A Monthly Publication

By Chris and Clare Tansley

Coastal Vets

Sit back and relax next to the warm fire, put your feet, and snuggle into your favourite chair - so we can have little chat about stress.... We've recently had Hallowe'en and Guy Fawkes night, which seems to get longer every year, and we are soon to have Christmas and New Year fireworks, family visits, long drives and big changes of routine. This is on top of the usual thunderstorms, house moves, kennel and cattery stays, visits to the vet and the multitude of other stressful things we might not even recognise; our pets can lead very stressful lives!

Unfortunately there are a lot of situations we can't really do very much about. Fireworks go off every year, a new cat moves next door and starts invading your garden. We have a number of options to try and help our pets through most of these situations; pheromone diffusers and sprays, herbal or natural calming remedies, sedative drugs (which can make our pets forget the stressful event), even a type of milk protein which can help them relax.

I like a life that isn't too stressful, and I'm sure my pets feel the same (as I write one of my cats is upside down on the sofa next to me - very stressed!). As a vet it is far easier for me to examine and diagnose animals if they are relaxed and happy.  Stressed out animals have a huge armoury of defences to stop you examining them, most of them sharp and painful!

At Coastal Vets we try and keep the stress levels down for you and your pet. As we visit your pets in your home, they are usually much more relaxed and because you don't have to shove your cat in a basket, drag your dog down the street, or rely on help from friends and family, hopefully its a bit less stressful for you too! Thankfully we can bring the consulting room to you, for checkups, vaccinations or any other concerns you might have and we have the backup of a full surgical theatre if needed.  If you are simply just too busy, working long hours, or just have too many other things to do, we want to help - we can easily see your pets in the evenings or on weekends and because we don't charge an additional visit charge, it is affordable too. We are even available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Please feel free to call us to talk about stress in your pet, or any other problems they might have.