https://vetscotland.co.uk/?utm_source=FB&utm_medium=Yext&y_source=1_MjkyNTE5MzUtNTU5LWxvY2F0aW9uLndlYnNpdGU%3D

Veterinary Specialists Scotland, 1 Deer Park Road, Livingston (2026)

20/10/2026

💜 Welcoming Jon Hall as Clinical Director at VSS!

We’re delighted to welcome Jon Hall, a European Specialist in Small Animal Surgery, to VSS as our new Clinical Director.

Jon brings extensive experience in specialist veterinary surgery, clinical leadership and veterinary education. A former Professor of Small Animal Surgery at the University of Nottingham (2020–2026) and Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, he has an established reputation for clinical excellence, teaching and supporting the wider veterinary profession.

In his new role, Jon will work alongside our talented multidisciplinary team to further develop our clinical services, strengthen relationships with referring veterinary practices and support the continued growth of VSS.

Jon says:

“I’m delighted to have joined VSS. We have an exceptionally skilled and dedicated team, and I’m excited about what we can achieve together. My priorities are to support our clinicians in delivering outstanding patient care, make referring to VSS as straightforward and rewarding as possible for our primary care colleagues, and develop our services to meet the needs of the veterinary community.”

This appointment reflects our ongoing commitment to clinical excellence, collaboration and providing exceptional support to referring vets, patients and their owners.

13/10/2026

📣 The VSS CPD Club is back!

This November, we’re turning our attention to Diagnostic Imaging:
Making sense of radiological pulmonary patterns

Join us for a FREE evening of CPD, presented by Bárbara Gomes, with the opportunity to explore thoracic imaging and discuss interesting cases.

📅 Tuesday 3 November 2026
🕢 7.15pm arrival | 7.30pm start
📍 Veterinary Specialists Scotland, Livingston, EH54 8AG

💭 Have an interesting thoracic case you’d like to discuss? Bring it along and get involved!

🎟️ Places are limited, so secure your spot!
📧 Email [email protected] to book.

09/10/2026

🦁 VSS Multidisciplinary CPD Day 2026 - A roaring success for VSS!

🎬 Take a look back at our Edinburgh Zoo Multidisciplinary CPD Day! 🦁

Earlier this week, our team at Veterinary Specialists Scotland welcomed veterinary professionals from across Scotland for a fantastic day of learning, collaboration and networking in a truly unique setting.

With tickets selling out in just two weeks, the day proved to be a roaring success. Delegates enjoyed a packed programme of talks covering Anaesthesia, Cardiology, CPR, Dermatology, Diagnostic Imaging, Internal Medicine, Soft Tissue Surgery, Nursing Leadership, Wound care and "One patient, One journey".

We're delighted to have received such positive feedback, with attendees praising the practical content, expert speakers, friendly atmosphere and memorable venue. We also received valuable suggestions that will help us make future sessions even better.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended, our incredible speakers and the entire team at VSS for helping make the day such a success.

Special thanks to our sponsors Royal Canin, Vet Solutions (IMV) and MSD for their valued support and contribution to the event.

We're already looking forward to the next one. Watch this space for information about future VSS CPD events!

01/10/2026

🐾💜Happy National Veterinary Receptionist Day! 💜🐾

Today, we're celebrating our fantastic reception team here at Veterinary Specialists Scotland!

As the friendly faces who welcome our clients, answer calls from our referring vets and pet owners, coordinate appointments, and provide reassurance during what can often be stressful times, our receptionists play a vital role in delivering exceptional care to both pets and their families.

Their compassion, professionalism, patience, and dedication help ensure every visit runs smoothly and that every referring practice and client feels welcomed and supported from the moment they contact us.

Thank you to our incredible reception team for all that you do. Your hard work, kindness, and commitment make a difference every single day, and we are so grateful to have you as part of the VSS family. 🌟

Please join us in showing our appreciation for these amazing team members today! 👏

30/09/2026

🐾 Night Veterinary Surgeon Opportunity at VSS 🐾

Looking for a rewarding night role in a specialist referral hospital?

Are you a Veterinary Surgeon who enjoys managing a varied caseload, caring for hospitalised patients and handling occasional emergency presentations, while having access to an experienced team and specialist support when required?

This is a brand-new role created to ensure our hospitalised patients receive outstanding care throughout the night.

With a 7 nights on, 14 nights off working pattern, you'll have plenty of time away from work to recharge, pursue your interests and enjoy life outside the hospital.

At VSS, collaboration is at the heart of what we do with all our referrals being supported by Specialist Anaesthetists and Diagnostic Imagers. You'll have access to the facilities, equipment and nursing support needed to deliver a high standard of care throughout the night.

Join Veterinary Specialists Scotland and be part of something optimistic and ambitious - a growing referral hospital where your clinical skills, development and wellbeing genuinely matter.

If you would like to apply for the role or for an informal chat to discuss it further, please get in touch with Paige in the recruitment team [email protected]

Click on the link below for the full job description and application details.

https://www.linnaeusgroup.co.uk/careers/vacancies/night-veterinarian-surgeon

29/09/2026

🧠✨ VSS Neurology in Action: Learning, Collaboration and Clinical Excellence ✨🧠

Our Neurologist Alex recently joined our BRM, Rachel, for a fantastic Lunch & Learn with the team at Wishing Well Vets, Wishaw.

Using one very beautiful (and slightly bonkers!) volunteer patient, Alex guided the team through a practical neurological examination before answering a wide range of questions from the practice team.

Alex's passion, knowledge and approachable teaching style made for an engaging session, with attendees taking away practical tips and insights they can apply directly in first-opinion practice.

At VSS, we're proud to offer CPD opportunities to our referring practices, helping to strengthen collaboration, support clinical development and ultimately improve patient care across our veterinary community.

A huge thank you to the team at Wishing Well Vets for their warm welcome and enthusiasm, and to Alex for being such an outstanding ambassador for VSS. 💜

The feedback was so positive that discussions are already underway for a future Lunch & Learn session... watch this space! 👀

📚 Interested in a CPD session for your practice? We'd love to hear from you. Contact Rachel at [email protected] to find out more.

24/09/2026

🐾🌈 Gaining Insight to Better Support Pet Owners 🌈🐾

Recently, our Client Care Team visited CPC Cares Crematorium to better understand the journey pets take after they have crossed the rainbow bridge.

The visit provided valuable insight into the collection process, the cremation journey, and what families can expect if they choose to attend and say their final goodbye. While an emotional experience, it gave our team greater knowledge and confidence to support pet owners through some of the most difficult conversations they may ever face.

We're incredibly grateful for the opportunity and are proud that our team is now even better equipped to guide and support families with compassion, understanding, and care when they need it most. ❤️🐾

21/09/2026

🌟🐾 Exciting CPD News from VSS! 🦁🦒📚 🐾🌟

Our Edinburgh Zoo CPD Day is fast approaching, and we're absolutely delighted that the agenda is almost complete! 🦁📚🐼

With a fantastic line-up of sessions, expert speakers, and support from our friends at Royal Canin, IMV and MSD, it's shaping up to be a brilliant day for veterinary professionals to learn, share ideas and connect with colleagues.

🦒🐧🐾 Keep an eye out for the final agenda coming soon...

A huge thank you to everyone who has registered and will be joining us on the day. We can't wait to see you there! 💜

In the meantime, our specialist-led team remains here to support you and your patients with referrals and advice requests.

💻 https://www.vetscotland.co.uk/vet-professionals/arrange-a-referral/
💬 https://www.vetscotland.co.uk/vet-professionals/request-advice/
📧 [email protected]
📞 01506 888 777

💜🐾

18/09/2026

📚🐾 Thrums Vets Lunch & Learn Success! 🐾📚

A huge thank you to Nicki Reed, our RCVS-recognised specialist in Feline Medicine and EBVS® diplomate in Small Animal Internal Medicine, for delivering a fantastic Lunch & Learn at Thrums Vets, Kirriemuir, on Fluid Therapy in Shock.

The session was well attended, and we received some wonderful feedback before we'd even made it back to VSS! 💜

"Just wanted to say a huge thank you to you and Nicki for today. The team have really appreciated upskilling in shock treatment."

We're delighted that the session was so well received that we've already arranged a follow-up Teams session to support their other branches. 🎉

At Veterinary Specialists Scotland, we're passionate about supporting our referring practices through a range of CPD opportunities, Lunch & Learns, practice visits, case discussions, and educational events designed to meet the needs of your team.

📧 If you'd like to learn more about the support and CPD opportunities available from VSS, we'd love to hear from you! Please email [email protected].

🐾💜

16/09/2026

🌟 Team Spotlight: Laura, Client Care Manager 🐾

We're delighted to introduce Laura, who joined VSS as our Client Care Manager, bringing a strong background in customer service and the veterinary sector. 💙

Laura began her career as a Customer Service Advisor in a pharmacy-beauty retailer, where she developed strong communication and client care skills 💬✨, before moving into a busy first opinion veterinary practice 🏥🐶 and gaining valuable experience in a fast-paced clinical environment.

Laura holds a Business Management degree from Edinburgh Napier University 🎓 and has a genuine passion for both people and animals ❤️🐾, which naturally led her to her role at VSS.

Outside of work, Laura has her hands full with her own bunch of Pomeranians 🐕🐕🐕, a cat 🐱 and rabbits 🐰 who keep her busy. She also enjoys photography 📸 in her spare time.

💜We're thrilled to have Laura as part of our team here at VSS!

🐾✨

25/02/2024

When Kelly from our Colton store's Pets Grooming salon discovered a lump on the tail of nine-year-old Rufus she suspected something wasn't right, so alerted his owners Les and Andrea so they could get it checked out. They brought him to Vets for Pets Leeds Colton where it was confirmed he had a cancerous tumour which needed surgery.

Les, who adopted Rufus from Dogs Trust in Leeds as a puppy, said: “Rufus is such a big part of our life; we’re absolutely besotted with him. We probably wouldn’t have noticed the lump if not at the groomers as the tail isn’t somewhere you would usually stroke and feel. Kelly loves Rufus and really looks after him, so we want to say a big thanks for spotting it. Who'd have known what would have happened if she hadn’t noticed.”

Rufus had to have his tail removed, but is now making a good recovery. He's been visiting Kelly for a groom every six weeks for the last three years. She said: “You get to know everything about a dog as you groom them. I’ve discovered similar things before on other dogs so I mentioned it to the owners so they could get it checked out. Dogs are my life and you do worry; I’m so pleased they caught it. Now he’s got a fully docked tail like a little bunny rabbit. It’s lovely and suits him – when he gets washed he wiggles his bum.”

21/02/2024

Arthur's owner Louise says he "looked like a brand-new tortoise" after having his beak filed at Sutton in Ashfield Vets4Pets.

Louise adopted the four-year-old Horsefield Tortoise from a family member in October. Although she has had other pets, Arthur is her first tortoise, so she has been doing some research on how to best care for him.

Louise said: "I noticed Arthur's beak was unusually long, so I brought him in to Vets for Pets; I bring all my pets there. When he came out, I thought 'you beautiful boy, look at you – you look so handsome!"

Vet Steph, who looked after Arthur, says that tortoise beaks continuously grow and normally grind down themselves while they're eating. She said: "Arthur needed a little help as his jaw isn't perfectly aligned; his lower jaw is further out than his top jaw, so I filed it around half a centimetre. He was really good; a real cutie."

18/02/2024

Owner Claire says she couldn't be more grateful to Vets4Pets Hamilton after their quick diagnosis saved the sight of six-year-old Alba.

Claire knew there was something terribly wrong with her miniature dachshund cross when she called her in from the back garden last summer and Alba ran headfirst into a closed patio door. She rushed her to the vets, where investigations led the team to diagnose her with uveitis – an eye condition which causes inflammation of the middle layer of the eye.

Claire said: "It all happened so suddenly; Alba must have heard my voice and guessed where to go. It was quite scary seeing how bad she was. We couldn't be more grateful for the team in Hamilton spotting the uveitis as quickly as they did, otherwise Alba would have gone blind within a matter of days. Their knowledge saved Alba's sight. I still can't believe it happened. It's taken months of treatments, but it's such a relief to have our girl back to being her funny, bossy self."

Vet Neil, one of the team who treated Alba, said: "Alba's pupil was really narrow and wouldn't respond to light properly, which can be a sign of uveitis. Once we had ruled out other conditions, we were able to get her to an eye specialist for ongoing treatment. She's now doing really well."

16/02/2024

Ducky's owner Antonia was in a state of panic when she saw a fox had dug its way into the field where she keeps him – killing two of her other ducks and chickens.

Antonia was about to move her brood into their pen for the evening when she saw what had happened and noticed that Ducky had severe bite wounds under his wing. She rushed him to Vets4Pets Vets Milton Keynes for emergency surgery – and after having his wound stitched up the one-year-old duck is now making a good recovery.

Antonia said: "I was so worried. You don’t often hear of ducks recovering from fox attacks, but there is something about Ducky and the way he was so brave. I'm sure he was protecting a lady duck, as he's a bit of a romantic. It's the first time we've gone to Vets for Pets, and the team were amazing; they've done an incredible job."

Vet Becca, who treated Ducky, said: "He's a really lucky duck, as it was quite a big wound. When he first came in, he was understandably subdued and quiet but when he came back for his stitches to be taken out, he wanted to explore and tuck his head into everyone’s shoulders."

07/02/2024

Well done to the team at Vets4Pets Guildford who've been awarded a silver level certificate for being a rabbit-friendly clinic.

After head veterinary nurse Ella noticed that more customers were bringing in rabbits the practice took a series of steps to give them as stress-free an experience as possible. Ella, who also fosters rescue dogs in her spare time, said: "There was a long list of things that we needed to prove that we did from making sure the rabbits are kept separate from other animals and not booked in at the same time as barking dogs, to providing heated kennels for those who need to stay in, and using special equipment made especially for rabbits."

Practice manager Kevin said: "All of our vets have plenty of experience with rabbits we have some real rabbit geeks here, so it was a big thing to us. There are so many good people in this world and I'm so proud to be around them."

28/01/2024

Beautiful Bear was born deaf, so he's learned to follow his owner Lisa's visual commands.

Lisa, who shops at our Tamworth store – "it's my second home!" – got two-year-old Bear as a kitten and suspected he was deaf when he didn't respond to her voice. She had it confirmed by her vet soon after. She said: "He was very scatty, and scared of people he didn’t recognise. He wasn’t bothered by loud noises like my other cat Emily and when I came home from work he wouldn’t hear the door open.

"He's doing really well though. I try to do some sign language with him – I point at him and do a solid hand sign at him to stop. He picks up on vibrations and scents too. He meows, making a really loud chirping sound which I’ve never heard a cat do before, and he’s always rubbing his head against my legs and following me everywhere. I was advised not to let him out because he wouldn’t hear cars or other dangers, so he comes outside with me every morning to have a sniff around the garden and always comes straight back in." Bear and Lisa's other cat Emily are on Instagram as

27/01/2024

Ten-year-old Dutch rabbit Alfie has been visiting vet Kate at Vets4pets Wolverhampton for dental treatment for the last eight years – and she says he's such a loveable character that he's become "part of the family".

He's one of the oldest rabbits treated by Kate and the team, and she says his longevity is down to the care and love he gets from his owner Tracy and her family. Kate said: "Alfie is famous in this practice – everyone knows him. We and his family are dedicated to making sure her little old man is happy. The beautiful thing about being a vet or vet nurse is you build these relationships with the owners and their pets – they become your surrogate pets."

Tracy's been keeping rabbits all her life, and says that having space and routine is key. She said: "Alfie is an old man now and has a routine. He goes into a hutch at night and is let out in the morning. He's out all day and has his favourite spots in the house. We clean him out every day and give him a lot of attention. When he was younger he would follow us around; if I was clearing a cupboard out he would be in the cupboard to help. Now he's old and wants to be warm and watch instead. I can't thank Kate and the practice enough. Kate's been fantastic with him."

26/01/2024

Eight-year-old Winnie the Schnauzer cross is running around like a puppy again thanks to laser treatment and physiotherapy after two successful knee operations at Vets for Pets Basildon.

Worried owner Tracy brought Winnie in to the practice after she collapsed on a walk last year – and the team discovered the cruciate ligament in a knee had ruptured. She’s since had ops on two knees and is on a recovery plan led by vet physiotherapist Izzy.

Tracy said: "Winnie has had a tough year with 15 teeth removed, two cruciate ligament operations and two bouts of pancreatitis but thankfully she's hardy. She’s treated fabulously at the Basildon practice. Izzy is great with her – she totally relaxes in her hands and does little snores with her eyes open. Winnie has a new lease of life again and is running around like a puppy."

Izzy said: "When pets have surgery or injure themselves they move differently which causes them to be sore in other places. Winnie has laser therapy then a massage to help the healing process. Laser treatment is a specialist service that not enough people know about – it can help in so many ways after an operation.”

19/01/2024

The team at Vets4Pets Cramlington say greyhound Frank was "an absolute gentleman" when he came in for some dental work.

Seven-year-old Frank was brought in by owner Harriet to get rid of some plaque which had built up and to treat a gum inflammation. Veterinary nurse Vicki said: "Frank was a very good boy and left with clean, fresh and sparkly teeth. It's so very important to get your dog's teeth checked and we advise pets to have an annual dental check. Eighty per cent of dogs over the age of three have dental disease. Prevention is much better than cure and regular checks and routine cleaning keep your pet's mouth healthier for longer and can help to prevent extensive extractions later in life. We are always happy to offer advice on maintenance and dental care at home such as teeth brushing or dental supplements."

18/01/2024

Veterinary nurse Mel from Vets4Pets Bristol Longwell Green loves cats so much she's helped the practice make a number of improvements to give cats as stress-free an experience as possible when they're brought in.

Mel, who has an Advanced Certificate in Feline Behaviour for Veterinary Professionals, helped introduce facilities like a separate feline waiting area and cattery and the use of quiet clippers – and the practice now has a silver level certificate for being a cat-friendly clinic. She said: "I love dogs but I'm really a cat person. Cats can be misunderstood which can lead to them having quite a stressful life, so if we can make things easier for them and help people understand what cats need then everyone will be happier.

"As animal lovers there's always more to learn and understand about what makes them happy. Enrichment at the home is important for a happy cat – and as cats are naturally solitary animals if you live in a multi-cat household it's important to understand what they need. The rule is to have a resource per cat, plus one spare. So if you have two cats you should have three feeding stations, three litter trays and three scratch posts spread around the house so they have the opportunity to move around to wherever they want to go. Scratching is as natural a thing for cats to do as going out hunting is, so if they're unable to go out it's about providing the chance for them to behave as naturally as possible."

Veterinary Specialists Scotland