Bradley and Liz welcomed baby Joel to their family at the end of March and are adjusting to life with a newborn again. Joshua is very excited to be a big brother and is proving to be a very useful helper.
We bid farewell to Diego at the beginning of March; though sad to see him go we wish him all the best in his further training and employment in night work with Vets Now. Vets Now support us with our out-of-hours service so you may well still see him in an emergency.
As one Spaniard left, we welcomed another - Dr Israel Crespin joined the team on a part-time basis for evening consulting sessions. Israel qualified in Cordoba, Spain in 2002 and has been working in the UK as a government vet for the past 15 years. As well as his passion for working with animals, Israel has an interest in 3D animation applied to veterinary science. As a qualified computer programmer in visual effects and animation he has been developing anatomical models which are used for training and prosthetics.

As Brexit looms do watch out for changes in pet passport laws. It could take at least 4 months to prepare a pet for travel. Take steps sooner rather than later if you are planning to travel with your pet this year. If you wish to discuss this, please book an appointment with either Jane or Bradley who both have “Official Veterinarian” status to enable them to complete pet passports and other export paperwork. We are pleased to announce that having undertaken training at the end of 2018, Jane is now able to offer echocardiography in- house - this means many patients will no longer need to travel to a referral centre for cardiac investigations. Laparoscopic surgery has now become routine at Dacre House - please do book an appointment if you are interested in this for your dog. Finally, in staff news, we were very excited to meet Becky's little baby girl Ava who was born at the end of November. Congratulations Becky and Tom! Holly Deacons joins our nursing team in February on a maternity contract. Holly recently left school but is no stranger to working with animals having worked with horses, deer, sheep and cattle as well as her own French Bulldog. She is excited to begin a career working in a veterinary setting.

Laparoscopic surgery has become a popular choice for bitch spays amongst our clients with quicker recovery rates reported and a lower risk of complications - if your pet needs surgery please ask our vets about keyhole options. Sìne Reed joined our nursing staff in September, having worked previously at Folly Wildlife Rescue. Becky Cheeseman has now gone on maternity leave - we wish her all the very best with her forthcoming motherhood and look forward to welcoming her back part-time next year. It is with great sadness that we bade farewell to vet Helen Denning at the end of November. Helen has been a wonderful member of our team for the past two years, full of compassion and with an admirable work ethic. Helen is leaving the veterinary profession for the time being due to family commitments. All that leaves is for us to wish you all a wonderful Christmas - do look out for our reminders on pet safety this festive season - and to thank you all for your custom this year.

As ever, at Dacre House we are always busy studying, attending training courses and keeping abreast of the latest developments in veterinary medicine. Our most recent nursing assistant, Emily has started her Animal Nursing Assistant diploma with us and Heather continues into the second year of her Veterinary Nurse training. Fireworks night is fast approaching which means nights of worrying for our pets. Loud bangs and flashes cause anxiety and, even in some seemingly relaxed pets, yawning, panting, restlessness and hiding may all be signs your pet is suffering from anxiety. Preparation is key - many pets will benefit from calming products such as plug-in diffusers or daily tablets. These should be started at least 48 hours (longer if possible) before fireworks are due to start. In severe cases, anxiety relieving sedative medicines can be used to reduce a pet’s fear response and help them to be calm and settled. We are here to help, so please ask us for further information on options for keeping your pets stress free at this trying time of year!