Articles
Advice on choosing a vet and caring for your pet
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How to Choose a Vet in the UK: A Practical Checklist for Registering Your Pet
Register with a vet while your pet is well, so you have time to choose a practice that suits you. Check that it treats your pet’s species, is easy to reach and has clear emergency care when closed. Compare a short list of practices, asking about services, costs, records, insurance claims and where tests or operations happen. RCVS accreditation can be helpful, but it is also important that staff listen to you and can meet your pet’s needs. Before registering, find out the out-of-hours phone number, location and likely costs, then keep your pet’s records and the practice details somewhere easy to find.
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How to Find a 24-Hour Emergency Vet Near You in the UK
If your pet needs urgent help, call your usual vet first, even when it is closed. Its message or website should explain who provides out-of-hours care, where to go and what it may cost. If you are away or cannot get through, find a nearby vet or emergency clinic and phone before travelling. Check the address, entrance and journey, and keep useful details such as your pet’s microchip number, insurance information and your regular vet’s contact details close by.
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Pet Passport UK: Taking Your Dog, Cat or Ferret to the EU
People travelling from Great Britain to the EU with a dog, cat or ferret need a new animal health certificate for each trip, not an old pet passport. Check the microchip and rabies records early, then book an official vet so the certificate is issued no more than 10 days before EU entry. The certificate can cover up to five pets and can be used for EU travel and return to Great Britain for six months while the rabies vaccine stays valid. Dogs may also need tapeworm treatment before certain trips and before returning home. Check the rules for every country, border point and approved return route before travelling.
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The Cockapoo: A UK Owner's Guide to the Cocker Spaniel and Poodle Cross
A Cockapoo is a Cocker Spaniel and Poodle cross, so its size, coat and nature can vary. Choose carefully by meeting the dog, planning for daily company, training, walks and regular grooming. Ask breeders to show parents’ health-test results and puppy records, meet the puppy with its mother, and avoid sellers who rush you. Rescue dogs can offer a clearer view of adult size and character. Budget for vet care, grooming, training and insurance, and seek veterinary advice if you have concerns.
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The Complete Guide to Keeping Porcelain Crabs
Porcelain Crabs are small, peaceful marine animals that look like crabs but are related to squat lobsters. They need a mature reef aquarium of at least 60 litres, with clean, stable saltwater, plenty of live rock, safe hiding places and moderate to strong water flow. They feed by fanning tiny food from the water, so they need regular meals of plankton and fine reef foods. They are safe with corals and peaceful fish, but aggressive tank mates can harm them. With steady care, good food and safe places to moult, they can live for two to four years.
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A Complete Guide to the Giant Chinchilla Rabbit
The Giant Chinchilla is a large, calm rabbit with a soft silver-grey coat. It usually weighs 5.5 to 6.8 kg and can live for 5 to 7 years. It needs lots of safe space, daily play, unlimited hay, fresh greens and regular grooming. Soft flooring is important to help prevent sore feet. These rabbits need gentle handling, regular vet care and a rabbit friend where possible. They suit experienced owners with enough room, time and money to care for a giant rabbit.
Small Mammals -
Reticulated Python: The World’s Longest Snake
The Reticulated Python is the world’s longest snake and needs expert, long-term care. Native to Southeast Asia, it is a strong, clever constrictor that can grow 4 to 6 metres long. Adults need very large, locked housing, warm temperatures, high humidity, large water bowls and sturdy furnishings. They eat rodents, rabbits or large poultry at suitable intervals, and must never be overfed. Large snakes should only be handled by experienced people, with more than one person present. With proper care, they can live for 20 to 30 years, but they are not suitable for beginners.
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A Complete Guide to Caring for Southdown Sheep
Southdown sheep are an old British breed from Sussex, valued for calm behaviour, compact size and tender lamb. They are hardy, easy to manage and suited to smallholdings, pedigree flocks and grass-based meat systems. They need good pasture, clean water, shelter when needed, winter forage and regular health checks. Ewes are good mothers, lambing is usually easy, and lambs grow well on grass. Care includes planned vaccinations, parasite checks, flystrike prevention, hoof care and yearly shearing.
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The Complete Guide to Keeping Emerald Crabs
Emerald Crabs are small, green marine crabs from the Caribbean that can help control some nuisance algae in reef tanks. They need a mature saltwater aquarium with stable water, live rock, hiding places and regular food when algae is limited. They are usually peaceful, but hungry or larger crabs may nip corals or eat small tank mates. Keep one crab in a suitably sized tank, feed it after dark, and give it space to hide while it moults.
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Travelling to Europe With Your Cat: Understanding Animal Health Certificates
Most cats travelling from Great Britain to the EU need an Animal Health Certificate for each trip. Your cat must have a microchip, a valid rabies vaccination and matching records. The certificate must usually be issued within 10 days of entering the EU and can be used for travel in the EU and return to Great Britain for up to four months. Book your vet early, check all paperwork and prepare your cat with a safe carrier, water and calm travel conditions. Never leave a cat in a hot car.
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The Complete Guide to Flying Birds of Prey
Free flight helps birds of prey stay fit, practise natural skills and build trust with their handler. Start with health checks, safe equipment, daily weight records and a tested tracker. Build recall slowly with glove feeding, a creance and short flights before letting the bird fly free. Choose a safe site away from traffic, power lines, bad weather and predators. After each flight, reward the bird, check it for damage and record its condition. Never fly too early, ignore weight control or leave out telemetry.
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Understanding the RCVS Code of Professional Conduct
The RCVS Code of Professional Conduct sets the standards for vets and veterinary nurses in the UK. It puts animal welfare first and covers duties to clients, colleagues, the profession, the RCVS and the public. Professionals must communicate clearly, gain informed consent, keep skills up to date, delegate safely and act responsibly online. Breaking the Code can lead to warnings, suspension or removal from the veterinary register.