Our highest priority at Willows is the welfare of the patients under our care, and nowhere is our commitment to excellence more evident than in the care of our in-patients.

Our hospital is staffed by veterinary surgeons and qualified veterinary nurses, 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. The on-duty vets and nurses are ably supported by our teams of student veterinary nurses, veterinary nurse assistants and animal care assistants.

Owners are often particularly concerned with their pet's care at nights and at weekends. At Willows, vets and nurses work 24 hours a day throughout these periods, providing the necessary monitoring and treatment of all patients that need to be hospitalised. Whatever the nature of a hospitalised patient's problem, the vet in charge of the case can, if the need arises (and with the consent of the owner), contact one or more of our specialist vets who are also on emergency duty. The specialist services that can be drawn upon include: orthopaedics; ophthalmology; soft tissue surgery; internal medicine; neurology; diagnostic imaging; anaesthesia and analgesia. Willows is one of the few small animal hospitals in the UK that is able to provide such comprehensive in-patient care at nights and weekends.

Willows has a large team of RCVS (Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons) registered veterinary nurses. They are experienced in the critical care and nursing of medical and surgical patients. The nursing team is managed by Debbie Lynch, Amy Bowcott and Claire Lynch. The nurses are given vital support by the animal care assistants - between them, these teams of support staff are crucial in ensuring the wellbeing and comfort of our in-patients. The animal care assistants are managed by David Hindley. The nursing care of in-patients is overseen by our teams of dedicated ward charge nurses and medicine/high-dependency nurses.

Willows has three dog wards, a cat ward, an isolation ward and an intensive care unit. Spacious walk-in kennels enable large dogs and even giant breeds, such as St Bernards, to be comfortably hospitalised. The dedicated cat ward ensures all feline patients are as stress-free as possible and our isolation ward minimises the risk of spread of contagious diseases to other in-patients. Fluid pumps are provided in each ward to ensure animals on intravenous fluids receive accurate and well regulated therapy. All kennels in each of the wards have soft Vet Beds that are regularly washed using an Otex system that kills even the most resistant of bacteria, including MRSA. The main dog wards have bathing, walk-in shower and professional-grade drying facilities.

Our intensive care unit (ICU) is fully equipped to enable the optimal care of ill patients. Incubators are available for cats and small dogs and the kennels have oxygen outlets for providing oxygen therapy. When required, patient warming is provided either in an incubator or, for larger patients, on special medical-grade heated mattresses. There are numerous electronic multi-parameter monitors that give continuous information on such features as blood pressure, oxygen levels in the blood and the electrical activity of the heart (ECG). A 'crash cart' is available for emergency situations including cardiac arrest, and our laboratory is conveniently located adjacent to the intensive care unit in order to facilitate efficient monitoring of the status of our critical-care patients.

Should your pet need to be hospitalised at Willows, you can have peace of mind, knowing that we are committed to providing the highest levels of care for our patients, 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.

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