Mobile vet hopes to help animals suffering from anxiety across Greater Manchester and Cheshire

• The new mobile unit is aiming to put pets at ease. Siham Ali has the story

A veterinarian has launched a mobile vet business in a bid to help distressed animals.

'My Visit Vet' - which was launched by Luke Ainsworth - will offer clinics around Greater Manchester and Cheshire.

The vet says there has been a rise in anxiety among pets since the pandemic.

"As much as vets try and make it easy for pets, it is always a stressful situation. The smells they're not used to contribute to the stress" said Mr Ainsworth.

Whilst working in a traditional veterinary practice, Luke noticed that distressed owners and their pets were calling out for a flexible at home service.

"Vets are so busy at the moment they can't do that, they don't have the time to go out to people to visit them.

"I saw a bit of a market there and it's struggling people I can help."

Sherlock Holmes is a rescue cat from Wilmslow who is one of Luke's new patients.

His owner Anthony says the cat's anxiety is so bad that he over-grooms, leaving his furry body with bald patches.

"If he's away from me for a certain amount of hours he will get separation anxiety.

"Which will result in him over-grooming and he also has a separate issue called Feline Cystitis which can be quite painful", he adds.

Anthony has four cats, and he believes all of them, but particularly Sherlock, feels he is being re-homed whenever he is dropped off at the vets – which is "daunting for him".

In Knutsford an elderly labrador called Ben also struggles with anxiety – so much so that he once had an accident because he was so petrified.

"The distress combined with his age became a worry.

"My previous vet said I think it's time for you to look at alternatives and have someone come to the house because he felt that would benefit ben.

"Because when he's stressed you can't get near him, you can't look at him properly.

"He is so anxious he is shaking like a leaf", his owner Linda said.

Chris Vernon is the proud father of Belle, who he says is much happier now that she doesn't have to physically go into the vets.

The whole ordeal was "traumatic" for him and his wife.

"We walk in and hope there's not too many dogs, if there is, she has the place in an uproar and it's hard to keep her quiet.

Luke's mobile vet van couldn't have come at a better time for Chris.

"This suits us down to the ground", he tells us.

For these four-legged friends, it seems help is just around the corner.

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