These novelty items are readily available and often chewed/ingested by animals around Halloween and Guy Fawkes’ night. They consist of polyethylene tubing filled with a liquid mixture that gives off a light of various colours. There are normally two components to the mixture, a luminescer (mostly dibutyl phthalate), and an [...]

Throughout Autumn and Winter, we receive many calls involving animals (mostly dogs) ingesting red berries, whilst on a walk or in the garden. It is often difficult to identify the species of plant, and therefore identify whether ingestion is a toxicological risk. Here, we will discuss the two red berries [...]

The number of rodenticide enquiries we receive increases as the weather starts to get colder, as rodents attempt to move indoors. The most common type of rodenticides available are anticoagulants, which work by blocking the action of vitamin K, preventing the blood from clotting. Another common active ingredient in rodenticides [...]

Bonfire night is not the only day to be cautious of fireworks, with the whole month seeing an increased prevalence of these mini explosives. Fireworks are a class of low explosive pyrotechnic devices that contain many different ingredients; in most cases, the exact composition of ingested fireworks is unknown. Most [...]

As a popular addition to the doorstep at Halloween, pumpkins, which belong to the Cucurbitaceae (gourd) family may be eaten by pets. Fruits of these plants can contain extremely bitter-tasting compounds, but they have been bred out of crop varieties. Generally, if the pumpkin is shop-bought it is not bitter [...]

The British Equine Veterinary Association (BEVA) is reminding horse owners to take steps to minimise the risks of Atypical Myopathy. Bare fields and gusty autumn weather can heighten the chances of horses contracting this fatal disease, which is caused by the ingestion of sycamore seeds. Atypical myopathy is caused by [...]

The weeks surrounding Halloween are usually one of the busiest periods of the year for our team at the VPIS and APL. The season presents many potential hazards to pets, including the consumption of Halloween chocolates and sweets. The primary toxins in chocolate are theobromine and caffeine. Although the concentration [...]

A quick reminder about our APL service: In hours (8am-8pm Mon to Fri) - £35 Out of hours (8pm-8am Mon to Fri and all weekend/bank holidays) - £45 Please remember that this is not the same as the VPIS service and we DO NOT give owners detailed treatment advice. We [...]

With the end of summer comes the season of autumn fruits including cherry laurel, conkers, rowan and acorns (above). Pets, particularly dogs often eat fallen fruit and ingestion of any plant material can cause gastrointestinal signs. Some fruits such as acorns and conkers also pose a risk of gastrointestinal obstruction. [...]