Animals at Home Poole

Animals at Home Poole

My name is Charlotte and as a Canine and Feline Behaviourist, Animal Health Specialist, Anthrozoologist studying the Human-Animal Bond and a Dog and Cat mum I understand the needs we have for our own animal companions whether home or away.

My need came when I discovered I had no choice but to act when a medical emergency arose with my Boxer Dog, Skippy*.

My decision to work with Animals at Home in the Poole and Isle of Purbeck area is down to this experience.

Knowing the lack of Veterinary Care Services locally and the rural nature of this county I want to provide a service that can help you and your pet in your time of need, whether you are a Dorset Resident or a Visitor on holiday in our beautiful county.

Whether in an emergency situation looking for an Animal Ambulance or Pet Taxi, or a daily/weekly need for general Caring Duties of Dog Walking/House & Pet Sitting/Pet Feeding, Home Boarding and/or when the time comes Bereavement Support and Pet Cremation, I will be there to support you and your pet’.

*My story began on the 29th January 2023, a Sunday evening my Boxer Dog Skippy had had an unsettled night the previous night and he hadn’t eaten all day.

I had been working that day and once home I noticed Skippy still wasn’t feeling the best, however, he did eat his dinner.

Soon after he became restless and was pacing. I noticed he was acting strangely sitting bolt upright and facing walls. He then took himself off to bed (with hindsight he was going there to die).

I had this feeling that I couldn’t let him go to bed and I got him to stand and noticed his waist was like a barrel, his stomach was swollen like a balloon full of air. My heart sank.

As it was a Sunday evening I called the nearest vet practice and was transferred to the emergency service helpline. They confirmed my suspicions; this sounds like a gastric torsion; more commonly known as bloat, and this condition is extremely serious and if not treated he would die.

The worst part was I lived at least 45 minute car drive from the nearest vet surgery practice that was open and Dogs can die within 20 minutes from starting to swell.

I was lucky, I had a car, however a few hours earlier I had fallen and twisted my ankle, which swelled up like a balloon and the pain was horrendous.

However, I had to act quickly and any pain I had in my ankle was my secondary concern.

My priority was whether or not my dog was going to die in the back of my car as I rushed him to the vet surgery. At 9:30pm he was on an X-ray table; 1 and a half hours after I first saw his stomach swell. It was bad.

When I was driving through the pitch black countryside roads of Dorset, worrying if a deer would jump out at us, I talked to Skippy telling him to hang on and I pondered the ‘What Ifs’.

What if I didn’t have a car or I couldn’t drive?

What if my ankle was worse meaning I couldn’t drive?

What if I had no-one else to drive me?

What if I was too distressed to drive?

Those ‘What Ifs’ haunted me.

Thankfully the weather was warmer than usual for January so there was no ice or snow to contend with while driving.

The choices I was given by the Vet (i) Put Skippy to sleep or (ii) Surgery. Skippy had surgery, he pulled through and I was told I caught it early, but it was the worst situation it could be; with the air being not just in his stomach but in all his intestines. His stomach did twist but only when the vet surgeon had him on the operating table so she could address and fix the problem.

A year on Skippy acts like it never happened!
He is happy to live out his days with his senior Cat brother Smeg who was found in a fridge going for recycling, but that’s another story!

We really are the complete pet care company, and we’re in your area!

Stop looking and start enjoying the benefits of professional pet care today.

Defra Animal Transport Authorisation reference: Pending

Nationwide Transport Available