you know that has a dog. It’s incredibly important to mention that this condition is RARE. There have only been just over 120 cases in the UK...

Friday, 9 February 2018 - 3:17pm

One of our patients, Magic, was being led back in from the field one evening when the owner noticed a small wound to his eyelid. Knowing that eye injuries can often become complicated the owner was on the phone immediately and before long Magic was being examined by one of our vets, Clare.

Magic was quite uncomfortable and holding his eye closed. Clare could see that the wound on his eyelid actually extended into the conjunctiva, the soft pink tissue behind the eyelid. Additionally,...

Tuesday, 30 January 2018 - 11:30am

We are looking for a Client Adviser to join our friendly team at our modern, well equipped practice in Crediton.

The successful candidate will provide an efficient and personable service to our clients and patients. You will need to work well in a team, have excellent multi-tasking skills and work calmly in changing and pressurised situations. A friendly manner is essential!

Applicants should have previous experience in a customer facing role, appropriate IT knowledge and be...

Tuesday, 30 January 2018 - 9:53am

More research than ever is going into calf nutrition and how differences during the first weeks of life can have a significant impact on the productivity of these animals over their lifetime. The effect of the environment and external factors on the expression of genes has long been studied in human medicine. Termed metabolic profiling, the scope to affect gene expression is mostly limited to early life. An example of this is seen when an increase of 100g average daily weight gain is...

Friday, 26 January 2018 - 1:33pm

Making the decision to say goodbye to your pet and what to expect...

One of the most difficult and feared times we face as a pet owner is having our much loved pet put to sleep.  Knowing whether you are making the right decision and what to expect troubles many owners.

We have put together a downloadable leaflet that covers this subject, including:-

  • How do I know if the time is right?
  • What happens on the day?
  • What happens after?
  • What...
Thursday, 25 January 2018 - 2:18pm

Poppy is a 9-year-old cheeky, energetic and adventurous Labrador.  She has always been at her happiest charging around on outdoor adventures, including big mountain climbs.  However, her owners noticed that while she was still keen to run like crazy, she was suffering afterwards because she had been overdoing it, with noticeable limping.   Her ability to cope with her usual exercise was thus starting to reduce.   

On examination we localised pain to her elbows and on radiographs we...

Wednesday, 24 January 2018 - 6:26pm

DID you know that St Boniface Vets offer appointments that are 50 per cent longer than the standard veterinary practice?

Vets at St Boniface pride themselves on taking time to care; Ben Dart, Lead Small Animal Vet said 'we feel by adding extra time to a standard consult we can offer a more thorough history taking and a more in depth clinical exam, to take the time for you and your pet to be assessed in a non rushed, calm environment.'    

It is amazing what happens in just 15...

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