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Conventional Treatments

Make sure your pet is given the best start in life or on-going treatment.

Conventional Treatments

Make sure your pet is given the best start in life or on-going treatment.

  • Health Checks / Pet Exam
  • Vaccinations
  • Nurse Clinics

Health Checks / Pet Exam

Health checks for our treasured companions are important for many reasons. Whilst they all may have their individual little ways of telling us something’s not right, so often they just get on with life as if nothing is wrong, and it’s not until symptoms of disease or illness are showing that we realise all is not well.

We all want our pets to be happy and healthy, so health checks can be a vital way of checking things are running smoothly and picking up any small indicators of anything that could later develop into a bigger problem. We recommend yearly check ups for your pet alongside any vaccinations they may require. We always practice responsible vaccination, so whether they are due them or not, it’s always best to have a check up. Our pets age much quicker that we do, so it’s important that we keep a check on how things are progressing and keep their records up to date.

We have a specially designed 10 point health check that all of our professionals carry out to give your companion head to tail tip examination, so you can relax knowing that we’ve covered all bases. Whether you bring your pet in to see a veterinary surgeon or a veterinary nurse, we follow this check list to make sure nothing is missed. We will check;

  • Eyes
  • Ears
  • Abdomen
  • Joints and muscles
  • Anal glands
  • Teeth
  • Claws
  • Heart and lungs
  • Skin (lumps and bumps)
  • Weight
  • Diet
  • Microchip check

Our vets will also follow this process when we check your pet over at a clinical exam in our consultations, as well as looking into detail at their more specific problems. If your pet requires medication after their exam one of our highly experienced nurses will dispense it for you. They will then provide you with great tips on how to administer it and any questions you might have.

Vaccinations

We offer fully comprehensive vaccination services at our clinic for dogs and cats, including our smaller furry friends such as rabbits and ferrets. We always recommend vaccination for your pet but follow a responsible vaccination policy and always research the latest and safest ways to ensure that your companions are kept healthy without any unnecessary vaccinations at any time.

Puppies – Puppies can have their first vaccinations around 9-10 weeks old, with the second vaccination following three weeks later, this should be no earlier than 12 weeks of age. A puppy’s immune system is a complex machine, and we work hard to ensure we are educated and knowledgeable before we vaccinate your new puppy which is why we do not currently offer early start vaccinations. So, relax in the knowledge that we’ve done all the hard work for you to keep your puppy safe into adulthood. 

Kittens – Kittens can be vaccinated from around 9 weeks of age, with their second vaccination three weeks later. 

Rabbits – Kits, or baby rabbits, can be vaccinated for myxomatosis and viral haemorrhagic disease (VHD). We use a single vaccination given on one occasion to your rabbit from 12 weeks of age. This can then be repeated annually. We would always recommend vaccinating your rabbit to protect them, especially if you live in an area with a high population of wild rabbits, or you use untreated straw or hay in their hutches. 

Titre Testing for your dog:

We always offer titre testing for your dog. Our standard recommended approach is to carry out an initial puppy vaccination course and the first annual booster vaccination one year after their second vaccination. From here on in you might want to consider titre testing at their annual health check instead of vaccinating without any knowledge of how your dog’s immune system looks. This sometimes feels like filling a car full of fuel on a tank that might already be overflowing without checking. What this test shows us is your pet’s current immune status against the majority of the main diseases we vaccinate against, although this currently excludes leptospirosis for your dog which has no current reliable titre test (we would vaccinate against this annually for any dog at risk of coming into contact with this disease). To carry out a Titre Test it requires a blood sample taken from your pet, either from the vein in their neck or from one of their front legs. Whilst it might sound a bit scary our nurses and vets are well versed in taking blood samples daily from all kinds of dogs, so rest assured that they are in good hands.
    
Following a recent update of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association guidelines, we now offer Vaccicheck testing for your dog, which is a quick and easy in-house test that we can carry out.  

Titre Testing for your cat:

We can titre test for your cat too, however we currently have no in-house test for this so any samples need to go to an external laboratory. This means it can be a little bit more expensive, but no less important should you wish to adopt this approach for your feline friends.

Nurse Clinics

Our nurses hold several clinics to help you care for your pet at all stages of their life. You may want some help training your puppy, you may realise your cat is beginning to put on weight, your elderly rabbit might be having mobility problems. To help you provide the best care for your pet, no matter what their age, we have created a number of clinics for you and your pet to attend to help give you the support you need at the time you need it.

At these clinics you will be able to discuss your queries and concerns with a veterinary professional who will be able to offer you educated advice based on lots of experience, our nurses have been running clinics for many years now and there is little they haven’t helped our valued clients with. All our nurses are trained to offer the best service we can, and you will always find a friendly face and a supportive nurse to lean on if you need help with any aspect of your pets care and wellbeing.

We are developing our clinics all the time to add new areas of interest, but as standard our nurses can help you with the following:

  • Life stage clinics – we can help if your companion is brand new to you, or if they have been with you for many many years! A health check at these times can be useful to pick up anything you might not be aware of to keep a close eye on your pet’s health and welfare.
  • Wellbeing clinics – Keeping your pet well can sometimes need a little helping hand, so our nurses can do any of the following to help; nail clipping, anal gland emptying, weight clinics, nutrition consultations, behavioural consultations, parasite treatments.
  • Vet support consults – Our nurses are always here to support our veterinary surgeons, and do so with a range of follow up support consultations, so your vet might ask you to come and see the nurses for the following; prescribed injections, K-Laser therapy, blood sampling, weight clinics.
  • Puppy parties – Amanda, one of our lead consulting nurses, holds these sessions for brand new puppies every week. They are usually on a Monday evening for an hour between 7:30 pm and 8:30 pm. These sessions are a great opportunity for you and your puppy to come along and mingle with other dogs and their owners in a safe and friendly environment. During these classes various subjects concerning raising a dog will be covered, such as training, nutrition, general wellbeing, and welfare amongst lots of other things. Puppy parties are free for all of our puppy health plan members and spaces at our parties are limited. They require booking, so to avoid disappointment ensure you call and RSVP a place in advance.