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.

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.

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.

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:-

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.   

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 minutes - here’s a snapshot…

Mya is a super bouncy, full of beans, springer spaniel that lives life at a thousand miles per hour.

This New Year sees us trying to help out our arthritic and uncomfortable older, limping and creaky companions.

We would like to share with you our arthritis campaign, running between January and March.  As part of this, we would like to offer a FREE arthritis check; including running through a structured questionnaire that’s been revolutionary in investigating arthritis through a standard approach, but also a general catch up to explore how your creaky friends have slowed or changed over the last few months or years.

First aid is the first treatment given when presented with an injury or traumatic episode.  We all hope that our pets will never be in this situation where it is needed, however, the preparation of a first aid kit and some tips on how to handle situations may make dealing with an emergency much easier.

Basic first aid kit

Here is a list of some useful items to include in your first aid kit:-

1. Try and keep Christmas decorations out of reach of pets, nibbling on tinsel, glass ornaments and lights could prove fatal.

2. Foods to be avoided include chocolate, grape products, onions and bones.

3. Seasonal plants like poinsettias, holly and mistletoe are toxic to pets if eaten.

4. Make sure your pet has a safe and quiet place to retreat to if things get a bit noisy, as they can easily get distressed.