Downs Link Veterinary Surgery

30/07/2025

The search is on for our August cover model!

Entering is simple..

🐾 Post a picture of your pet(s), all species are welcome.

🐾 Like the post

🐾 Share it, to encourage your friends and family to vote for your pet by giving your picture a like 👍🏼

29/07/2025

🦟🦟
The flea life cycle has four stages: egg, larva, pupa (in a coc**n), and adult. The entire cycle can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months, depending on environmental conditions like temperature and humidity. 🥵

1. Egg:👀
Adult female fleas lay eggs, often on the host animal, but they easily fall off into the environment. These eggs are tiny, white, and oval-shaped.
2. Larva🦠
Flea larvae hatch from the eggs and are free-moving, feeding on organic matter, including flea f***s (flea dirt). They are worm-like and develop over several weeks.
3. Pupa:🐛
The larva spins a coc**n and enters the pupa stage. This stage can last for a few days to several months, depending on environmental stimuli.
4. Adult:🦗
When conditions are right (e.g., presence of a host), adult fleas emerge from the coc**n and begin feeding on blood. After feeding, they will mate and the females will start laying eggs, restarting the cycle.
This is why it's important to treat your pet and home with veterinary products.
☎️ for any advice

29/07/2025

22/07/2025

Is your pet a VIP? 💚

Your lovely pet can receive:
✅ Annual vaccinations (including kennel cough)
✅ A years supply of flea and worm treatment
✅ 6 month health check
✅ 30% off Hills and Royal Canin food from our website
✅ 10% off EVERYTHING else!

All of this is included in a monthly plan paid by direct debit. Available for cats, dogs & bunnies 💚

Enquire in practice to make your pet a VIP or phone us on 01403 732219 💚

16/07/2025

With the summer holidays fast approaching, please remember the dangers to wildlife from your fun items left out over night in your gardens.
Wildlife will be thirsty and hungry so will smell left over food.
Children's football nets can cause problems.
Swimming pools can cause wildlife to tire and drown if no escape route.
Empty food containers can cause suffocation.
Please think of the wildlife this summer, 🦔🐾🐰🐝🐦

16/07/2025

What to do if your cat is stung by a bee 🐝

If your cat’s curiosity leads to a bee sting, don’t panic.
😲

Most stings are mild, but some need a vet’s help — especially around the face or if they’ve had a reaction before. 🤒

Keep calm, apply a cold compress, and know when to call ☎️ 01403732219

15/07/2025

This is a photo of a urine sample under the microscope containing crystals🔬

Urine crystals can form when there are too many minerals in the urine. This can cause pain, difficulty to pass urine and blood in the urine.

We can help to treat urinary crystals with specific urinary diets which help to lower the pH of urine and reduce the risk of the crystals from forming!

11/07/2025

Stick to early morning and evening dog walks during this hot weather. Hot pavements hurt paws! 🐾🐕🐕‍🦺

11/07/2025

We see a lot of posts about not walking dogs in high temperatures, but they are not the only ones at risk in this warm weather.

Hutches literally turn into miniature saunas in these temperatures and can cause heatstroke.

Signs of heatstroke are:

⚠️ Drooling or salivating

⚠️ Panting and taking short shallow breaths

⚠️ Overall weakness and lethargy

⚠️ Reddening and warmth of the ears

⚠️ Wetness around the nose

⚠️ Fitting or falling unconscious

How to avoid heatstroke :

🐰 Bring your rabbits inside your home

🐰 Put on fans and air conditioning if you have it

🐰 Use frozen ceramic tiles or a cool mat for them to lay on or freeze bottles of water and wrap in towels

🐰 If you cannot bring your rabbits inside, create shade over their hutch ie a parasol but do not cover the hutch itself

🐰 Ensure adequate ventilation, consider a battery operated fan out of reach

🐰 Offer a damp earth filled litter tray

🐰 Place a cool mat in their hutch

NEVER put your rabbit in a cold bath, this could cause shock and they could die. If you suspect heat stroke contact your vet immediately.

Check on your rabbits regularly (at least twice a day) and also look for fly strike, as they are at an even greater risk in this heat.

This information is relevant to Guinea Pigs too.

07/07/2025

Some beautiful maine c**n kittens came in for some cuddles and socialisation whilst they were here for their 1st vaccinations.💉

We can vaccinate your cats to help protect them against diseases such as:
🦠Feline rhinotracheitis
🦠Calicivirus
🦠Feline panleukopenia

Contact us for more information on 01403732219☎️

04/07/2025

The importance of neutering your kitty 🐈

Spaying is the common term used to describe the surgical procedure known as an ovariohysterectomy. In this procedure, the ovaries and uterus are removed completely in order to sterilise a female cat.🐈
It is recommended that all non-breeding cats be spayed. Several health benefits are associated with spaying your cat.

1. Decreases tumour risk - mammary tumours
2. Keeps infections at bay - pyometra
3. Eliminates unwanted behaviour - urinating in doors
4. Reduces some risky behaviour - less chance of roaming
5. Improves life expectancy - lives longer 💚💚💚

The most obvious benefit is the prevention of unplanned pregnancies. There is no behavioural, medical, or scientific reason for letting your cat have a litter before she is spayed.This is the beautiful Rue a siberian kitten who had the procedure done with us .

02/07/2025

🐈 How do cats sweat ?
Cats primarily sweat from the pads of their feet and from their noses .
While there are technically sweat glands in the skin of a cat ,these are different types of sweat glands called apocrine glands cysts.
🐈‍⬛The lovely Lily came to us to have one removed from her lower eyelid.The lesion is usually seen in middle aged and older animals .The surgery was successful and lily is happily on the mend and is at home with her human mummy ❤️