Healthy Pet - Our Recommendations

Regular annual health checks are an essential part of our service and can save much discomfort and distress later on. They can often be combined with the booster vaccination. We can also discuss and advise on flea control, worming, feeding, dental care and provide other health services, such as senior pet health screening, (which may include blood and urine tests and weight monitoring) and so detect underlying problems early.

Vaccinations

Dogs are vaccinated against Distemper, Canine Parvovirus, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Coronavirus, and the viral part of the kennel cough complex. A complete course of vaccination is essential to provide protection in puppies and can be started when your pup is 6 weeks old. In adult dogs annual (booster) vaccination is essential to maintain immunity.
'Kennel Cough' is a highly unpleasant disease causing sometimes a quite distressing cough in dogs. It can spread where dogs come into close contact for example at boarding kennels, shows or training classes. A single vaccination now offers twelve months protection and can be done at the same time as annual vaccinations. Most boarding kennels now require this vaccination prior to entry.

Cats are vaccinated routinely against Cat Flu, Enteritis, Feline Leukaemia and Chlamydia. An initial course of vaccinations starting from nine weeks of age is followed by annual boosters.

Rabbits are vaccinated against Myxomatosis and Viral Haemorrhagic Disease. Myxomatosis vaccination can be started from six weeks of age and viral haemorrhagic disease vaccination can be started from three months of age. The two vaccinations have to be given at least two weeks apart and annual boosters are recommended.

If you require further information on any of the above serious diseases please ask one of our Veterinary Surgeons.

Puppy Parties

We offer free and enjoyable puppy parties held at the surgery. Our aim is to encourage socialisation with other puppies, their owners and their families in a controlled hygienic environment (every precaution is taken to ensure this).
All puppies attending should have had their first vaccination and be fit and healthy. We will explain the importance of early habituation when puppies should be introduced to traffic, bicycles, lawn mowers and vacuum cleaners, etc.

Training - we explain that the training of your puppy starts by understanding the dog's place with the human pack (your family). We demonstrate how easily the basic "sit", "down" and "come" commands are taught using the positive enforcement technique by reward i.e. affection, praise or food.


Nutrition, worm and flea control, grooming, dental care, Pet Passport Scheme and neutering are some of the topics that will be covered.

All this is done in a friendly atmosphere where we will endeavour to answer any topics and help with any problems. Please contact the surgery to book your puppy into the next party.

As a follow on from the puppy party we offer a free 6 months puppy check to monitor growth and development and to discuss any health problems. This is conducted by one of our qualified veterinary nurses.

We do look forward to seeing you, your family and your puppy.

Worming

The only effective worming treatments are those medicines supplied by veterinary surgeons. The worming treatments we can supply are both highly effective and virtually free from side effects. Puppies and Kittens need to be wormed regularly from an early age. The Veterinary Surgeon can advise you on a suitable regime.

Single dose treatments for both roundworms and tapeworms are now available for dogs and cats. In general, adult cats and dogs should be de-wormed every three months

All about worming your cat & dog

Fleas can transmit tapeworms therefore; tapeworm treatment may be required after a flea treatment. Please ask us to advise you when you bring your pet in for its annual health check.

Microchip

To provide permanent identification of your pet, in case it becomes lost or stolen, we can insert a small microchip implant under the skin on the back of your pet's neck which can then be read by a scanning device. This is a simple procedure that can be performed in a standard appointment that ensures a lost animal can be quickly identified and reunited with its owner.

Flea & Tick Control

The only effective flea and tick treatments are 'prescription-only medicines' which can only be supplied by veterinary surgeons. We can provide a choice of highly effective, safe and easy to use flea products for both treatment and prevention, and also for use in your house and on your furnishings.

Flea treatment

Effective treatment requires treatment of both your pet and its environment. Our staff will be pleased to help you with this

Neutering

We strongly advise that all pets are neutered both for their health and to avoid unwanted pregnancies.

Bitches: The neutering (spaying) of bitches (which involves the removal of the womb and ovaries) has many advantages for the bitch's health besides the obvious risks of pregnancies and the nuisance value of having seasons every six months for life.

These include:

(1) Avoiding false pregnancies
(2) Womb infections (pyometra) which is a life threatening condition requiring emergency surgery.
(3) Greatly reduces mammary (breast) cancer if the bitch is spayed in early life

The optimum time to spay a bitch is after her first season (which usually occurs at eight to eleven months of age), and before her next season, which is generally six months later. The safest time is three months after the end of their first season.

Dogs: For males the main health benefits of neutering (removal of testicles) include:

(1) Reduced aggressive behaviour between dogs
(2) Helps prevents straying when chasing bitches in season
(3) Reducing Hypersexual behaviour i.e. mounting

The dog can be castrated at any time after twelve months of age.

Cats: The benefits in cats are similar to those in dogs with the added advantage of reducing urine spraying and the associated smell with male cats. The optimum time to neuter cats is when they are six months of age

Rabbits: The neutering of both bucks and does is now a common procedure with safe modem anaesthetics. Benefits include decreased aggression (in both males and females) and prevent urine spraying in males. In females' uterine cancer, which is common in does, and false pregnancies are prevented by neutering.
Dental Health

Dental problems in cats and dogs are unfortunately all too common. Remember bad breath is not normal. It probably means there is some infection and most infections cause discomfort and pain.
There are many ways of improving your pet's oral hygiene - even for those pets that do not like their mouths being touched. It is important to start brushing your pet's teeth from an early age. This can help prevent dental problems later in life.

We recommend regular checks of the teeth and mouths of all dogs, cats and other pets from their first visit to the surgery. We have the latest equipment not only for scaling and polishing of teeth and also for other more complex forms of dental surgery if required.

Coming in for an Operation

Large proportions of pets undergo a surgical procedure or investigation involving anaesthesia at some time during their life For the majority this is straightforward and uneventful, however, no anaesthetic can be 100% safe and it is important that you folllow instructions given prior to bringing your pet in. If there is any chance that this has not been the case, such as getting extra food, please let us know.

Some problems with anaesthesia, usually in older animals, can occur when organs such as the liver and kidneys are not working effectively, even though your pet seems normal. A pre-anaesthetic blood test can be taken to help detect this type of problem, and reduce the risk of complications. Our staff will be happy to advise you.

Insurance

For a fraction of the feeding cost of your pet per week, you can now insure him or her against the sometimes high cost of prolonged treatment for an unexpected illness or accident. Ideally, insurance should be taken out as soon as possible in your pet's life.
Pet insurance with Petplan
www.petplan.co.uk

Our endeavour is to provide the best possible standard of care. Realistically, we appreciate this can be expensive and it can be very traumatic when a pet's health or life is compromised by financial considerations. Therefore, we believe that pet insurance is of benefit to both you and your pet health.

Going on Holiday

For those who have never used a kennel or cattery before, we would like to offer the following advice: Make sure the premises hold a current licence. All kennels and catteries are professionally inspected annually and must reach an acceptable veterinary and environmental health standard before the licence is issued. However, we all have our own criteria, so it is advisable to check two or three establishments for your own peace of mind.


Most establishments welcome inspection. You might consider it worthwhile to book you pet in for a one or two day familiarisation visit prior to the holiday. Your pet will then be confident for a longer stay and not fret about being picked up again It is preferable to book in during the morning whenever possible.

If you think your pet may have a health problem while you are away, please make us aware so that we may agree a course of action.

Bear in mind that kennels and catteries get fully booked during the peak holiday periods, so it is advisable to book as early as possible. At the same time check that your pet's vaccination certificate will still be in date to avoid last minute panics.

Senior Pet Health Screening

All animals presented for vaccination will receive a frill health check when we can advise you of any actual or potential health problems. Of course we are happy to give your pet a check-up at any time, particularly if you notice any subtle changes in behaviour, e.g. increased thirst, reluctance to exercise, breathlessness or a slight cough. Any of these may signify the start of a more serious problem.

The most important thing to remember is that many of the treatments we can offer alleviate pain and discomfort and improve quality of life. Indeed, many of the conditions attributed to "old age" are treatable. Like us, advancing years can make your pet more prone to health problems and we recommend more regular check-ups as your pet gets older.

A blood test and urine analysis to screen for underlying disease in the major organs of the body can be invaluable in detecting the early stages of disease and improving the chances of successful treatment.

Obesity Weight Control and Diet

Obesity is a very common problem in dogs and in some cats. Many pets, particularly dogs, will regularly overeat given the chance and this contributes to a wide range of medical problems including arthritis, diabetes, liver disease, heart disease, skin disease and breathing problems.

Prevention is easier than cure and we strongly recommend that you check your pet's weight regularly, every two to three months or so. Feel free to use the scales at the surgery at any time when we are open and we will record your pet's weight for you and advise regarding its ideal weight.

If your pet is overweight you can control its diet a more effectively with a low calorie diet food. Our nutritional advisers can give free advice on diets and slimming by appointment.

Specialised Diets

There have been enormous advances in specialist diets over the past few years and several products are available to treat and assist in the management of conditions such as kidney disease, colitis, diarrhoea, obesity and skin disorders. Many of our patients have benefited greatly from this type of dietary management. Your Veterinary Surgeon may prescribe one of these diets during a consultation.