Category: Pets

Stories about staff pets.

Home deliveries of medication

Please contact us by telephone on 01302 785549 if you would like us to post out ongoing medication to your home address.

Routine medications such as flea / worm / tick control can be sent out as long as we have a fairly recent weight for your pet on file.

Medication for ongoing health issues can also be posted to you – if your pet is due for a check up then depending on the condition we may be able to prescribe extra medication to ensure you do not run out if you are physically unable to attend the practice due to COVID-19 restrictions. Please check here for updates on our services in general during this time.

Medication will be posted 1st class signed for via the Royal Mail unless we have discussed otherwise – please bear in mind that postage is taking longer than normal at present and let us know if you require something urgently so that we can arrange a next day delivery where possible.

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COVID-19 Updates

We are currently able to offer most services but please be aware that there may be a longer wait time than normal for non emergency appointments. To discuss an appointment please call us on 01302 785549.

Our current requirements are as follows:


• Please ring the doorbell on arrival to the practice, provided the waiting areas are not at capacity you will now be able to wait inside the building for your appointment.

• Please continue to wear a face covering where possible. If there are vulnerable members of staff on duty we may still require you to wear a face covering to enter the building – if this is the case you will be provided with a face covering if required.

• Attend the practice as a group of 2 or less where possible.

• For collections of medication, parasite treatments, food etc. please come between 1pm and 3pm on a weekday so that we are able to assist you quickly without crossover between clients waiting for appointments (home delivery of medication is available where appropriate.)

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Ticks and tick borne diseases

Do you regularly check your dog for ticks? These bloodsucking parasites may start off tiny but they can cause serious harm to your dog– spreading diseases such as Babesiosis and Lyme disease. Make sure you check your dog for ticks, especially around their head and tummy. Ticks are common but hard to spot and tick-borne diseases are on the rise.

Ticks feed on dogs for days causing both discomfort and sometimes passing on serious infections such as Lyme disease. Using a product to kill ticks quickly will reduce the risk of these diseases being transmitted.

A study has shown that as many as 1 in 3 dogs carry ticks without their owners realising. 1

Ask us about broad-spectrum, easy-to-give cover to free your dog and family from the worry of ticks and other key parasite threats. External parasites such as ticks and fleas are one of the most common causes of skin allergies and irritation that we see and routine treatment can help to prevent these problems and avoid prolonged and expensive treatment.

For the most cost effective way of maintaining protection against ticks and other parasites year round you can have a look at our practice health plan or give us a call for more information.

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  1. Abdullah S, et al. Parasit Vectors 2016;9:391.

Itching and allergies in dogs

Constant itching in dogs can be caused by a number of problems and can lead to hair loss and damage to the skin leading to further infections and further itching in a vicious cycle.

A number of infectious causes exist for itching – the most common are:

  • Fleas
  • Mites (demodex or sarcoptes)
  • Bacteria
  • Fungi

These may all have differing presentations and may require testing with a skin scrape / hair pluck and microscopy to be confirmed. The good news is these infections can all be treated and this may resolve the itching problem.

If, however, itching continues in the absence of any of these issues we may need to consider an allergic cause. Dogs can be allergic to a wide variety of things including food (even “hypoallergenic” foodstuffs such as duck, fish or rice) and environmental allergens such as certain species of grass or tree.

Blood testing can help to identify both environmental allergies and food allergies and intolorences that can cause your dog’s itch. This information can then be used to try and limit or avoid contact with these allergens. Food allergies can often be treated with a change of diet or with a special clinical diet where proteins have been “hydrolysed” to prevent them from triggering an allergic reaction. Environmental allergies may require long term treatment with medication to prevent itching and regular bathing with medicated shampoo to remove allergens as well as bacteria and fungi from the skin surface and coat.

As always please contact us if you would like to discuss anything or would like any further information!

Parvo Virus

We’ve had a lot of calls lately about whether parvo virus is present in the area and what can be done to minimise the risk to our dogs.

The symptoms of parvo virus usually include bloody / watery diarrhoea and vomiting but presentation can vary depending on age and vaccination status. Please call a veterinary practice immediately if you suspect your dog may have this illness. The virus is often fatal but rapid treatment gives the best chance of a positive outcome.

You can check on the ParvoAlert twitter to see if any cases of parvo have been reported in your postcode (https://twitter.com/parvoalert?lang=en).

The most important preventative measure you can take for your dog is vaccination – both initial puppy vaccines and yearly booster vaccines are important for maintaining your dog’s protection. Vaccines never 100% guarantee immunity but give your dog a much better chance of fighting off the virus if they do come in to contact with it.

If cases have been reported recently in your area you reduce the risk of infection by avoiding areas with high dog traffic such as parks – the virus is shed in the faeces of infected dogs but can live for a long time in the environment anywhere an infected dog has been.

Disinfection can also help to prevent the spread of parvo virus – the virus can be carried on shoes, which can be disinfected for safety if you have unvaccinated puppies or immunocompromised dogs in your home or have visited a high dog traffic area after a parvo outbreak. Not all disinfectants are effective against parvo – feel free to contact us for advice on which to purchase.

Finally, some breeds of dog inlcuding labradors, rottweilers and dobermans are at increased risk of contracting parvo and their response to vaccines is often poorer. You can counteract this by giving an extra vaccine (after the initial puppy vaccines) at ~16 weeks of age and by giving the first annual booster early at ~10 months of age.

Please feel free to contact us if you would like any further information.

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65 Bentley Road Bentley Doncaster DN5 9SD 01302 785549 reception@bentleyroadvets.com
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