West Ridge Veterinary Practice

Are your cat’s microchip details up to date? 🐱

Microchipping your cat gives you the best chance of being reunited with them should they become lost, but only if the details registered are correct!

If you move house, change your phone number, or change any other details, it is important to update the microchip database as soon as possible 🏠📞

Updating your information is a straightforward process you can usually do online – you will need to know your cat’s microchip number and the database company that holds the registered information. Unsure of these? Head to the iCatCare website to find out how you can retrieve these details 👉 https://icatcare.org/articles/microchipping-cats

Mid Devon Show Mid Devon Show

SELEKT Pump Servicing Clinic 🐄

Have you lost a kitten?

Short haired tortoiseshell kitten found near Narracott lane, Hollocombe on Sunday the 7th of June. She is now safe at our Winkleigh branch.
Please call us on 01837 83240 if you know who she might belong to ❤️
Proof of ownership required 🐈‍⬛

We have had a stray dog taken to our Winkleigh branch. He was found between Meshaw and Chumleigh, near Gidley Cross. He is a large black and tan entire male dog, he is microchipped but the details are not up to date. If he belongs to you, or you might know who he belongs to, please ring Winkleigh on 01837 83240, they are open tomorrow (Saturday) between 9am & 6pm

This gorgeous bonded pair came into our Witheridge branch for their annual health check and vaccinations. They had a combined weight of over 12kg
🐰Like dogs and cats, rabbits need yearly vaccines to protect them against diseases.
🐰The vaccines protect them against myxomatosis and rabbit viral hemorrhagic disease (RVHD).
🐰Even if they are indoor rabbits they still need to be vaccinated because people can carry RVHD in on your clothes and other objects. Myxomatosis is carried by fleas, so other pets could bring them into your home.

Meet our nurses:

Since joining West Ridge Veterinary Practice in 2021, Naomi has become a valued part of the team, bringing with her nearly a decade of experience in animal rescue, caring for both unloved pets and British wildlife. Her passion for helping animals began at a young age and has shaped a career dedicated to compassion, care, and advocacy for animal welfare. 🐾
Naomi is a Registered Veterinary Nurse with an Advanced Certificate in Small Mammals, and she is currently furthering her expertise through additional studies in wildlife, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Alongside her nursing role, she also serves as Site Manager at the Witheridge branch.
Outside of work, Naomi enjoys spending time immersed in nature, especially visiting the beach and exploring the outdoors, usually with a salty breeze and muddy boots somewhere in the equation. 🌿🌊

Meet ours nurses:

Vikki joined the practice as a volunteer in April 2022. While working with us, she completed her diploma and is now a qualified Registered Veterinary Nurse. Vikki enjoys all aspects of nursing, with a particular interest in anaesthesia and inpatient care. She treats every patient with the same love and attention she gives her own pets. Outside of work, she loves visiting Westward Ho! where her three children and two energetic Springer Spaniels can run wild.

Meet our nurses:

Beth
Student Vet Nurse

Beth is our student vet nurse at our Winkleigh branch and you’ll often find her in the consult room doing weight clinics, nail clips, or expressing a**l glands to name a few. Beth particularly enjoys spending time with the hospitalised inpatients and making them feel as at home as possible. Outside of work Beth spends her time with her spaniel, Scout, her five hens, and in the milking parlour with her families cows.

Hot Forecast Due 🌅

Is it true that if we use cold water on heat stroke pets they will go into shock?

One of the most common things we still hear is that we can only use tepid water on a pet with heat stroke, incase they get some complications like hypothermic overshoot, peripheral vasoconstriction hindering a cooling response, and cardiogenic shock...

We have heard not to use cold water in case it causes shock... this rarely happens!

But guess what? In a recent study over 26% of dogs presented with heat stroke died, with flat faced breeds making up nearly half of heat stroke cases seen in the study.

You should:

💧Get someone to call the local veterinary practice and tell them you're going to travel down with a heat stroke patient
💧Pour, hose or if possible immerse the pet in very cold water (this should obviously be done under constant supervision, ensuring the head is fully above water and immersion should not be attempted if the animal is too large, at risk, or you are unable to do so without hurting yourself)
💧Note: If using a hose pipe, make sure it has run through until cold, as they can often contain water that is extremely hot in the tubing initially
💧Do not drape in towels and leave them in situ. Keep the cold water flowing.
💧Move to a cool, shaded area
💧Prepare to transport to vets in a cold, air conditioned car

In studies they found that:

🌅International consensus from sports medicine organisations supports treating EHS with early rapid cooling by immersing the casualty in cold water.
🌅Ice-water immersion has been shown to be highly effective in exertional heat stroke, with a zero fatality rate in large case series of younger, fit patients.
🌅Hyperthermic individuals were cooled twice as fast by Cold Water Immersion as by passive recovery.
🌅No complications occurred during the treatment of three older patients with severe heat stroke were treated with cold‐water immersion.
🌅Cold water immersion (CWI) is the preferred cooling modality in EHS guidelines and the optimal method applicable to UK Service Personnel
🌅Studies suggest using either ice-water or cold-water immersion

The best intervention is PREVENTION, but if you find yourself with an animal with heat stroke, using cold water either by pouring, hosing or ideally (if safe) immersion then this may help reduce their temperature to safe levels while you transport to a veterinary practice.

Read more below:

https://www.vetvoices.co.uk/post/cool-icy-cold-or-tepid

And listen to our podcasts on Vet Voices On Air

Too Hot to Handle: The Truth About Canine Heatstroke

Heatstroke is one of the most lethal yet most misunderstood emergencies in veterinary medicine—and it doesn’t only happen on scorching summer days.

In this in-depth episode Robyn from Vet Voices on Air is joined by two leading voices in the field: Dr Emily Hall, primary care vet, educator, and researcher whose PhD focused on the epidemiology of heatstroke in UK dogs, and Emily Cockerill, referral RVN and Lowland Rescue search dog volunteer with extensive real-world experience managing dogs working in extreme conditions.

Together, they unpack what heatstroke actually is, why it’s so dangerous, and why time and temperature matter more than almost anything else. Using clear, evidence-based explanations, they explore what happens inside the body when temperatures rise—how proteins “cook,” organs fail, and why once a critical threshold is crossed, the damage is irreversible.

The conversation tackles long-standing myths head-on, including:
The belief that cold or ice water causes “shock”

➡Why wet towels can worsen overheating
➡The dangers of lemon juice in brachycephalic dogs
➡Misconceptions around double-coated breeds and clipping
➡Why ice cubes might not meaningfully cool dogs but can be used for indoor and cool enrichment

Crucially, the episode highlights that exertional heatstroke is the most common cause, not hot cars—and that heatstroke can occur in winter, during travel, stress, anaesthesia recovery, or even inside veterinary practices. Certain breeds and health conditions increase risk, but any dog (or cat, rabbit, or other small animal) can be affected if heat production exceeds the body’s ability to lose it.

Listeners will come away with clear, practical guidance on:

➡Recognising early and late signs of heatstroke
➡What owners should do immediately at home or in the field
➡Why pre-cooling before transport dramatically improves survival
➡Current best-practice protocols for active cooling in clinic
➡When to start and stop cooling based on body temperature
➡How prevention, timing, and informed decision-making save lives

If you’ve ever wondered when it’s too hot to walk your dog, how heatstroke presents beyond “just panting,” or what the evidence really says about cooling, this episode is essential listening—for veterinary professionals and pet owners alike.
Because when it comes to heatstroke, minutes matter—and myths can kill.

Listen Here on Vet Voices On Air

https://open.spotify.com/episode/5MMO1STWzFzyhYiExBp9gN?si=achtyAFISSSt8bwmykDHqg