Westbrook Pawings

03/07/2025

03/07/2025

Flystrike is more common in summer🐰 🪰

As the weather gets warmer, it's important to be extra vigilant when it comes to insects in your rabbits' enclosure. Flystrike is a condition that’s caused by flies laying eggs in your rabbits’ fur. These eggs then hatch and grow into maggots that burrow into your rabbits' skin and eat the flesh.

Not only is it painful and extremely unpleasant for rabbits and their owners, but it can also be life-threatening if not spotted and treated quickly. All rabbits can be at risk of developing flystrike, but it's particularly risky if they have a dirty bottom, open wounds, or live in a dirty environment.

Fortunately, it's easy to prevent flystrike by:

- Keeping your rabbits' home clean, clean up p*e and poo at lease once a day.
- Checking your rabbits daily.
- Feeding them a good diet to prevent their poo from sticking to their bottoms.
- Giving them space to exercise, overweight rabbits are more likely to struggle to clean themselves which can attract flies.
- Grooming long-haired rabbits regularly to stop dirt getting matted in their fur.
- Monitoring any wounds closely and keeping them clean and dry while they heal.
- Taking them for regular vet checks to stay ahead of any hidden health problems.

Learn more about flystrike ➡️ https://pdsa.me/LLM3

[Visual description: Three rabbits are nibbling on the same blade of grass outside. One rabbit is tan coloured and the other two are white with tan markings around their ears and face.]

30/06/2025

A little note about the hot weather! ☀️

Top tips for keeping your dogs cool:

🦮Keep dog walks to early mornings and late evenings for when it is cooler
💦Ensure your dogs have unlimited access to water
⛱️Provide plenty of shade, maybe consider keeping curtains closed
✋🏻If you cannot hold your hand on tarmac for more than 5 seconds then the tarmac is too hot for paws
🚘Never leave dogs in cars

30/06/2025

Updated service list with updated prices!

22/06/2025

22/06/2025

We all know how important it is to keep our dogs and cats cool on warm days, but may not realise that it's just as important for small animals too ⛅

Small pets like rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, and rats should be kept cool and hydrated during warm weather to prevent them from developing life-threatening heatstroke.

Signs of heatstroke in small pets:
- Drooling.
- Quick breaths.
- Struggling to breathe.
- Acting very sleepy or lethargic.
- Collapsing.
- Seizures.

It's also a good idea to keep on top of cleaning their enclosures to prevent flystrike or a build up of wet bedding and mouldy food 🐰🐰

Learn more:
Rabbits - https://pdsa.me/gLqU
Guinea pigs - https://pdsa.me/EEcU
Other small pets - https://pdsa.me/RlMU

[Visual description: An infographic titled: "Keeping small pets cool." It features tips such as: Keeping pets in the shade, offering safe watery fruits and vegetables (in moderation), swapping out plastic houses for something cooler like cardboard boxes, freezing a water bottle and wrapping it in a towel before placing it next to your pets' enclosure, placing a fan in their room but not pointed directly at them (making sure they can't nibble any wires), grooming long-haired or fluffy pets, refreshing their water every day, and putting a cool tile or empty ceramic bowl/tea cup in their enclosure for them to sit on/in.]

29/11/2024

Does your pet’s fur protect them from the cold? ❄️

In most cases, yes! But in really wet and cold weather, if your pet isn't able to keep active or get themselves somewhere warm, their fur coat may not be enough. Like us humans, our pets, though thankfully rarely, can develop a dangerous and potentially deadly condition called hypothermia.

Any pet can become seriously ill if the temperature of their body drops too low, and acting quickly and doing the right thing could save your pet’s life.

Here are some key symptoms to look out for during the winter months! And if you suspect your pet may have hypothermia, it’s important to call your vet straight away and follow their advice ⚠️

[Visual description: Infographic about hypothermia in pets. Signs and symptoms include; shivering, drowsiness, confusion, clumsiness, pale gums and loss of consciousness/collapse. What you should do; 1. Call your vet straight away and follow their advice. 2. Get your pet out of the cold. Take them somewhere warm (not hot) and sheltered. 3. If your pet is awake, try to get them to drink some lukewarm (not hot) water. 4. If your pet is wet, use towels to dry them by rubbing them over. Change the towels when they become damp. 5. Be careful not to heat your pet up too quickly, this can be dangerous. Use blankets and towels under and over them to keep them warm. Using hot water bottles and heat pads will heat them too quickly and may cause burns.]

15/11/2024

Darker nights mean cats are more at risk of being involved in a road traffic accident during autumn and winter. Here are five tips from our vets to help your cat to stay safe 🐱

[Visual description: Infographic detailing five dark evening safety tips for cats. 1. Be prepared - make sure your cat is microchipped and is covered by pet insurance should anything happen. 2 - Neuter - By neutering your cat they’ll be much less likely to roam in search of a mate or get into fights. 3. Daylight - Keep your cat indoors at night and let them out during daylight hours. To help with this, you can try feeding your cat when it starts to get dark so they’ll come back for the night. 4. The secure outdoors - If you live in a busy area with lots of traffic, consider only letting your cat out into a secure garden or safe outdoor area. 5. Visibility - Reflective collars can help drivers see cats in the dark or in poor light. Choose a break-away style collar which will open if your cat catches it on a fence, branch or other object while they’re out exploring.]

11/11/2024

On Remembrance Day we remember the fallen, both people and animals.

The lesser known symbol of remembrance for animals that served during wartime is the purple poppy. The symbol was created in 2006 based on the traditional red remembrance poppy.

In contemporary service, most animals in the United Kingdom military are working dogs.

Historically, the greatest number of animal casualties in conflict has been horses.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.