Health & Wellbeing

Ice cream can be a great way to finish off your summer barbecue, but we suggest you keep Ice cream away from the dogs. Although dog-friendly ice cream does exist, many ice creams contain sweeteners such as xylitol, which is toxic to dogs. It’s also important to remember that some pooches are lactose intolerant and therefore should never have ice

Pet owners are pretty good at getting the initial course of vaccinations done in puppies and kittens but much less good at maintaining immunity with annual booster vaccinations. Without annual boosters then immunity wanes and fades and pets become susceptible to disease. In the older pet immunity naturally reduces compared to the young and is compounded by any failure to

Various intestinal parasites can infect dogs and cats even when using an intestinal parasite preventative, pets can still become infected due to: Intestinal parasites can be transmitted to you whenever you come into contact with your pet’s faeces – Some intestinal parasites (like roundworms and Giardia) are zoonotic and have the potential to also infect and cause disease in pet

Vaccinating cats and kittens Cat vaccinations help to protect your pets from severe infectious diseases. It also prevents them from passing anything nasty on to other animals in the area. Vaccinating your kitten is one of the most important things you should do in your first few weeks as a cat owner. When should kittens be vaccinated? To help protect

As a pet owner, you try to protect your dog from risk as much as possible. Unfortunately, there are dangers lurking right in your backyard or local park that can cause serious harm to your dog. One of these diseases that has been increasingly reported across the UK is leptospirosis. What is leptospirosis? Leptospirosis, also known as “lepto”, is a

Dogs lick themselves in nature for several reasons. It helps them with healing, grooming, social interactions and even nurturing their young. Why do dogs lick us though? Are they giving us love or is it for another reason? You may be quite surprised and whilst we can’t read a dog’s mind, so we may never know the answers for sure,

Brachycephalic (flat-faced) breeds, such as Pugs, Bulldogs, and French Bulldogs, have become increasingly popular in recent years. For example,  39,266 French bulldog puppies were registered with the Kennel Club in 2020, compared to 33,661 in 2019. Overall, the number of French bulldogs is up 2,700% since 2004. However, many owners aren’t aware that the ‘cute’ way they look can cause

The new and improved Orchard House Vets Well Pet Club So, what’s new? We are excited to announce we have included new and exclusive services to your Well Pet Club. Included is our family and friends week. For one week only you will be able to share selected benefits with your friends and family to also save them money! More

Prescribing POM-V preventative treatment It is a legal requirement that in order to dispense prescription flea and worming treatments, your pet must have had a check-up with one of our Veterinary Surgeons within the past 12 months. If it is more than 12 months since the last examination, then an appointment will be necessary. This is a legal requirement for

Fleas are the most common of all external parasites found on pets. The cat flea is the most prevalent species of flea found on both cats and dogs. An infestation of fleas is both unpleasant and potentially dangerous for pets and their owners. A flea‘s life cycle lasts anywhere from a few weeks to a month, though under the right