The concern vets feel for the welfare of animals was as strong as ever during the Covid-19 lockdown, which is why a Carlisle vet has said it is a relief to take a step towards resuming normal service.

James Brocket, one of the three vet directors at Craig Robinson vets in Carlisle, welcomed the fact the relaxation of the Government’s lockdown rules meant it was once again safe to carry out vaccination and neutering procedures, which throughout the coronavirus lockdown had been suspended.

The practice, which has served the Carlisle area since 1898, has stayed open throughout the lockdown for emergency procedures and to provide care for livestock at the dozens of farms that the practice covers.

“We were advised to continue our work with livestock because of concerns over food production and food security,” James said.

“March and April was quite a peak time for lambing and calving. We’ve worked very closely with our farmers and put in social distancing where possible.”

James, who has been with Craig Robinson vets since 2013, spoke very highly of Cumbria’s farmers, who he said have faced a great deal of stress since the pandemic began, in part due to financial pressures such as the heavily hit milk market.

“We should be proud of our farmers, in our area and elsewhere,” he said.

James became a vet director a year ago, joining fellow directors David Wilson and Mari Reay.

Originally from the west of Scotland, he has worked as a vet in England for the last nine years.

“I’m very settled in Carlisle. It’s a lovely place to live and to work, both the people and the surrounding areas,” he said.

He said the lockdown has been, like for many others in a range of industries, “quite stressful.”

But they have continued to care for both livestock and pets throughout the lockdown, adapting wherever they could to the disruption.

“We’ve offered telephone and Zoom consultations, so even if people were isolating and were not able to leave their homes, we were still able to provide a service,” James said.

“If we were worried about an animal’s health or welfare, we would find a way where we would see that animal.”

In fact, he said it was possible lockdown has made pet owners more attuned than normal to any changes in their pets.

“People have been at home for a little bit longer, and spent more time with their animals, they’re perhaps more able to pick up on any small lumps or bumps or anything unusual,” he said.

One issue that James said is "quite a bit of a concern" going forward is how pets, particularly young puppies, will react if life suddenly returns to normal, and their owners return to work full time after being used to having them around all day.

"Demand for pups over the last two months has shot up quite dramtically," James said.

"There's a critcal stage in a dog's mental development, and being able to socialise with other people and animals, getting used to different noises, is important for how they're able to socialise later in life.

"We get a lot of problems of anxiety and aggression, and that's often down to fear.

"So with people being isolated, they might not have had the chance to expose their dogs to new environments - this is very important for a dog's development."

He also advised, if possible, that the owner of a new dog gradually introduces them to being alone, by spending increasingly longer periods away from home before going back to work.

"Just 20 minutes at first while you perhaps go for a walk outside would be a good place to start," James said.

"I would say if anyone has concerns to contact a vet about this."