South Downs Emergency Vets

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South Downs Emergency Vets Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from South Downs Emergency Vets, Veterinarian, Mill Stream, North Street, Storrington.

Good morning, Antonie! 🌞This handsome boy enjoyed his LickiMat for breakfast after spending the night with our team. A l...
28/09/2026

Good morning, Antonie! 🌞

This handsome boy enjoyed his LickiMat for breakfast after spending the night with our team. A little enrichment and some TLC go a long way when you're staying with us overnight!

Sadly, we've had a deceased stray cat handed into our Chichester hospital over the weekend. She is tabby coloured and is...
28/09/2026

Sadly, we've had a deceased stray cat handed into our Chichester hospital over the weekend. She is tabby coloured and is microchipped but not registered. we suspect that she was involved in a road traffic accident. She was found in Aldingbourne.

Please contact our Chichester team if you recognise this cat.

Meet Brulee, a 3 year old English Bulldog who gave her family quite a scare this week; but we're delighted to say she's ...
24/09/2026

Meet Brulee, a 3 year old English Bulldog who gave her family quite a scare this week; but we're delighted to say she's now home and on the mend.

After a couple of days feeling under the weather, Brulee was sick and then became lethargic, with unusual breathing noises and a dry, hacking cough. Her worried family brought her straight to our emergency team, where she was diagnosed with aspiration pneumonia, a serious lung infection that can happen when vomit is inhaled into the airways rather than fully brought back up.

Brulee was admitted for IV fluids, nebulisation, and close monitoring overnight, and showed real improvement by morning. She was able to go home the next day with medication to complete her recovery.

Brachycephalic breeds like Bulldogs, French Bulldogs, and Pugs are particularly prone to this, since their shortened airways make it harder to protect against inhaling vomit. Signs to watch for include coughing, laboured or noisy breathing, lethargy, reduced appetite, and in severe cases, blue-tinged gums, an emergency.

Any vomiting episode in a brachycephalic breed is worth taking seriously, especially if breathing changes follow in the next 24-48 hours. If you notice any of these signs, contact your vet or our emergency team promptly, early treatment makes a real difference.

Well done, Brulee, and well done to her family for acting so quickly. Get well soon!🤗

Noticed your dog scratching more than usual after a countryside walk? It might not be fleas — it could be harvest mites!...
18/09/2026

Noticed your dog scratching more than usual after a countryside walk? It might not be fleas — it could be harvest mites!

These tiny orange-red mites are most active right now, from July through November, and love hiding in long grass, heathland and woodland paths across the South Downs. They're not even insects — they're more closely related to spiders and ticks, and are sometimes nicknamed "berry bugs" for their bright colour.

The telltale signs? Excessive licking or chewing at the paws, red or irritated skin, scabs from scratching, and sometimes tiny orange-red dots visible on the skin itself (that's the mites!). They particularly love warm, sheltered spots: between the toes, the armpits, tummy and groin, and around the ears and face.

Meet Charlie, a lovely four year old collie x spaniel, who spent two nights in our care after becoming seriously unwell ...
15/09/2026

Meet Charlie, a lovely four year old collie x spaniel, who spent two nights in our care after becoming seriously unwell with bloody diarrhoea and pancreatitis.

Charlie arrived with us feeling very poorly — lethargic, not wanting to eat, and in need of close, round the clock support. Our overnight team worked hand in hand with the day team throughout his stay, keeping him comfortable with fluids, pain relief and anti-sickness medication, and watching closely over him through the hours of the night.

It wasn't always a straightforward road, and there were a few ups and downs along the way, but Charlie's own resilience, alongside a great deal of dedicated care, saw him through. Little by little, he started eating on his own again, and his bloodwork began to show the signs of improvement we were hoping for.

Charlie is now home and recovering well with his family. Cases like his are a good reminder of why having a dedicated emergency and critical care team on-site, every hour of the day and night, matters so much. We're so glad we could be there for him, whenever he needed us most 🤗

Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus, or GDV, is one of the true emergencies we see in veterinary practice — and knowing the ...
11/09/2026

Gastric Dilatation and Volvulus, or GDV, is one of the true emergencies we see in veterinary practice — and knowing the signs can make all the difference.

GDV happens when a dog's stomach fills with gas and then twists on itself, trapping the gas and cutting off blood flow to vital organs. It's most commonly seen in large, deep-chested breeds, including Great Danes, Saint Bernards, Weimaraners, Irish Setters, Gordon Setters, Standard Poodles, Doberman Pinschers, Old English Sheepdogs and Basset Hounds, though it can occasionally affect smaller dogs and even cats.

If your pet shows any of the following, please contact your veterinary practice immediately:
- A swollen or bloated abdomen
- Pale gums
- Unsuccessful attempts to vomit, or dry retching
- Pain when the abdomen is touched
- Restlessness or distress
- Excessive drooling
- Difficulty breathing
- Weakness or collapse

GDV can progress to shock very quickly, and becomes fatal without urgent treatment, so time really does matter here. As the stomach expands and twists, it stops food and gas from passing normally, compresses major blood vessels, and reduces blood flow to vital organs, quickly leading to severe shock and, without treatment, tissue death or rupture.

GDV is diagnosed through a physical examination and x-rays to confirm whether the stomach has rotated. Treatment is always urgent, and may involve pain relief and stabilisation, relieving pressure in the stomach, intravenous fluids, and surgery to reposition the stomach and remove any damaged tissue, often alongside a gastropexy to help prevent it happening again.

With prompt treatment, the outlook is genuinely encouraging — current studies suggest around 80–85% of dogs survive to discharge following surgery, though every case is different, and prognosis depends on things like how quickly treatment was sought and the severity at presentation.

While GDV can't always be prevented, a few things can help: feeding smaller, more frequent meals, avoiding vigorous exercise straight after eating, and, for high-risk breeds, discussing preventative gastropexy with your vet.

If you're ever concerned your pet might be showing signs of GDV, please don't wait, contact your veterinary practice straight away. Time really can save a life.

10/09/2026

Ever wondered what a night shift at one of our hospitals actually looks like?🌙

Come behind the scenes with Meg, one of our RVNs at Storrington, as she takes you through a night in the life of overnight care — from stocking the prep room and running emergency bloods, to the quiet hours of cleaning and monitoring, right through to morning rounds with our inpatients.

Nights like these are why we're able to offer round-the-clock emergency and critical care, whatever the hour. Thank you, Meg, for giving us a glimpse into what you do 👩🏽‍⚕️

31/08/2026

We have had a young, unmicrochipped, female, Jack Russel Terrier brought into our Chichester hospital by a member of the public. She is white and brown and unfortunately was hit by car near West Ashling this morning. She is being taken care of by our 24/7 team. Please call our Chichester hospital if you think she may be yours.

Do you have a first aid kit for your pet? 🏥Whether you’re heading away with your pet or simply preparing for the unexpec...
28/08/2026

Do you have a first aid kit for your pet? 🏥

Whether you’re heading away with your pet or simply preparing for the unexpected at home, keeping a few first aid essentials together means you’ll have them to hand should you need them. Our vets recommend including:

- Disposable gloves
- Pet-safe antiseptic wipes
- Pet-safe wound wash
- Sterile eye wash
- Wound dressings
- Bandages
- Cotton wool pads
- Microporous tape
- Tick removal tool
- Blunt-ended scissors
- Tweezers
- Foil emergency blanket
- Thick towel or blanket
- Spare lead for dogs
- Muzzle for dogs, if safe to use
- Pet first aid guide

For larger pets, a blanket can also be useful as a makeshift stretcher if needed. Remember, a first aid kit is intended for short term, initial care only and should never replace veterinary assessment. Even if you’re able to manage an injury initially at home, your pet should still be checked by a veterinary professional as soon as possible.

If you do need to cover a wound, never apply a bandage tightly, as this can restrict blood supply and worsen an injury. You should be able to comfortably fit two fingers between the bandage and your pet’s skin.

Save this post and use the list to put together your own pet first aid kit 📌

Heading away with your pet this summer? A little preparation can make all the difference 🙌Before you set off, take a few...
25/08/2026

Heading away with your pet this summer? A little preparation can make all the difference 🙌

Before you set off, take a few minutes to run through your pet’s holiday checklist. Make sure you have enough of any regular medication for the whole trip, plus a few extra days in case of delays, and check that their microchip details, vaccinations and parasite treatments are up to date.

It’s also worth finding the nearest veterinary practice and out of hours service to where you’re staying before you travel. Save their details alongside your pet insurance information, so you know exactly where to turn if you need help.

A simple pet first aid kit is another useful addition to your packing – we’ll be sharing what to include in ours next 👀...

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Mill Stream, North Street
Storrington
RH204DH

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