You can get the latest news by visiting our Facebook page. You can browse and share photos, read comments from other pet owners and find out what our staff have been up to.
Winter 2020 newsletter
As we enter the winter months we want to thank you so much for your patience and cooperation as we continue to socially distance. We are working hard to keep things bearable with outdoor lighting and covered areas. Please continue to telephone in advance to pick up medication and food orders as well as making appointments. At the time of writing Bradley is in the process of installing a new telephone system which will give us the capacity to take more calls at the same time – we are very aware that it has been difficult to get through on the phone. Along with this we have employed three new receptionists so that our nurses are freed up to concentrate on nursing.
New to the receptionist team is Katie Verell who joined us from another local vets. In her spare time, she volunteers for the Riding for the Disabled and she also rides herself. Louise Stapple joined us in October having been a regular at the clinic. She enjoys spending time with family, cooking, music, going for long walks and has a Westie called Willow. Finally, Tracey Hoskin joined the team part-time in October and is thoroughly enjoying working with us in the local community. Having grown up with dogs Tracey has a soft spot for our canine customers and can sometimes be spotted on the Ridgewaye playing fields entertaining children with her puppet dog, Milo.
Pembury residents will be eager to hear that building work at our new branch is nearing completion and we are looking forward to opening in the new year! Keep an eye on our Facebook page for more up-to-date information www.facebook.com/dacrehousevets.
Autumn 2020 newsletter
As we have adjusted to the 'new normal' there have been a few changes at Dacre House through which our staff have worked flat-out and certainly deserve medals! Working at limited capacity within Covid guidelines has been a challenge but we are pleased now to have un-furloughed all our staff and have been able to increase the number of staff on site as well as looking forward to the potential for increased consulting space.
After an incredible 21 years of service we bade a sad farewell to Bev in July. Bev made the decision to retire from the clinic and is now able to spend more time with her family, especially her baby granddaughter, as well as a little more gardening time. Bev has been a wonderful, friendly face and voice over the phone to many of you over the years and will be much missed by staff and clients alike. We wish her all the very best for her retirement. We are delighted to welcome vet Becky Clark back to our team. Having left Dacre House six years ago to go travelling, she has worked at various practices in Kent since. At home Becky has Edie the staffie (a resuce from Dacre House during her first period working here) and two cats. When note at work her two young daughters and much time spent renovating the house keep her busy, as well as managing a blog for a charity advocating for people with Down Syndrome. Judith Shaw joined the team permanently in July having been working as maternity cover for Liz's administration role over the past year. She now joins the reception team as well as continuing to do a few hours in the office. We welcomes Beth Taylor to our nursing team in July, who joins us from Pennard Vets in Sevenoaks. Beth particularly loves working with dogs but also has a soft spot for cats having grown up with them. When not at Dacre House she runs a dog walking and pet sitting business. Finally, some exciting news, we have been granted permission to open a small branch practice on Pembury High Street! Keep an eye on our Facebook page for up-to-date announcements.
Summer 2020 newsletter
The last few months have brought unexpected challenges for many of us, as we have adapted to measures to address the coronavirus pandemic. As we write this newsletter it is hard to predict what the summer months will look like but this seems a good opportunity to say thank you to all the Dacre House staff who handled the changes admirably - some accepting being furloughed, others reducing their hours or adjusting their working patterns so that we could continue to provide care for our patients. Also to say thank you to our pet owners, for your patience and understanding in the face of new protocols at the clinic and postponed procedures.
With the warmer weather we are once again seeing more patients with skin problems; more fleas and more ticks. Itchy skin can be a very frustrating condition and left unchecked can quickly escalate, as scratching, licking or rubbing leads to further skin irritation. We have more and more options for managing skin disease and, like many problems, treatment is best started early, so please don't hesitate to contact us if your pet is affected. Similarly, taking preventative measures against fleas and ticks is much better than waiting until they are seen. Finally, rabbit owners will be pleased to know that there will soon be a combined myxomatosis, RHD-1 and RHD-2 vaccine available, meaning rabbits can be protected with just a single injection.
Spring 2020 newsletter
Wishing you all a very happy start to the new decade! Also, thank you so much for your incredibly generous givings of chocolates, cakes, cards and letter which turned our staff kitchen into an Aladdin's cave of goodies over the Christmas season. Your support is hugely appreciated by the team with your comments of thanks on social media and cards a great morale boost.
In January we welcomed back our Head Nurse, Emma, from maternity leave. She is quickly getting us in check again with her wonderful organisational skills and eye for detail. Holly, who covered Emma's maternity leave, is remaining on with the team to help with an increasing caseload. Our dogs and cats are frequently in the limelight, so a few notes on rabbit health in this newsletter! We recommend that rabbits are vaccinated against two deadly infectious diseases - myxomatosis and rabbit viral haemorrhagic disease (referred to as RHD or VHD). There is now a new strain of RHD in the UK, RHD-2, and we sadly saw a number of cases last year. Please speak to one of our team for information on these vaccines. In addition, as the weather warms up, we strongly recommend all rabbits are checked twice a day for any signs of flystrike. Flies are very attracted to rabbits if they have soiled bottoms - here they lay their eggs which rapidly hatch out into maggots. Flystrike can appear very suddenly and is a true rabbit emergency.
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Thank you for looking after Max!
Thank you for what you did for Sasha, you actually cared for her it wasn't just a job to you.
Thank you so much for making our dog feel better and looking after her. What would she do without you! Thank you for being there for her. Very much appreciated. All the best!
Thank you all for being so caring and kind during the time I have been coming to Dacre House with Blue. I really miss him!
Thank you all for taking such good care of me when I was a big baby! Love, FANG
