PDSA

Calling all final year vet students and recent vet graduates! 🩺 Our 2025 Graduate Programme is now OPEN for applications. If you're looking for something challenging but also incredibly rewarding, look no further. During the Graduate Development Programme with us you will experience: - A combination of practical, hands-on experiences in our busy Pet Hospitals and online CPD learning modules. - A variety of real-life cases and scenarios, including routine check-ups and life-saving surgeries. - Personalised one-on-one training with an on-site RCVS-trained Vet GDP Adviser, tailored to your individual needs. - Weekly workshops with your cohort group on a broad range of topics, from clinical practice to leadership skills. - Expert mentors to help you develop your medical and surgical skills, answer your questions, and support you on your journey. Come and join the UK’s largest veterinary charity and make a genuine difference to the lives of people and pets who need it most: http://pdsa.me/51ba [Visual description: Liv, who was on our Graduate Programme and is now a Veterinary Surgeon, is stood in a consultation room smiling at the camera. She's wearing teal scrubs and has a stethoscope around her neck. In the background is a consultation table. In the top left corner of the image is a circle of text which reads "Graduate Programme is OPEN for applications!" and a graduate cap.]

Eight-year-old Shylah suffered a festive fright when she was badly spooked by fireworks and ate something that could’ve killed her 😢 Shylah’s owner said: “Around the time the fireworks were going off, Shylah was very on edge and nervous. We comforted her as much as we could to help her relax. I popped upstairs for a matter of minutes and when I came downstairs, I noticed some tinsel had disappeared from the mantelpiece. I soon realised that she might have eaten and swallowed it.” Knowing the dangers of dogs swallowing objects like tinsel, Shylah’s owner contacted the team at our Wolverhampton Pet Hospital for help. Vet, Jane, said: “When Shylah arrived, we examined her and found she was in pain around her stomach. This, along with the owner’s suspicions of her swallowing tinsel, made us really worried that she could have an obstruction, so we knew we needed to get her straight in for x-rays to try to find the cause of her symptoms.” X-rays revealed a large object in Shylah’s stomach, which the team could only assume was the missing tinsel 🎄 Knowing they had to act quickly, Shylah was taken in for emergency surgery straight away to have the obstruction removed. And to everyone’s shock, an entire metre of tinsel was pulled from her stomach 😧 Jane continued: “She was lucky it was found so quickly. If it had made its way into her intestines, it could have caused potentially fatal damage.” Thankfully, within a few days of her surgery, Shylah was getting back to her normal, happy self. Her owner added: “I was so happy when they told me the surgery was successful and she could come home to recover the same day. It’s safe to say I’ll be keeping any decorations like tinsel well out of Shylah’s reach in the future.” Over the festive period, it’s important to remember that fireworks can be incredibly stressful for animals. So, it’s a good idea to get clued up on what to do with pets and fireworks to keep events like Bonfire Night, Christmas or New Year's Eve as calm as possible for your furry friends 🎆 Can you light up the lives of pets in need? You can #SaveAStar like Shylah by donating today: http://pdsa.me/rpJS [Visual description: Image one - Brown and white crossbreed dog, Shylah, lying on the floor at home. Image two - An x-ray image of the tinsel inside Shylah's stomach. Image three - The tinsel after it's been removed from Shylah's stomach. In a small pink circle in the bottom right corner is a picture of Shylah's stitches after surgery. Image four - Shylah recovering at home. She's lying on her dog bed, wrapped in a blanket and wearing her protective cone collar.]

We're seeking experienced Senior Vet Surgeons to head up the clinical teams at our Nottingham and Sheffield Pet Hospitals 🩺 Key responsibilities of the roles include: - Lead and inspire a dedicated veterinary and nursing team, promoting teamwork and a culture of continuous improvement - Manage day-to-day operations, ensuring seamless workflow and a supportive team environment - Oversee clinical governance, ensuring adherence to high standards and cost-effective use of resources - Take charge of budgeting for hospital treatments and ensuring financial efficiency - Champion PDSA’s values and commitment to exceptional pet care and wellbeing 📩 If you would like an informal chat about the team and benefits of working with us, please email the Talent Team at [email protected]. Click here to view all current vacancies: http://pdsa.me/uWPj

Our #SaveAStar appeal needs you 🌟 Every year, we see over 90,000 pets with emergency conditions – that’s an average of 249 pets per day. Pets like Blossom – who experienced painful injuries after being badly bitten by a dog – and Charlie – who needed life-saving treatment after being struck in a hit and run accident – wouldn’t be here today without the help of our kind supporters like you. Find out how you can light up the lives of people and pets this Christmas: http://pdsa.me/udFk [Visual description: A combination of clips showing the veterinary care that Blossom and Charlie received from the teams in our Pet Hospitals.]

Four-month-old puppy, Bruno, had a Halloween horror when he swallowed a toy arrow that left him fighting for his life 😱 The tragic accident happened whilst playing with his doggy best friend, Hugo, in the garden at home. His owner, Stacey, noticed Bruno retching to try and remove something from his throat. Scared, Stacey immediately contacted the team at our Manchester Pet Hospital for help. Stacey took Bruno to be seen straight away, and the vet team prepared Bruno for anaesthetic and x-rays to see what they could find. But nobody expected to discover what they did 😧 Bruno had swallowed an approximately 50cm long arrow from a toy bow and arrow set, which was stuck in his food pipe. And the arrow was still in one piece, meaning that Bruno had swallowed it whole! Vet, Caragh, said: "The arrow was so long that it extended from Bruno’s throat all the way to his stomach. It needed to be removed quickly as Bruno couldn’t have passed it himself and there was a high risk it could pierce through the stomach wall, causing a life-threatening infection, as well as causing a blockage in his stomach. That would have been fatal if left untreated.” Knowing they had to act fast, the team took Bruno into surgery immediately, where they were safely able to remove the arrow. Bruno was then kept in the Pet Hospital overnight to make sure he recovered okay. To the relief of his family, he was well enough to go home the next day with medication, antibiotics and antacids to keep him comfortable, pain free and to help his throat and stomach heal so that he could recover fully at home. Stacey said: "It was so scary. We’re so grateful to PDSA. It was an out-of-hours emergency, and he was seen very quickly. Thankfully, he is now doing much better.” 🥰 [Visual description: Image one - Bruno with one of the team members in the recovery kennels at our Pet Hospital. Image two - The toy arrow after being removed from Bruno's stomach. There is a pen next to the arrow to show the size comparison. Image three - An x-ray image showing where the toy arrow was stuck in Bruno's stomach. Image four - Bruno's healed wound after surgery. In a small pink circle is a graphic image of his stomach during the removal surgery.]

Dating back to the 1920s, our Ilford Animal Cemetery and Pet Tribute Garden is a peaceful setting where you can go to commemorate much-missed furry friends 🌈 Since the first burial in 1927, over 3,000 animals have now been laid to rest in the grounds. Including some of the bravest this country has ever known. These include 12 of our PDSA Dickin Medal recipients, such as Mary of Exeter the carrier pigeon, Rip the WWII search and rescue dog and Simon the 'Able Seaman' cat 🪦 Find out more about how you can visit: http://pdsa.me/WO7N [Visual description: Image one - An old black and white photograph showing our Ilford Pet Cemetery from outside the entrance gate. Image two - An old black and white photograph of two young children stood next to Simon's plot, showing their respects. Image three - An old black and white photograph of two men carrying a pet casket, ready to be laid to rest at the pet cemetery. There is also a small dog sitting on the floor next to them. Image four - Inside the grounds of our Ilford Pet Cemetery on a frosty morning.]

The bright flashes and loud bangs of fireworks can be exciting and fun for us but, for our cats, they can be confusing and frightening 😿 It’s difficult for them to understand that they aren’t in danger when they hear or see them and since their senses are much better than ours, they experience fireworks much more intensely than we do! Ever Clean UK are proudly supporting PDSA and bring you top tips to help keep your feline friend happy and feeling safe during fireworks season 🎆 [Visual description: An infographic explaining how to keep your cat calm during fireworks. There is a picture of a grey stripy animated cat in the middle of the picture, with gold sparks surrounding it. Points around the cat include: Get them inside well before dark and make sure all windows and cat flaps are shut/locked so they can’t get back out. Don’t pick up cats or restrain them if they are scared: cats prefer to control how they cope. Close your curtains before it gets dark and leave the lights on to hide the flashes. Try to stick to normal routines and behave normally. But if it helps, distract them with something fun to do. Make them a den to hide in if they wish. Provide a litter tray nearby. Comfort them if they come to you for reassurance, don’t ignore them. Give them a litter tray near their den. Even if they normally toilet outside, provide a litter tray inside. If you have more than one cat, give them a tray each plus a spare. Never punish them for anything they do when they’re scared. Play music to drown out the noises from fireworks. Keep them calm with pheromone diffusers. Try not to confine them to one room.] #PDSA #PDSAPets #Fireworks #FireworkDisplay #EverClean #CatOwners #KittenOwners

When three-year-old Shadow was impaled by a 10-inch bamboo stick, his owner, Mark, thought he might have to say a heart-breaking goodbye 💔 In the middle of the night, at around 4am, Mark heard an almighty scream and immediately knew something was wrong. He followed the screaming sound into the back garden, where he found Shadow in distress. As he got closer, Mark was absolutely horrified to see that Shadow had a bamboo stick pierced deep into his chest. Mark rang the veterinary team at our Thamesmead Pet Hospital for help. They advised him to bring Shadow in right away. As soon as they got to the Pet Hospital, the team knew they had no time to lose, so they got straight to work to save Shadow’s life. Vet, Malcolm, said: “The x-rays revealed the bamboo stick had gone in between two ribs and punctured the chest wall. This allowed air into the space between the wall of the chest and the lungs themselves, causing Shadow's lung to begin to collapse.” Being such a severe injury that required high-risk surgery, Mark was warned that Shadow might not make it, leaving him distraught. However, thanks to our vet team’s efforts, Shadow’s surgery was a success! The air was drained from his chest and the wound in his chest wall was repaired to allow the lung to reinflate and prevent any further collapse. Much to the delight of Mark, Shadow was able to go home the very next day to continue his road to recovery with pain relief, antibiotics, and instructions to rest. Mark said: “After the warning that Shadow might not make it, we were just thinking the worst. We couldn’t imagine our lives without Shadow – he's not just a pet, he is a family member. He brings all of the family so much comfort. He’s back to being his adventurous self again and we’re so relieved his recovery has gone well.” 🥰 We’re so pleased to say that Shadow is now fully recovered and loves relaxing in the garden. But, he doesn’t go far from home these days and is always inside by 10pm! After fearing he was about to lose his furry friend, Mark is now urging all gardeners to make sure bamboo canes are safely stored or capped as they clear gardens this autumn. Thanks to players of People's Postcode Lottery, the cost of pain relief and antibiotics given to pets like Shadow is being supported throughout 2024 and will help reduce the pain for thousands of pets, making them more comfortable in their time of need. #PostcodeLotteryPeople [Visual description: Images one and two - Shadow at our Pet Hospital ready to undergo surgery to remove the bamboo stick that is visibly protruding out of his body under his arm. On image two, in a small circle in the top right is a picture of the bamboo stick after being removed. Image three - An x-ray image taken of the bamboo stick and how it is stuck. Image four - Shadow, being held by his owner, Mark, after his recovery.]

We treat thousands of pets across our 49 Pet Hospitals every year. But what we do wouldn't be possible without our amazing volunteers who kindly donate their time to our charity, like Sophia 🤩 The lovely Sophia has volunteered at our Neath charity shop since last December, after hearing about it through a friend! Speaking about her experience, Sophia said: “A friend told me about volunteering at PDSA. I love animals, so I thought volunteering there would be a great way to show my support and do something important. I’ve volunteered before, so I did have some experience, but it’s not needed at PDSA. They provided me with plenty of training and support to get me started, such as using the till and organising stock.” Sophia spends most days volunteering at our Neath shop every week, where she helps serve customers. She also sorts through the much-needed donations from the general public by pricing items in the back room before they’re moved onto the shop floor. During her time volunteering with us, Sophia says meeting customers and getting to know a great team of people who also volunteer their time are her favourite parts about the role. She added: “Spending time with the lovely team at the shop and putting a smile on the customer’s faces are what I love most about volunteering at PDSA. I get to meet lots of people of all different ages from all different backgrounds. It’s really sociable and a great way to make new friends.” 🥰 Recently, Sophia received our Pawsome People Award, which recognises the commitment, passion, and positivity our amazing volunteers show in their roles 👏 From everyone at PDSA, we'd like to say a huge, heartfelt thanks to Sophia for all of her help! [Visual description: Image one - Sophia working behind the till at our Neath charity shop. Image two - Sophia sorting through new donations in the stock room. Image three - Sophia tidying shelf displays on the shop floor. Image four - Sophia holding up her Pawsome People Award certificate.] #PDSA #PDSAPets #Volunteer #Volunteering #AnimalCharity

Take a tour around a Pet Hospital! 🏥 Last year, gift in Wills paid for approximately 1.5 million treatments for poorly pets. We've helped people and their pets across the UK for over 100 years, but we can only keep our services running because of kind supporters like you ❤️ Leaving a gift in your Will is such a wonderful act of kindness to help transform and save pets lives in the future. Give back to pets, with a gift in your Will: http://pdsa.me/Lyaq [Visual description: PDSA Vet Natasha, giving a tour around one of our Pet Hospitals. The tour includes the reception, consultation rooms, prep area, the lab, x-ray room, operating theatre, kennels and the dispensary. There are various different pets and vet team members shown throughout the video.]