Vitalvet Animal Medical Centre

20/11/2025

Meet Louie! He's a stunning British Shorthair who visited us for his castration 😻

It was a real treat having this handsome boy, the British Shorthair isn't a common breed here in the Garden Route, so he definitely stole our hearts with his adorable, round face and incredibly charming personality! 🤩

We hope he has a speedy recovery!

044 050 6000 | www.vitalvet.co.za | Emergencies: 072 088 1957

17/11/2025

Harry was unfortunately attacked by some dogs and came off second best 🥲

He was rushed to Vitalvet Animal Medical Centre, and we quickly stabilized him with pain relief. Once he was comfortable, sedated radiographs revealed a nasty break in his lower leg.

Dr. Helen was able to carefully realign the bones using external fixation, a device that stabilizes fractures with pins or wires placed through the bone, connected externally by clamps and bars. This holds the fracture in position while it heals.

Harry will be on very strict cage rest for the next few weeks until the pins can be removed. We are wishing Harry the best on his recovery journey! ❤️

044 050 6000 | www.vitalvet.co.za | Emergencies: 072 088 1957

13/11/2025

Say hello to the very handsome Winston! 👋 He visited us for his second puppy vaccination, plus his tick & flea treatment and deworming.

Winston is a special needs pup; he's deaf, but he navigates the world with such curiosity and charm! We absolutely love having this sweet boy here ❤️

044 050 6000 | www.vitalvet.co.za | Emergencies: 072 088 1957

10/11/2025

Meet Toffee, our miracle boy! 🥰

On a Sunday evening, Toffee was rushed in after a rinkhals snake bite. Rinkhals venom contains powerful neurotoxins that can paralyse the entire body, even the breathing muscles, within minutes.

Minutes after Toffee's arrival, he was unable to breathe on his own. Our team placed him under anaesthesia, intubated him, and manually breathed for him while administering five vials of lifesaving antivenom. After more than an hour of ventilation and round-the-clock care, he began breathing on his own again. He remained sedated for several hours so we could carefully maintain and monitor his oxygen levels and observe for any changes in his breathing.

Just three days later, he walked out of hospital! 🐶

Often, these cases do not even make it to the vet, but with timely antivenom and intensive support, survival rates improve dramatically. Toffee is proof of that and of the dedication of his family.

If a snake ever bites your pet, seek veterinary care immediately; minutes matter.

044 050 6000 | www.vitalvet.co.za | Emergencies: 072 088 1957

04/11/2025

🐾 Vitalvet Black Friday PET SAVINGS are HERE! 🐾

Don't miss out on our incredible November Specials to keep your pets healthy and happy! 🐶🐱

✨ Vaccination Special: Get up to 40% OFF all yearly vaccinations for dogs, cats, puppies, and kittens – now only R299!
✨ Kennel Cough Vaccination Special: Protect your social pups for just R229!
✨ Microchip Special: Ensure your pet's safety with a microchip for only R199!

These purr-fectly amazing deals are available at ALL Vitalvet practices until 28 November 2025!

We're more than just a veterinary hospital and retail shop — we are a pet haven for your animals.

03/11/2025

Are you a passionate Veterinarian looking for your next career move? Vitalvet Animal Medical Centre in beautiful George, South Africa, is looking for a dedicated Veterinarian to join our team!

🌟 What We're Looking For:

🔸 2+ years of experience
🔸 An absolute team-first mindset
🔸 A commitment to pursuing clinical excellence
🔸 Strong diagnostic and surgical skills
🔸 SAVC registration is a requirement

🏥 What You'll Get to Enjoy:

🔸A competitive salary and hours that respect your work-life balance.
🔸A truly supportive "has your back" team culture.
🔸 Access to the latest veterinary technology.
🔸 The incredible lifestyle of George, where you can love mountain views & swimming in the sea right after work!

Ready to blend a thriving veterinary career with an unbeatable coastal lifestyle?

Don't miss this opportunity! Send your CV or any queries to laura@vitalvet.co.za.

27/10/2025

Toulouse, a 2-year-old DSH, came to us with hindlimb lameness and was in a lot of pain 🥲 After taking radiographs, we discovered the cause: a dislocated hip. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to put it back into place, so surgery was necessary to remove the femoral head and neck.

The good news is that cats typically do extremely well after this procedure and usually have no limitations later in life. Toulouse stayed with us for pain management, receiving plenty of cuddles along the way. He has now gone home for strict cage rest and healing, and we wish him the very best in his recovery! 🤩

044 050 6000 | www.vitalvet.co.za | Emergencies: 072 088 1957

23/10/2025

Having your paw bandage decorated makes your 'cone of shame' a bit less shameful! This is King, a very busy boy who was recently treated for a paw pad laceration 😊

Let's give him some love while he recovers 🥰

044 050 6000 | www.vitalvet.co.za | Emergencies: 072 088 1957

21/10/2025

The story of a vomiting puppy - "unplugged" 🥲

It could have been a very different outcome for little Silver, a 12-week-old French bulldog puppy, when he turned up at Vitalvet Medical Centre after hours on Monday evening 12/09/25 after he had a few vomiting episodes over the previous 24hours.

Intestinal viruses like Parvovirus are one of the most likely diagnoses in a young incompletely vaccinated puppy, which causes severe illness for days despite intensive in-hospital care and treatment, and could potentially be fatal.

Luckily for Silver, his breeder and owner ensured he received his vaccinations correctly, which made the diagnosis less likely, although not impossible. An equally daunting diagnosis could be an intestinal foreign body - an accidental ingestion of an object that cannot pass successfully through the intestine and causes an obstruction. Unfortunately for Silver, the moment we palpated his abdomen, it was clear there was a hard object inside that did not belong there.

X-rays confirmed a strange-looking "blocky" object in his intestines. At this point, Silver was quiet but not actively vomiting, not severely dehydrated, and not in shock, so the decision was made not to rush in and do a potentially risky surgery in such a young puppy. He was kept comfortable overnight on fluids, pain medication, and anti-nausea treatment and after a good night's rest under the watchful eyes of our 24-hour in-hospital night nurse, the X-ray was repeated in the morning.

There was such relief when the object was found virtually at the exit of his large intestine and "within reach". With the help of a small and minimally invasive procedure under sedation only, Silver was "unplugged"! 😄 Yes, it turned out to be a rubber plug of some kind. And after scoffing down a few meals during the day, making up for lost time, he could go home that afternoon, also just in time to get his next due immunization against the dreaded Parvovirus.

*Please be careful of objects lying around, children's toys, lego blocks, chewy bite size rubber objects, fluffy toys etc.

044 050 6000 | www.vitalvet.co.za | Emergencies: 072 088 1957

13/10/2025

Zeus came to us with vomiting and diarrhoea, symptoms that can be caused by many different conditions. After running a SNAP test, we discovered he had parvovirus.

Parvo is a highly contagious and potentially deadly virus that requires very intensive nursing care. While many people associate parvo with young puppies, Zeus is a reminder that dogs of any age can be affected if their vaccinations are not kept up to date or if vaccination history is unknown.

We’re thrilled to report that Zeus is now doing really well – full of energy and bouncing off the walls again! His sibling has since been vaccinated, and we’re working on getting their vaccines up to date to prevent anything like this from happening in the future 🙌

Want to learn more about canine parvovirus and how to protect your dog? Check out our blog post on our website https://vitalvet.co.za/understanding-canine-parvovirus-what-every-dog-owner-should-know/

08/10/2025

Are you a passionate and qualified veterinary professional looking for an exciting opportunity in the beautiful Garden Route?

Vitalvet Animal Medical Centre in George, South Africa, is hiring!

We have two fantastic roles open:
🐾 Animal Health Technician (AHT)
👩‍⚕️ Veterinary Nurse

Both positions require you to be registered with SAVC, and small animal experience is advantageous.

Come work in a dynamic practice where you can make a real difference in the lives of animals and their families. George offers an incredible lifestyle with stunning mountains and coastlines—the perfect place to grow your career!

Email your CV to: laura@vitalvet.co.za

06/10/2025

Meet Charlzey! 🐶

Charlzey was referred to us for a CT scan because there was a concern he might have a condition called PRAA (Persistent Right Aortic Arch), which can cause something known as megaesophagus, a problem where food has trouble moving from the mouth to the stomach 🥲

Thanks to advanced CT imaging, we were able to get a detailed look at his heart and blood vessels. The great news? Charlzey didn't have PRAA after all! That meant no surgery was needed, and we were all grateful and happy for him 😄

044 050 6000 | www.vitalvet.co.za | Emergencies: 072 088 1957