Clerkenwell Animal Hospital

Moose came to see Susanna on Tuesday for a follow up blood test after he'd eaten some grapes on the weekend. Susanna weighed him, did a health check with him and then took him to the prep area for a quick blood test to test his kidney function. He got a lot of attention from our vets and nurses back there, but can you blame them? He's such a cutie and was so brave, barely letting out a squeak, even when we shaved a small patch before the blood draw.
Grapes are toxic to dogs ...and can cause actue kidney failure and anuria (the lack of urine production). Why this happens is unknown so far. There's no "toxic dose" known either, meaning that any amount of grape or raisin consumed should be treated as an emergency and seen as soon as possible.
We had to induce vomiting in Moose on the first day, then have him drink activated charcoal at home for a few days, which helps reduce the absorption of the toxin by binding to it in the intestines. Then we do a final follow up blood test to check everything is working as it should be.
Moose behaved perfectly and for such a young puppy, was very brave. For this, we awarded him our Outstanding Bravery Award and his owner got to take home a certificate to hang above the mantle piece 🥰
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🐈🚨Found cat🚨🐈
We were bought a black cat a couple of nights ago who was found meowing for attention in the rain. Super cuddly but there's no chip for us to be able to track down the owner.
... If you're missing a black cat, please email clerkenwell@medivet.co.uk with a picture, age, sex and whether or not it's been neutered and we'll get back to you as soon as possible.
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We couldn't help but notice the similarity between Chanel and this dinosaur from Jurassic Park!

Baileys knows how to stay stylish in this horrible June rain we're having!

Our student nurse Jasmin has completed her nursing log, which means she's learnt all the skills required to become a nurse! Now she just has her final and practical exams and she'll be a fully qualified Veterinary Nurse.
Well done and good luck, Jas!

Happy National Best Friend Day! 🐈🐕🐎🐦
Pictured here we have (left to right, top to bottom): Elisa and Emma, Kirstie and Obi, Jasmin and Stanley, Hannah and Morris, Giovanni and Leo, Coconut and Gremlin, Lauren and Kai, Vicki and Kula, and Harriet, Podge and Paddy.
... As the wise George Eliot once said: "Animals are such agreeable friends. They ask no questions, they pass no criticisms"
We wholeheartedly agree ♥️
We'd love to see pictures of you and your best furry, feathered or scaly friends! Post them below ⬇️!
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"I've got a squirrel in my hood"
It isn't a phrase we hear often (it might be the first time!) but it's how this baby squirrel ended up here overnight whilst we waited for a rescue organisation to pick him up! A gentleman came into the practice with this cutie in the hood of his jacket. It was attacked in a nearby park and ran to the man, up his leg and refused to leave him. When he bought it in it became apparent that he was young and very socialised with humans. All he wan...ted to do was curl up and sleep on someone's shoulder or in the crook of their elbow. A volunteer for Tiggywinkles Wildlife Hospital came and picked him up yesterday.
He was an instant hit with our team. Much like the hamster yesterday, we don't see many squirrels, especially ones as friendly as this chap! Although we'd love to be able to help all the wildlife we're contacted about, we're not a wildlife rescue or exotic vet so we try to direct wildlife to more appropriate organisations.
Here's Gabi, our surgical vet, with the squirrel before he was picked up 🐿️♥️
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Meet James Franco the hamster! As a rare exception, Susanna agreed to see James Franco ahead of his big move to Italy with his humans. We always prefer for our rodent and feathered friends to see a vet who specialises in exotic pets (did you know that unless it's a cat or a dog that it's "exotic" in the vet world?!) so that they can get treatment from a veterinary surgeon experienced in their species so it was a unusual treat to have such a cutie here with us! I think Susanna quite enjoyed this consult 😊

Fancy some freebies? Of course you do! Drop in to our branch to pick up some free samples of Burgess Excel and Science Surpeme nuggets, a booklet on the best way to keep your bunny healthy and a voucher for money off your next purchase of nuggets of hay from Burgess! 🐇🐰 You can also call us to book in for a free weight check for your rabbit with one of the lovely nurses we introduced you to last month in our Veterinary Nurses Awareness Month posts!
... #raw19 #raw2019 #rabbitawarenessweek
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It's Hug Your Cat Day today! We don't need an excuse to cuddle the cats who come through our doors, but we'd love to see pictures of you giving your cat an extra special cuddle today! Drop them in the comments below <3
#hugyourcatday

We all know about vaccinating dogs and cats but did you know you should be vaccinating your rabbits too? Rabbits, even indoor only rabbits, are at risk from a viral illness called Rabbit Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (RVHD). The bad news is that this illness is highly contageous and often causes serious illness or worse. The good news is that your rabbits can be vaccinated against it!
A new strain (RVHD2) has been reported with more frequency since 2015 and so a new vaccine has... been developed to tackle it.
As with RVHD, RVHD2 often has no symptoms in the beginning and if any do appear, they're easy to confuse with other, less dangerous, illnesses.
Your rabbit doesn't even need to meet any other rabbits to be at risk - it can be carried by: •Birds and insects and their droppings •The wind •Soles of shoes, car tyres or other pets’ feet •An infected rabbit or their droppings •Owners’ hands or clothes
We at Medivet highly recommend having your rabbit vaccinated against RVHD2. You can find more information about this at https://www.rabbitawarenessweek.co.uk/raw /
Call us on 0207 017 8950 to book your appointment or to speak to our team about the disease and the vaccination protocol.
#raw #raw19 #rabbitawarenessweek
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Waffle: An Adventure. From not being quite confident about meeting a cat to waiting patiently for her appointment, making a new friend and almost falling asleep on our desk after her appointment, Waffle had quite the adventure at the vet yesterday! She's due for even more adventures too, our vet Susanna checked her health and gave her a rabies vaccination, so soon she'll be the proud owner of a Pet Passport! 🐾✈️

Update: Penelope has found a foster home, thank you all for your messages and sharing this post!
🚨****Help me find a home****🚨
It's Rabbit Awareness Week this week and we were hoping to kick it off with some advice and tips for you and your bunny 🐇
... However, sadly we were handed this rabbit last night, found abandoned near Old Street Station. We're now looking for someone to foster him or her with a view to finding a forever home. We don't know if it's a boy or a girl but we've named it Penelope for the time being. It's very tame and fell asleep when our Patient Care Assistant, Billie, was stroking it, so we know Penelope loves a cuddle! 🐰
Please contact us on clerkenwell@medivet.co.uk, 0207 017 8950 or on Facebook if you think you can give Penelope a temporary or permanent home.
Please also share this post with anyone you think might be able to help.
Thank you.
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Last but certainly not least, I'd like to introduce you to our Head Veterinary Nurse, Kirstie, to round up Veterinary Nurses Awareness Month.
As Head Veterinary Nurse, Kirstie manages all of our nurses and patient care assistants (more on them to come later!) and ensures the smooth running of the busy hospital on top of caring for patients on the wards, in consults and during surgeries.
Kirstie came to work for Clerkenwell at the end of last year, bringing with her a whirlwi...nd of organisation and new ideas. She previously worked as Head Nurse at our Islington Practice before making the move to our Central London 24 hour practice, although she has been with Medivet in various roles since she was just 16 years old, starting as a patient care assistant.
The role of a Head Nurse is a very important role within a veterinary practice. As well as running the nursing team and looking after patients, Kirstie is responsible for training new nurses and care assistants, keeping the practice up to the Royal Veterinary College standards and a plethora of other admin duties.
Here are a few words from Kirstie: "I enjoy spending my time with the lovely clients and pets that come through our doors here. I am currently completely a further education course in emergency and critical nursing to be able to expand my knowledge and practical skill in this area to equip myself with the best tools to be able to care for the most poorly pets that come to us. I plan to obtain further qualification and certificate in many other field of nursing."
Kirstie was recently featured on the BBC Bitesize Careers website and you can read her interview here: https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/articles/znp knrd
#whatvnsdo #vnam #bvna
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Susanna, our lead vet, had a great time meeting Waffle and Pico this morning!

Allow me to introduce our Deputy Head Nurse, Vicki. She started here with us almost 6 months ago and we're so lucky to have her. She's known in our practice for being positive and happy and has the amazing ability to remain completely calm in all sorts of situations, a required trait for a Vet Nurse!
"I started my veterinary nurse career as a teenager working in a small animal hospital in Margate, Kent. I qualified in 1994 and moved to a small animal hospital in Tonbridge, wh...ere I worked for 10 years - 5 of which were as head nurse. In 2005 I made the bold decision of taking a career break and moved to Kyrgyzstan in Central Asia where I did a variety of different jobs. My main vocation was teaching English as a foreign language but I also had opportunities to work for a horse trekking company, a local NGO for the preservation of the Kyrgyz-type horse and proof-reading for the UN. I was lucky enough to have my own horse while I was there and enjoyed riding him in the mountains during my free time. As part of my duties for the NGO, I was responsible for teaching local vets how to carry out a vet check on horses during endurance races. This lead to me giving several interviews for Kyrgyz television and appearing in a European documentary! In 2014, I decided to return to the UK and started veterinary nursing again, initially, as a locum. While working for Goddard Veterinary Group, I completed the Graduate Diploma in Professional and Clinical Veterinary Nursing in 2017, passing with merit. In January 2019, I joined the wonderful team at Medivet 24hr Clerkenwell, where I feel I can utilise the skills and knowledge I developed during the Graduate Diploma. I am currently studying for an Open University degree in Classical Studies - purely for personal interest - and I enjoy running on Hampstead Heath when I have time."
#vnam #bvna #whatVNsdo
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