For repeat medication requests, please order at least 24 hours in advance by emailing us at medicines@ovg.co.uk or by telephoning 01458 832972. You will be requested to pay prior to collection.

Our current opening times can be found here

It’s important to think about keeping your pets safe from the heat, and other issues that only arise in the summer.

Heatstroke is the most important thing to avoid. Leaving a pet in a hot car, or over-exercising them in warm weather, can cause a rapid rise in body temperature that can lead to seizures, organ failure and death. Brachycephalic breeds such as French bulldogs and pugs are particularly vulnerable. Walk your pet when weather is cool, and remember never to leave a dog in the car in summer.

Unlike us, pets don’t really show visible sunburn, but sun damage can still lead to skin cancer. Make sure non-pigmented, lightly-haired skin, such as the tips of ears, noses, or a dog’s belly are protected with a pet sunscreen.

Long summer grass can be full of grass seeds, which can get into pets’ ears, or burrow through the skin, causing painful abscesses. Paws are the worst affected areas, especially in dogs with long coats. Checking your dog’s coat after a walk and removing any grass seeds before they reach the skin can save a trip to the vets!

Ticks are a blood-sucking parasite found in long grass in warm summer and autumn weather. An individual tick isn’t dangerous by itself, but they can carry disease. Luckily, tick-borne disease remains rare in the UK, but with increased movement of pet animals overseas, it may become more common. The risk of disease transmission is low if a tick is removed from a pet within 24-48 hours of attaching.

Removing ticks – dos and don’ts!

If you find a tick on your pet, you can remove it by grasping its head with tweezers and pulling it off. A handy tool called a tick twister can make this easier. Alternatively, you can arrange a tick removal appointment with one of our nurses on 01458 832972.

You should never try to remove a tick using the following methods:

  • Pulling with your fingers – this will often leave the mouthparts behind.
  • Burning the tick with a hot match head – you are more likely to injure yourself or the pet!
  • Applying Vaseline, alcohol or any other liquids – this can increase the risk of disease transmission, and also rarely works!

Fleas are a problem all year, but even more in summer. Flea bites are itchy and unpleasant, are a common trigger for skin allergies, and a severe infestation in very young or very elderly animals can lead to life threatening anaemia. We recommend regular use of a preventative treatment on all pets year-round.

Prevention is better than cure! So before any nasty ticks or fleas get a hold of your pet, come in to see us to discuss the products we can provide to prevent bites and kill fleas and ticks.