Veterinary Care Over The Christmas Period

1st March 2023

Take the following steps to make sure that your pet is safe and healthy this festive season.

Avoid festive hazards

Around Christmas, dogs often help themselves to Christmas treats, resulting in upset tummies, intestinal obstructions and chocolate poisoning. Take care to hide anything tempting – including those boxes of chocolates wrapped up underneath the tree! Cats are more likely to play with and then eat shiny ribbon and string, which can cause serious damage to the intestines.

Have a check up with the vet if you are worried

If you have concerns about your pet, the festive period is not a good time to adopt the “wait and see” approach. Much better to schedule a routine check-up appointment at the first sign of any problems, than to risk an emergency call out on Christmas Day!

Find out what emergency service your vet provides

Where will you need to take your pet if he or she does become ill at night, or on a bank holiday? Acorn House Vets provide an emergency service at the usual practice premises for their clients, but some other veterinary practices in Bedford do not provide such a service and their patients will need to travel to Milton Keynes or Luton in the event of an emergency. Make sure that you know what the procedure is, and have a plan in place to transport your pet to the correct clinic.

Stock up on medication well in advance

For pets on regular medication, make sure that you order in enough to see you through the festive period. Remember to take it with you if you and your pet travel to visit family and friends.

Request a copy of your pet’s records

If you are travelling with your pet and they suffer from a health condition, it is a good idea to ask your vet for a copy of your pet’s notes before you go. These can usually be provided electronically and will be invaluable if you need to take your pet to an unfamiliar veterinary surgery whilst you are away.