Newsletter Archives - Paws Indoors

May Newsletter

Here comes Mabel!

The latest addition to the Paws Indoors family is Emmaly’s new puppy Mabel. Isn’t she gorgeous!

Mabel is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. She comes from parents who have had extensive health testing as we know that this breed can suffer from several inherited conditions. Having had all of her vaccinations she is heading to the beach for the first time this weekend!

…and the sun!

As we are being forecast high temperatures, here are our tips for keeping your pet’s safe in the heat.

Heading to the beach with your dog? Take plenty of fresh water for them, sea water will make them ill.
If you think your dog has become too hot – the best advice is to SOAK them with COLD water ,(from the kitchen tap is fine, or buckets of sea water) without delay. Remember WET then VET! You may see a lot of conflicting advice about this online. Please be assured that soaking your dog is the best way to avoid shock and damage to internal organs from excessive heat.
Pets can get skin cancer too – especially white coated cats and dogs – on ear tips, noses and bellies where the hair coat is thin. Keep them out of the sun between 10 am and 4 pm.
If you’re travelling with your pet, make sure they have an up to date collar tag and microchip details.
Holidays abroad. There are new rules about the documents your pet needs, check with your vet well in advance of your travel plans. Also good to ask about protection from parasites that are not found in the UK.
Protect your pet from fleas and ticks, which carry nasty diseases – for pets and people. They are more commonly encountered as the weather gets warmer.
Like people, very young and very old pets need to be protected from excessive heat.
Pets with a heart condition and flat faced breeds, such as bulldogs and frenchies, will also find it more difficult to cope with heat and should be kept cool.
Cooling mats and jackets only work if they are wet. A soaked bandana is a good idea but remember to resoak it frequently.

Friends of Hempnall School Fete

Saturday 6th June 12 midday til 4pm.

We are pleased to be sponsoring the fete and also attending with a Teddy Bear Hospital, so that the children can play at being vets, nurses, doctors and even taxidermists! This is always a good, fun family and community event so do come along and support the school. You don’t need to have children to enjoy it!

Mill Bar Beer Festival

We are also sponsoring the Hempnall Mill Bar Beer Festival. Come and enjoy the sun with local craft beers and delicious food including gourmet burgers, pizzas, waffles and more…

Further details on the Mill Bar Facebook Page.

Friday 3rd July from 5-11 pm and Saturday 4th July 2-11pm

Flea and Tick protection

If you are looking for reliable flea and tick protection, please ask us about our annual injection for dogs. One injection protects them from fleas and ticks for a whole year. This is included in our Pet Health Plan provisions, if you would prefer it to three monthly treatments.

Travelling to the EU?

The EU has recently changed its requirements for pets travelling to the EU from the UK. People who are not resident in the EU will no longer be able to use an EU pet passport to travel into the EU. Please call us if you need help with this or check the government website here.

Bank Holiday Monday

We will be closed from 12.30 pm on Saturday 23rd May until 9.00am on Tuesday 26th May. If you have a veterinary emergency or need urgent advice during this time , please call Norwich Night Vet on 01603 867330.

Enjoy the bank holiday! All at Paws Indoors

March Newsletter

Posted in Newsletter, Uncategorised

Latest updates from Paws Indoors. Easter Hazards

As the warm weather and daffodils remind us that Easter is almost here, please be mindful of all the treats that we love, that aren’t so good for pets.

Chocolate, hot cross buns, rich fruit cakes, flower bulbs and some flowers, notably lilies, can be toxic to our dogs and cats. Keep them all well out of reach.

If your pooch does get hold of an easter egg, here is a handy tool to help you decide whether you need to call us. Most eggs meant for children have very little actual cocoa in them and are more likely to cause an upset tummy. More expensive eggs containing dark chocolate are more dangerous. Chocolate toxicity calculator . If in doubt, always call for advice.

Last dates for prescription meds.

Please could we have your requests for medications by Monday 23rd March to ensure that there is enough time for the vets to approve and order in meds and for them to be posted out to you.

Opening hours over Easter

Thursday 2nd April – Open as normal 9.00am to 6,00pm

Good Friday 3rd April – Closed

Saturday 4th April – Open 8.30am til 12.30pm for emergencies only. Please contact the duty vet on 07986 933849

Easter Sunday – Closed

Easter Monday – Closed

Tuesday 7th April – Open as normal 9.00am to 6.00pm

When we are closed, emergency consultations and advice are available through Norwich Night Vet at Taverham their contact number is 01603 867330

Talks at the Cat House

Rosie will be talking at the Cat House again this month. The Cat House is a lovely café with lots of very friendly cats, some pedigree and some moggies. If you love cats you will certainly enjoy a visit. If you would like to hear some tips on keeping your senior cats in tip top shape, join us on the 29th of March. Open to all. To purchase tickets please visit The Cat House – Norwich

Pet First Aid Tip

What can you safely use on a cut or a graze?

small surface wounds can be treated with the following – a strong salt solution ( two tablespoons of table salt in half a pint/ 500ml of water), leucillin spray – available online, manuka honey ( or ordinary honey if you don’t have manuka). All these preparations have anit bacterial effects and will keep the owund moist to help encourage healing.

Good Business Charter

We are always looking for ways to improve our staff and our business. To this end we a member of the Good Business Charter. One of the commitments of the charter is a responsibility to the environment. As part of this commitment we have installed solar panels on our roof. We would like to thank Prospect Renewables for the installation, for their professional service and also for dedicating time out of working hour to complete the installation so that the practice could continue to offer our service as normal.

Veterinary costs for services and medications.

There has been a lot of talk in the media recently about the costs of veterinary fees and particularly medicines.

Many prescription medicines for pets can now be bought from online pharmacies. These pharmacies buy medicines directly from the manufacturers in large amounts, which allows them to sell them to pet owners at lower prices than veterinary practices, such as ours, are able to buy them for from our suppliers. We are aware of this issue and always try to source medicines at the best possible price.

Transparency has always been very important to us. Our basic pricing is clearly displayed on our website and we we provide detailed estimates before treatment. We try to do comprehensive estimates so there are no unpleasant surprises at the end of your pet’s care. If , during treatment we feel that additional work is needed, we will always contact you first to discuss this – unless it is an emergency situation where immediate action is required in your pet’s best interests.

If you would prefer to buy your pet’s medication online, we are happy to provide you with a prescription. Our current prescription fee is £29. This covers one medication for one pet and allows you to buy up to six months’ supply. Of course, we are also happy to supply medicines directly from the practice. In urgent situations, or when an injectable medicine is needed, this is often the quickest and simplest option. 😊

Prescriptions are legal documents, so they need to be written carefully and accurately. To write a prescription the pet needs to be under our care. This means that we will need to regularly re-examine any pet that is on long term prescription medication. While we don’t control how medicines are priced in the wider market, we do have to follow strict rules to make sure medicines are used safely and correctly.

We welcome open conversations about costs, options and treatment and will work with you to help you find the option that works best for you and your pet. Your pet’s health and wellbeing always come first. 🐾

Year round flea protection

We now have an injectable product that offers year round flea protection. It is given as an injection . All the staff dogs have been treated and the general opinion is that it is lovely to know that they are protected for a year. If you are interested in getting year round flea protection for your dog, please give us a call.

Happy Easter to all of us from Paws Indoors.

Tel 01508 498718, email: info@pawsindoors.co.uk

November Newsletter

Posted in Newsletter

Wishing all our wonderful clients — and their much-loved pets — a very Merry Christmas and a bright, healthy, and prosperous New Year!

Winner – Our Bond, Wiggly Snuggles with Dad

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your continued support this year. It has truly been a joy to care for each and every one of you. Santa will definitely be popping a few extra treats your way for all the smiles you and your pets have given us — even (and especially!) our delightfully spicy ones!

We look forward to supporting you throughout the year ahead. As always, we’re committed to growing and improving, so your feedback and suggestions are warmly welcomed.

Opening dates for Christmas

Winner – Family Portrait – Me and My Girl

Tuesday 23rd December – 9.00am – 6.00pm.

Wednesday 24th December – 9.00am. to 2.00 pm

Christmas Day – Closed

Boxing Day – Closed

Saturday 27th December – Open 8.30-12.30, on the day emergencies only. Please call the mobile 07986 933849

Sunday 28th December – Closed.

Monday 29th – 9.00am – 6.00pm

Tuesday 30th – 9.00am – 6.00pm

Wednesday 31st – 9.00am -4.00pm

Thursday January 1st 2026 – Closed

Friday 2nd – 9.00am – 6.00pm.

Last dates for prescriptions

Please could we have prescription orders in by Friday 12th December. This will give us time to process and order the requests and get them out in the post by Wednesday 17th December. This will be the last posting date for prescriptions. We can continue to fulfil prescriptions after this but they will need to be delivered ( £11 delivery charge) or collected from the surgery.

Photo Competition Winners.

Thank you to everyone who entered our competition. The Winners are spread through the newsletter. We had such fun seeing all the entries. It was very hard to pick winners – glad it wasn’t my job! However, the overall winner was a firm favourite with all the judges as it represents the connection that every pet owner holds dear. Many congratulations to Claire Parkin and her cat Salvatore.

Top Tips to help everyone enjoy a peaceful festive season.

Keep festive food out of reach. Chocolate, mince pies/puddings, nuts and cake as well as turkey leftovers and sweets containing artificial sweeteners, can make pets very sick. Keep holiday food and drink well out of reach.

Keep your vet’s phone number handy, in case of emergencies, and ensure that you have enough of your pet’s medication to see them over the holiday period. Make sure microchip details are up to date as pets often slip out during all the comings and goings.
Beware tinsel, decorations, electric cords and candles, which can all be attractive to pets but can cause accident and injury. Do not leave your pets unattended.
In between all the festivities, try and stick to your pet’s routine as much as possible. Ensure they have enough quiet time and a safe room or space to use as a refuge, so that they can chose whether or not to join in.
In cold weather, check under your car and bang the bonnet before starting, as cats often climb onto engines for warmth. Mop up all antifreeze spills. This is sweet tasting to pets and highly toxic.
In snow, use coconut oil on paws and fur to avoid snowballs clinging to fur and to protect against salt and grit. Wash paws on returning home.
New years resolutions such as loosing weight and taking more exercise are great for pets too!

A Little Bit of Politics

For those following the ongoing CMA investigations, we wanted to share a few thoughts.

First, we’d like to reassure you that we are an independent practice. Our priority is – and always has been – to support you and your pets with the best care we can provide. At the same time, we are a small, highly regulated business delivering private healthcare for animals. High-quality veterinary care is, unfortunately, inherently costly, and unlike human private healthcare, veterinary services are also subject to VAT.

Some of the CMA’s proposals, such as updating the very out-of-date Veterinary Surgeons Act, ( brought in the year I was born!), are long overdue and would be welcome.

However, other suggested “remedies” would simply add layers of regulation and administrative work. In reality, this would increase our running costs and ultimately raise the prices we would need to charge in order to continue providing a safe and reliable service.

On the Plus Side

We’re always happy to work with you to find options that fit both your needs and your budget. We follow the principles of contextualised care, and we are more than willing to provide a written prescription if you prefer to purchase medications from an online pharmacy (which can often sell them for less than we can buy them from wholesalers).

We also offer health plans designed to make it easier to budget for routine care and to soften the impact of unexpected or urgent situations. If you’d like to know more, please take a look at our website or give our reception team a call.

best wishes for Christmas and a peaceful and healthy New Year to all

Rosie, and all the team at Paws Indoors

August Newsletter

Posted in Newsletter

Have you entered our Pet Photo Competition yet?

For the winner, local artist Ani Bee will make a portrait of your pet.

Caroline has also been shopping for some thrifted items, including a Ronaldo shirt, see social posts for more details.

We have had some super submissions so far. We are looking for photos that fall into one of these three categories – Family Portrait – animal family or animal and hooman family, Our bond – animal and hooman, Just for fun – anything that your pet does that makes you smile!

For all the details on how to enter, scan the QR code on the picture to the left or click here

The Photo Competition is raising money in aid of PACT, so please make a donation on our JustGivingpage

Breast Cancer Now

Still on a charity theme, we will be hosting afternoon tea at the surgery, Broaden Lane, Hempnall, NR15 2LU in aid of Breast Cancer Now.

Tuesday September 16th

12noon til 4pm.

This is a charity close to our hearts as we lost a very dear colleague, April Caton, to breast cancer.

Please drop in for tea/ coffee, cake and pupcakes and a chat. The theatre will be open ( as long as there are no emergencies!) so feel free to have a look around at the equipment.

All About Dogs

The annual dog festival will be at the Norfolk showground on Sunday August 24th and Monday August 25th. We will be there with home made

peanut butter and honey dog biscuits so do come along and say hello! We have home made peanut butter dog biscuits to give away!

We are partnering on the stand with lovely Lizette from Pet Estate Planning Cross-Border World Wide.

Do you worry about what would happen to your pet if you were no longer able to take care of them due to ill health or incapacity? Lizette can help you think through the steps needed and put the paperwork in place so that

James Ayres, from Luna and co will also be there to answer any questions about training and behaviour.

Cattitude

A cat showing predatory play behaviour — Play is especially important for indoor cats

We have been helping several families with behavioural problems with their indoor cats. While the image of a sleek well groomed cat atop a luxury sofa, reclining in minimalist splendour can be very alluring, in most cases, this is not what a cat would naturally chose. Cats are still, evolutionarily and behaviourally close to their wild ancestors.

Here are our top tips for making indoor cats feel at home.

Scent. Cats, even more than dogs, are influenced by smells, their own and others. Try not to use too many diffusers or strong smelling cleaning products.
Leave cat blankets/beds around for several weeks. Wash in rotation so that there is always some of the cat’s own scent nearby.
Separate feeding, watering and toileting stations. Have at least one per cat in the household and one extra.
Think in three dimensions – cats like to climb. Being high makes them feel safe. Where in your house can your cat get up high to hide? Think kitchen cabinets, wardrobes, shelving, cat trees, cat furniture.
Cats in the wild are prey as well as predator so they like to hide. Use cardboard boxes, throws over furniture, cupboards with a secret entrance- at the side or the back.
Lines of sight. In open plan, tidy houses , there are often many long clear lines of sight, especially at floor level – so the cat under the sofa still feels exposed. Break them up with throws/ blankets that trail to the floor, cat-safe indoor plants, bead curtains in doorways and well placed furniture.
Patio doors and bay windows mark the threshold of the cat’s territory. For cats who find such an expansive vista too overwhelming, putting opaque film or cardboard, or a row of pot plants or net curtains can help provide a barrier, to help your cat feel more secure.
Music. While some cats prefer classic fm or radio Norfolk, try experimenting with natural sounds – rainforests or birdsong may be appealing.
Environmental enrichment. Provide new toys on a regular basis – old toys can be put away for a while and then brought out again as new. Provide a variety of scratching surfaces, mats, carpet squares.
Although fleas and worms may be less of a worry, indoor cats still need regular health checks, to keep an eye on their weight, their teeth and any signs of stress related behaviours. For further advice, search online. We like International Cat Care who give great advice on everything cat.

Thanks everyone!

All the team at Paws Indoors