Medivet Stanstead Abbotts

Here is lovely Cat the Vet saying what i like to shout in all directions: lots if life in older pets! They deserve good medical care! 😊🐾

Did you see the story about Larry the Downing Street cat having surgery?

He is 19 years old and appears to have sailed through the anaesthetic and procedure to remove a cyst from his hip.

Which is brilliant, not just for him but also to highlight how, when it comes to caring for our pets and particularly anaesthetics, age is just a number!

It can be really daunting when your vet advises treatment under an anaesthetic for an older pet but the vast majority do brilliantly and the risks are far outweighed by the benefits.

Anesthesia in pets is very safe. Studies (linked below) consistently show this and the staff at your local practice will be very experienced in it, and particularly in caring for senior and geriatric pets because this is a time of life when health issues are common and surgeries are needed. Dental disease, for example, or lump removals like Larry's.

However, we do take operations very seriously and put many layers of safety for your pets.

Most vets will run blood tests before the procedure to ensure good organ function and place their patients on a drip for extra support.

The medications we use are very well researched, highly effective and the doses will be carefully tailored to your pet.

During the procedure most clinics will monitor your pets system in a variety of ways, including their respiration, heart rate, ECG, oxygen and C02 levels and blood pressure. There will also be a well qualified member of staff, usually a Registered Veterinary Nurse, monitoring their vitals manually, and they will stay by their side for the entirety of the operation and until they have fully recovered.

We would never say that anaesthesia carries no risk but we do everything we can to keep it as safe as possible.

So if your vet has advised a procedure for your older pet, please don't discount it just because of their age!

Studies into anaesthetic safety;

https://bvajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/vetr.4147

https://www.bjanaesthesia.org.uk/article/S0007-0912(17)34683-4/fulltext

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1467298722001015?via%3Dihub

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12837942/

New puppy in the family? We're here to support you through their first year and beyond 🐶

For more information about the Medivet Healthcare Plan, visit our website or speak to your local Medivet.

T&Cs apply. Offer available for newly registered puppies or kittens aged under 12 months at participating clinics between 25 September 2026 and 20 November 2026 (inclusive) with a new Medivet Healthcare Plan membership. Available at participating clinics only.

Life with pets comes with plenty to think about. Make routine healthcare one less thing on your list🐶🐱🐰

Save up to £280* a year with the Medivet Healthcare Plan, including regular check-ups and vaccinations, and get half-price on selected long-term medication for cats, dogs and rabbits.

Chat to our team about signing up next time you're in the practice, or visit https://www.medivetgroup.com/medivet-healthcare-plan/

*See savings calculation via link above. T&Cs apply.

Worried about road safety, or finding suitable places for your dog to exercise in the city? You’re not alone 🐶

We spoke to dog owners across London to find out what concerns them most about life in the capital and here’s what they told us.

Every owner has their own worries, but whatever’s on your mind, your local Medivet is here to help 💙

Survey results based on a Censuswide survey of 1,002 London dog owners aged 18+.

We've all done it - scrolling, searching, worrying. Book your first appointment free and get real answers from your local vet 🐾

T&Cs apply.

It's International Dog Day and we're celebrating all our favourite ways of spending time with our furry friends 🐶🐕🦮

From cosy cuddles on the sofa, to muddy walks, adventures and staycays, it’s always better with an extra set of paws.

What's your favourite way of spending time with your dog? We'd love to hear it!👇

😸And this will be me!! 😹

Credit to Chris and Coleandmarmalade.com
If you don’t know who they are, have a look and follow! Chris does such a great work with cats ☺️

😃 Perfect labrador body!🐶

Yes, it is difficult to keep them on the thin side of their range, but we have quite a few patients managing well, like the one on the pic!

Being overweight brings early arthritis, heart disease, diabetes, poor coat quality, and other diseases that make our pets age earlier!
Did you know the University of Liverpool did a study that proved thinner pets live an average of two years more than the overweight pets?
Make the most of the good weather and help your pet eat less calories and spend more time with you outside!

Placing a camera into the stomach and intestine allows us to see the problem directly, retrieve some foreign bodies or even take biopsies to try and get a diagnosis! 😃 our system has such great image resolution! This is how the duodenum (first section of intestine) looks like ☺️

🥰being fed is part of the process of recovering from an anaesthetic procedure.
This little one is being watched by one if our student nurses, and being recovered near the prep-area and all our machines in case it is needed. 🥰

😺 “Excuse me, are you writting about me???”😺

Cats are happier when they are allowed to do their thing in the consult room. So i let them 😸

Very elderly cats are worth fighting for!
Some clients come and say “she is 13, she’s had good innings”. At 13, and even at 15, they are still worth fighting for, there could be a few years left in them!
With nowadays levels of care and medical advancement, plenty of senior cat conditions can be improved and managed for a long time!
This is my own cat, almost 21 years old. He has only 1 hip bone since a surgery when he was young. I have managed his kidney disease and arthritis for a few years. Yes he is on a few meds and a special diet, but here he is! The last time he brought me a bird was at 18 years old. And I have no clue how he got there 😂

Give your oldies the golden years they deserve💜

Same doggy, the left and the right elbows. This dog is only middle age, not old, and was limping despite anti-inflammatories. Xrays are a first step to give us information to know the problem, how advanced it is, and the different ways forward for owner to choose. This case was clear but sometimes arthroscopy or CT are need further steps to find the root of the problem, if xrays do not give enough information.

😺Comfortable cats in the consult room is an aim, and one of our proudest achievements💜