STAFF NEWS

We have once again received accreditation from the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme. The RCVS Practice Standards Scheme (PSS) is a voluntary initiative to accredit veterinary practices in the UK. Through setting standards and carrying out regular assessments, the Scheme aims to promote and maintain the highest standards of veterinary care. It offers peace of mind to clients of accredited practices and a more informed choice to the animal-owning public. To become accredited, practices volunteer for rigorous assessment every four years and will have met a range of minimum standards including hygiene, 24-hour emergency cover, staff training, certain types of equipment and cost estimation procedures. Here is a link to a short video which tells you a bit more about the scheme:  https://youtu.be/fPmkfznoX88

From 4th June 2025 the Northern Ireland Pet Travel Scheme will be launched. This will allow the non-commercial movement of pet dogs, cats and ferrets from Great Britain to Northern Ireland providing there is no onward travel to the Republic of Ireland or the E.U. To take advantage of this scheme pet owners can now apply for a Pet Travel Document (PTD) directly from the government online portal below: https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-northern-ireland-pet-travel-document Your pet must be microchipped to apply for the PTD. A Rabies vaccination, tapeworm treatment and an Animal Health Certificate are no longer required. The PTD is free to apply for and will last for as long as you own the pet. You cannot take more than 5 pets to Northern Ireland unless attending or training for an event for which written evidence is required. When travelling, your pet’s microchip will be scanned at the port or airport. There are no checks if you are travelling from Northern Ireland to Great Britain. More details and up to date government advice can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/taking-your-pet-abroad/travelling-to-northern-ireland

DUNDAS VETERINARY GROUP ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY-CLIENT INFORMATION At Dundas Veterinary Group we are committed to trying to reduce our impact on the environment throughout our daily running of all of our branches. There are many ways in which you, as our valued clients, can help to ensure we can try to achieve this: 1. APPROPRIATE ANTIBIOTIC AND PRESCRIPTION MEDICINE USAGE-our vets are focused on providing the best healthcare for your pet and prescribe medications appropriately to their specific needs. In doing so our vets will only dispense the amount of medication required to avoid the unnecessary waste of medicinal products, especially with regards to antibiotics. Our vets follow very careful protocols with respect to antibiotic use to help try and reduce the risk of antibiotic resistance and minimise the potential harmful environmental impact. We, therefore, do encourage owners to bring back any unused medications to the practice at your appointments so we can safely dispose if these for you. 2. RECYCLING OF MEDICINAL PACKAGING-as part of our daily protocols we are very conscious to try and recycle as much material as possible and are always looking at ways to minimise our waste output. We welcome clients to bring back blister packs and packaging from their dispensed medications at their next appointment. 3. CONTACT & MILEAGE- we have various ways for clients to stay in touch and offer post op checks via pets app and email to reduce client mileage and environmental impact. When first registered we will allocate the branch closest to you and when possible arrange appointments at this branch. Please see our Facebook/petsapp/practice noticeboards for further updates. If you have any further questions or suggestions with regards our environmental policy, we welcome our clients views-please email the practice nurses@dundasvetgroup.co.uk

The team had a fantastic day at our beach litter pick on 2nd February. We were joined by clients and some four-legged friends and collected lots of rubbish both on the beach and island. Taking in the fresh sea air as we went. Thanks goes to The City of Edinburgh Council for helping with the picking supplies and also to Dog Aid Scotland for the support on the day.

Exciting News! Our Dundas Street Reception area is getting refurbished this coming weekend. From 5pm on Friday 14th February until 8am on Monday 17th February, our Reception will be closed. To allow this work to take place, our Saturday morning surgery will take place from 9am to 12noon at our Granton branch, 34 Granton Road, Edinburgh, EH5 3QS, 0131 551 1407. Please bear with us while we carry out this work and look out for the photos!

Join Dundas Vet Group to help litter pick at Cramond beach! We welcome you to join us on Sunday 2nd February at 11am. Litter pickers, gloves and bags provided, as well as biscuits for both humans and dogs! Meet at the start of the Causeway for a prompt start at 11am.

We will be closed on the following days over the Festive Period: Wednesday 25th December Thursday 26th December Wednesday 1st January Thursday 2nd January If you have an emergency during these closures, please contact our emergency care provider E-Vets on 0131 662 1689. We would like to wish all our clients a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Veterinary Surgeon, Matthew Saunders has joined Dundas Vet Group as a Clinical Director, working at the Dundas Street and Oxgangs Road Surgeries. Matthew has been qualified since 2006, with additional qualifications in Endoscopy and keyhole surgery. He also has a keen interest in Ophthalmology and is working towards further qualifications in this discipline. We are thrilled to have Matthew join our team and he is looking forward to meeting you all with your pets!

Sadly we have had to wave goodbye to Will Clancy as he heads home to Australia. Having spent the last 5 years with us at Dundas Vets, he will be sorely missed by clients and colleagues alike. We would like to wish him all the best in his future career back in Australia.