We would like to wish all our friends, clients and their pets a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. If you would like to get hold of us over the Christmas period our opening times are as follows:

Friday 23rd December: 8.30 - 17.30
Saturday 24th December: 8.30 - 12.30
Christmas Day: CLOSED
Boxing Day: CLOSED
Tuesday 27th December: CLOSED
Wednesday 28th December: 8.30 - 18.30
Thursday 29th December: 8.30 - 18.30
Friday 30th December: 8.30 - 18.30
Saturday 31st December: 8.30 - 12.30
Sunday 1st January: CLOSED
Monday 2nd January: CLOSED

Normal opening hours resume from the 3rd January.

If you have an emergency during the holiday period please call our normal number (0208 876 9696) and if we are closed our answer phone will give you the number of the clinic which deals with our patients out of hours.

If you are dropping off or picking up boarders during these times we advise you arrive at least half an hour before we close.

If the real chattering of a parrot wasn't enough, we have decided to dive into the world of Twitter. Follow us at @cjhallvets for a beind the scenes look into the day to day running of the surgery, with anything else we find interesting along the way. Tell your friends!

Don't forget to book your furry/feathered/scaly friends in for their Christmas holiday - December is a busy boarding month and we soon fill up. Please give us a call or email to check availability and prices over the festive season.

Please have a look at our articles page for an opening times Christmas newsletter, which will tell you when we will be available over the Christmas holidays. You can also pick up a copy from reception.

The practice is now offering acupuncture. This technique has been used for thousands of years across the globe and can be used to help treat a variety of conditions. These can range from musculoskeletal pain to urinary problems and skin disorders. Acupuncture's role in pain relief is recognised in both human and veterinary medicine

Sessions will be run by veterinary surgeon Iain Cope who has been trained by the Association of British Veterinary Acupuncturists. All species can be treated. An initial session will last approximately 30 minutes, with follow up sessions of around 20 minutes depending on the condition being treated.

If you have any questions, or are interested in acupuncture therapy for your pet, please contact the surgery.

Please note that we can only treat our own registered clients　or clients referred to us by a veterinary surgeon - if you are interested in acupuncture and your own vet does not offer it, talk to them about a referral appointment.

VETS: If you would like to refer a patient for acupuncture, please contact us for a referral form.

Spring seems to have sprung and tortoises should be waking from hibernation. This is a common time to see health problems as hibernation can place quite a drain on the body. Tortoises should be active, eating, drinking and have passed urine within one week of waking up. Daily bathing and providing suitable warm temperature (by using a heat lamp) will help get them awake and eating quickly, but you should contact the surgery if you have any concerns over the health of your tortoise.

Particularly in the recent cold spell, it should be remembered that sub-zero temperatures can harm hibernating tortoises – Ice crystals can damage their sensitive eyes. A thermometer that records minimum and maximum temperatures is very useful for the hibernation box. A separate drinks cooler or fridge make ideal hibernation enclosures, ensuring the temperature is not too low or too high (above 10^oC the tortoise will not be properly hibernating).

Tune into BBC 3 at 22.30 on a Tuesday to catch a glimpse of C. J. Hall Vets at work. We were recently filmed alongside other veterinary practices nationwide for Bizarre Animal ER, a animal-related spin off of medical series Bizarre ER which focuses on strange and funny medical cases. If you don't catch it the first time, it is replayed during the week, as well as being available online.

Please remember we can provide full boarding facilities for our Parrot and Reptile clients! Book early to guarantee your place at busy periods (Christmas, Easter and Summer). Call or email us at the surgery to check availability or for more details. Please note a £20 deposit is required when booking.