Pet Care

We provide a wide range of services for your pets. Vets from the practice are available for emergencies 24hrs a day, so should your pet become unwell, you can expect to see one of the usual team, and not a vet from another clinic.

We are inspected by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (the “RCVS”) at least every four years to ensure that the highest standards of medicine, equipment and infection control are maintained. We have achieved Tier 2 status.

Vaccinations for cats, dogs and rabbits

Dogs and Puppies

We can vaccinate puppies starting from 7 weeks of age & then a 2nd injection is given 2-4 weeks after the 1st injection, but puppies must be 10 weeks of age or over for the 2nd injection. The usual protocol is 1st injection at 8 weeks old & 2nd injection at 10 weeks old. The injections are given in the back of the neck under the skin. We vaccinate puppies/dogs against 5 infectious diseases:

  • Distemper (hardpad)
  • Hepatitis
  • Parvovirus
  • Parainfluenza
  • Leptospirosis

Boosters are given every year after this initial course. At 1 year of age, your dog will be given a full booster protecting against all 5 diseases again. At age 2 & 3 years, they will be given a leptospirosis booster. At age 4 years then every 3rd year thereafter, a full booster is given.

Kennel Cough:

We can also vaccinate dogs against Kennel Cough (Bordetella bronchiseptica), but this is a separate optional vaccine which involves a small volume of liquid vaccine being squirted into the nose. This is given once (no need for a 2nd dose) & gives protection against kennel cough for 1 year. Annual boosters are therefore necessary. Puppies can be vaccinated from 8 weeks of age. The onset of immunity is 5 days.

*NEW* We now have an oral kennel cough vaccine where the vaccine is squirted into the mouth. Dogs tolerate this really well! (Updated July 2020).

Rabies:

This vaccine is only given to pets who will be travelling abroad. We can vaccinate dogs from 12 weeks of age. One injection is required, which must be given at least 2 weeks apart from any other vaccination, then boosters are needed every 3 years. The injection is given in the back of the neck.

Information regarding taking your pet abroad & Brexit: http://www.bva.co.uk/news-and-blog/news-article/vets-call-for-urgent-clarity-on-post-brexit-pet-travel/

Leishmania:

This vaccine is offered to clients who are taking their dogs abroad, specifically to Southern Europe & other tropical and subtropical locations, where sandflies live. Sandflies carry the parasite Leishmania infantum & when they bite, they transfer this parasite into the dog’s blood. It is also a disease that humans can get from animals (a zoonosis). There is a very long incubation period; the time from an infected bite to showing signs of disease can be up to 7 years! We can start vaccination from 6 months of age. Each dog needs 3 injections, the 2nd dose is given 3 weeks after the 1st and the 3rd is given 3 weeks after the 2nd. Once this primary course is complete, annual boosters are required.

We send booster reminders, mainly now by email but we can also send a text message. Please let us know your up-to-date contact details and inform us of any changes.

Cats and Kittens

Standard vaccinations:

We vaccinate cats & kittens from 8-9 weeks of age & then a 2nd injection is given 3-4 weeks after the 1st injection. The injections are given in the back of the neck. We vaccinate cats & kittens against the following 4 diseases:-

  • Herpes virus (cat flu)
  • Calicivirus (cat flu)
  • Panleucopaenia (enteritis)
  • Feline Leukaemia Virus

Rabies:

This vaccine is only given to pets who will be travelling abroad. We can vaccinate cats from 12 weeks of age. One injection is required, which must be given at least 2 weeks apart from any other vaccination, then boosters are needed every 3 years. The injection is given in the back of the neck.

Information regarding travelling with your pet & what happens with Brexit:

https://www.bva.co.uk/news-and-blog/news-article/vets-call-for-urgent-clarity-on-post-brexit-pet-travel/ 

We send booster reminders, mainly now by email but we can also send a text message. Please let us know your up-to-date contact details and inform us of any changes.

Rabbits

We vaccinate rabbits against the following 3 diseases:-

  • Myxomatosis
  • Viral Haemorrhagic Disease type 1 (VHD-1)
  • Viral Haemorrhagic Disease type 2 (VHD-2)

*NEW* We have a new triple rabbit vaccination now which in 1 injection once a year protects against all 3 of the above diseases. (Updated July 2020).

We send booster reminders, mainly now by email but we can also send a text message. Please let us know your up-to-date contact details and inform us of any changes.

Just some of our other services:

  • Vet consultations for cats, dogs, rabbits, rodents, birds, reptiles. We have an advanced practitioner vet, qualified in small animal medicine (Jenny Ross)

  • Vaccinations for dogs, cats, rabbits and ferrets.

  • Spaying & castration (neutering) of dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets and rodents.

  • Surgeries for a wide variety of conditions – lump removals, exploratory surgeries, biopsies, thyroid gland removal, dental extractions & treatment, fracture repair, cruciate repair (TTA & lateral suture methods), eye surgeries, & many more.

  • Nurse clinics – these include clinics post surgery, nail clipping, elderly pet health checks, diet and feeding advice, free weight clinics, dental care and dry eye monitoring.

  • Microchipping – the gold standard for identifying and optimising your prospects of a rapid return should you lose your pet.

  • Puppy parties- an opportunity to socialise your puppy and get advice on all aspects of care and training.

  • Dental treatment including extractions as well as descaling & polishing teeth with an ultrasonic machine.

  • Laboratory facilities including blood and urine testing at the practice and access to specialist testing at external labs.

  • Blood transfusions.

  • Chemotherapy.

  • Pet travel scheme, rabies vaccinations, passports, export of pets.

  • Preventative health care – vaccinations and parasite control.

  • Ultrasound scanning.

  • Hospitalisation in separate dog & cat wards.

  • Isolation ward.

  • X-rays (digital).

  • Endoscopy.

  • Prompt referral to specialist consultants where appropriate.

  • ECGs (electrical tracings of the heart).

  • Acupuncture.

  • Home visits.

Our appointments

During office hours Monday to Friday (8.30am – 6pm) and Saturday (9am – 1pm), our receptionists are available to make appointments for consultations, during the mornings, afternoons & evenings, which help to reduce waiting times and allow client/ pet/vet continuity.

Our appointments are 15 minutes long, giving you & your pet quality time with the vet. If you would like to see a specific veterinary surgeon, please tell us and wherever possible we will book you in with that vet.

In the case of an emergency, a receptionist or nurse will admit the animal for immediate treatment with a vet. We aim to provide the standard of care that we would wish for our own pets.

Important Information:

Repeat prescriptions

In accordance with current legal and Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons’ advice, it is required that all animals on long-term medication should be examined at least every six months; this allows us to:

  • Monitor any changes in the conditions we are treating,
  • Ensure the effectiveness of the medication & check the patient’s weight,
  • Check for new developments, which may make the medication inappropriate or indicate a dosage review,
  • Monitor for any possible side-effects.

Please give us 24 hours’ notice if you require a repeat prescription. Reception is very busy at peak times and given a bit of warning we can prepare & dispense medications so that they are ready for you to collect and you are not kept waiting.

In advance of surgery

Routine surgeries for dogs & cats usually require them to have no food from midnight the previous evening, arriving at the surgery at 8.30-9am on the day (an admission appointment will be made for you with one of our Vet Nurses). Food is not withheld from rabbits pre-anaesthesia. Surgery is usually performed in the morning and your pet will be ready to collect between 3-5pm. A discharge appointment time will be arranged with the nurse when your pet is admitted & you will be asked to sign a consent form which will include an estimate of cost. Advice on aftercare is given at the time of discharge by a vet nurse.