Antifreeze poisoning

We have heard of local cases of antifreeze poisoning in cats in the local area over the last few weeks, so thought you might like a little more information on the subject.

Please be aware of this hidden danger with your pets. Unfortunately many animals like the taste of antifreeze, but ingesting even the smallest amount can lead to kidney failure and death, especially in cats.

How do you keep your pets safe?

Accidental poisonings due to spills and leaks from containers, as well as leaking water coolant from cars happen every year and often results in the death of pets. Some could be avoided by you making regular checks of your car to ensure it is not leaking water coolant. Take great care when storing, using and disposing of antifreeze and water coolant from cars. 

Always keep antifreeze in clearly labelled, robust, sealed containers, high up and away     from pets. 

Clean up any spills immediately, no matter how small, making sure pets cannot access the area until it is clean and safe.
Always dispose of antifreeze safely and responsibly. Contact your local authority for advice on this. 

What if I suspect antifreeze poisoning in my pet?

Sadly there are times when no matter how careful you are an accident happens. If you suspect your pet has come into contact with antifreeze, or leaked water coolant get help from us immediately:

Symptoms include:

Vomiting 

Seeming depressed or sleepy 

Appearing drunk and uncoordinated 

Seizures (fits) 

Difficulty breathing 

Increased thirst 

Increased urination 

Signs of antifreeze poisoning can start to show as soon as 30 minutes after ingestion, though it can be two or three days before signs of kidney failure are seen.

Remember the sooner your pet receives veterinary treatment, the better their chances of survival. 

What is the Practice Standards Scheme?

You may have seen our recent facebook status, tweet or google+ page telling that we had again received practice standard accreditation and wondered…

What is the Practice Standards Scheme?

Pets are often treated as members of the family and owners rightly want to be sure they receive excellent medical treatment.

But how can you be sure?

The regulatory function of the RCVS means that users of veterinary services can be assured that their veterinary surgeon or registered/listed veterinary nurse is properly qualified and fit to practise.

The RCVS can also offer reassurance that those practice premises which it accredits as part of the Practice Standards Scheme meet stringent standards.

It offers peace of mind to clients of accredited practices and a more informed choice to the animal-owning public.

To become accredited, practices volunteer for rigorous inspection every four years and will have met a range of minimum standards including hygiene, 24-hour emergency cover, staff training, certain types of equipment and cost estimation procedures.

RCVS accreditation is not to be confused with a practice being included in the RCVS Register of Veterinary Practice Premises. The RVPP is held by the RCVS on behalf of the Veterinary Medicines Directorate, and only veterinary surgeons working from registered premises can supply veterinary medicines.

Look for the logo

For peace of mind, people should look for the RCVS accredited practice logo, which indicates that the practice has passed an independent inspection.

This means high standards of care for animals and peace of mind for animal owners.

Lapel badges

We are wearing our accreditation with pride! Our enamel lapel badges are being worn by all the practice team, to help promote our RCVS-accredited practice status.

For peace of mind, we have have again undergone, and passed, an independent inspection, at all 3 of our sites. We met a range of minimum standards including hygiene, 24-hour emergency cover, staff training, certain types of equipment and cost estimation procedures.

As a practice we are also subject to spot-checks between inspections (and we received one last year!).

The RCVS Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) is a voluntary initiative to accredit veterinary practices in the UK. Through setting standards and carrying out regular inspections, the Scheme aims to promote and maintain the highest standards of veterinary care. This means high standards of care for animals and peace of mind for animal owners.

More information can be found at http://www.rcvs.org.uk/practice-standards-scheme/