Owning a Rabbit – Part 1

Did you know there are approximately 1.7 million rabbits kept as pets in the UK? This makes them the third most popular pet after cats and dogs. There are many different breeds all varying in size, shape and personality.  It is generally thought owning a rabbit is easy. However, as they need daily attention, have …

Labradoodles

What a great name that is! As most people know Labradoodles were created by crossing a Labrador retriever and a standard poodle. However, not a lot of people know they were originally bred to be used as guide dogs for people who are allergic to fur.  The idea was to combine the low shedding coat …

Great Danes

Great Danes may be big but they are a very friendly breed and have a lovely disposition.  Due to this they are known as the “Gentle Giant”.  With proper training they are loving, affectionate and are patient around children.  They love everyone and need to be around people.  Big as they are, Great Danes make …

Cruciate Ligament Rupture

Like us, dogs have knees and there are two ligaments that help to hold and stabilise the knee joint. These ligaments are the cranial (anterior) cruciate and the caudal (posterior) cruciate and they cross over one another within the knee joint helping to secure the thigh bone, knee cap and shin bone together. Sometimes these …

Pets – Legal Obligations

Recently, on our Facebook page, someone asked us for advice on the legal obligations of owning a pet. Rather than just let one person know we thought a blog would be a better idea Firstly, have you heard of the Animal Welfare Act 2006? It goes into a lot of detail and if you want to …

Seasonal Canine Illness

There has been some media coverage about this recently with reports in the Canvey Island Echo, on Countryfile and on the news. As of 26th October 2012 we have not seen any cases at Cherrydown but it is something dog owners need to be aware of, but not to panic about. We advise dog owners to …

Pet Passports

If you want to travel abroad with your pet you need to get a Pet Passport as this will help you avoid long quarantine periods when you return.  The Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) is designed to stop the spread of rabies and other diseases while still allowing your pet to travel.  From 1st January 2012 all …

How to keep your pet relaxed

The last few months of the year can be quite stressful for pets with Halloween, Bonfire Night, Diwali, Christmas, and New Year all falling in quick succession. Children get more excited, we have more visitors, parties abound and fireworks go off for weeks on end. All of this is great for us, but our pets …

Choosing a Boarding Kennels

Cherrydown Vets does not recommend any particular boarding kennel or cattery but we do believe it is important that owners choose the right one for their pet. Going away and being separated can be stressful both humans and their pets, so it is important to make the right decision to minimise anxiety. As well as …