Services

Preventative Healthcare involves changing the focus of healthcare from treating sickness to promoting and maintaining good health. Preventative care occurs before your pet becomes ill, or you notice any symptoms, and the goal is to prevent or delay the onset of illness and disease.

Early Detection involves screening patients to uncover problems that are not obvious to pet owners or not detectable on a physical examination.

Preventative and early detection healthcare involves a variety of services including:

• Vaccinations
• Parasite (flea and worm) control
• 6-monthly physical examinations
• Screening laboratory tests
• Nutritional and weight management advice

When preventative care is used, and illnesses are caught early enough, we can avoid and better control health problems in our pets. Early detection allows for early management of illnesses - this often results in:

• A better prognosis
• Less pain and distress
• Lower treatment costs

Allowing our pets to live healthier, happier & longer lives.

Understanding Your Pet’s Blood Test Results

Full Blood Test

Blood tests can help us to (i) identify problems not easily determined on clinical examination, (ii) determine causes of some illnesses, (iii) rule problems out, (iv) monitor the progress of certain conditions and (v) evaluate the progress of medical treatments. This guide explains common tests in order to help you better understand your pet’s blood test results.

Haematology/Complete Blood Count (CBC)

This is a common blood test performed on pets and people. It gives information on hydration status, anaemia, infection, the blood’s clotting ability and the ability of the immune system to respond. This test is especially helpful for pets with fevers, vomiting, diarrhoea, weakness, pale gums or loss of appetite. If your pet needs surgery, a CBC can detect bleeding disorders or other unseen abnormalities.

• HCT (haematocrit) measures the percentage of red blood cells to detect anaemia and dehydration.
• Hb and MCHC (haemoglobin and mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration) are the oxygen carrying pigments of red blood cells.
• WBC (white blood cell count) measures the body’s immune cells. Increases or decreases indicate certain diseases or infections.
• GRANS and L/M (granulocytes and lymohocytes/monocytes) are specific types of white blood cells.
• EOS (eosinophils) are a specific type of white blood cells that may indicate allergic or parasitic conditions.
• PLT (platelet count) measures cells that form blood clots).
• RETICS (reticulocytes) are immature red blood cells. High levels may indicate regenerative anaemia.

Blood Chemistries

These blood serum tests evaluate organ function and electrolyte status. They are important in evaluating older pets, health before anaesthesia, pets with vomiting and diarrhoea or poison exposure and pets receiving long-term medication.

• ALB (albumin) is a serum protein that helps evaluate hydration, haemorrhage and intestinal, liver and kidney disease.
• ALKP (alkaline phosphatase) elevations may indicate liver damage, Cushing’s disease and active bone growth in young animals. This test is especially significant in cats.
• ALT (alanine aminotransferase) is a sensitive indicator of active liver damage but does not indicate the cause.
• AMYL and L/M (alanine aminotransferase) is a sensitive indicator of active liver damage but does not indicate the cause.
• UREA (eosinophils) (alanine aminotransferase) is a sensitive indicator of active liver damage but does not indicate the cause.
• CREA (creatinine) reveals kidney function. This helps to distinguish between kidney and non-kidney causes of elevated UREA.
• CA (calcium) deviations can indicate a variety of diseases. Tumours, hyper para thyroidism, kidney disease and low albumin are just a few of the conditions that can alter a serum calcium.
• CHOL (cholesterol) is used to supplement diagnosis of hypo thyroidism, liver disease, Cushing’s disease and diabetes mellitus.
• GLOB (globulin) is a blood protein that often increases with chronic inflammation and certain disease states.
• GLU (glucose) is a blood sugar. High levels may indicate diabetes mellitus. Low levels can cause collapse, seizures and coma.
• TP (total protein) indicates hydration status and provides additional information about liver, kidney and infectious diseases.
• K (potassium) is an electrolyte lost in vomiting, diarrhoea or excessive urination. Increased levels may indicate kidney failure, Addison’s disease, dehydration and urethral obstruction. High levels can lead to cardiac arrest.
• Na (sodium) is an electrolyte lost in vomiting, diarrhoea and kidney and Addison’s disease. This test helps indicate hydration status.
• Cl (chloride) is an electrolyte often lost in vomiting and Addison’s disease. Elevations often indicate dehydration.
• P (phosphorus) is a mineral that helps to diagnose kidney disease and disorders of calcium balance.

Treating and Preventing Fleas and Ticks

Fleas

Fleas are among the most common health problems of dogs and cats. In the long run, it is much easier and more cost-effective to prevent fleas on pets than to have to treat a major infestation of fleas in the house. Regular use of flea products will take care of the occasional flea your pets may encounter in the garden and should prevent you from having to spend large sums money on fumigation and pest control products.

Fleas will bite your pets, causing an itchy allergic reaction, which can become quite severe. They can carry viral and bacterial diseases. In small animals, especially puppies and kittens, the anemia they cause from feeding on the animal’s blood can be fatal. They also carry tapeworms. Tapeworm segments in the stool or around the rectal area look like small grains of rice. If your dog or cat has fleas, chances are good he has tapeworms - and vice versa.

Wildlife, as well as other cats and dogs, bring fleas into your garden. Pets and people can then bring the fleas into the house. Birds nesting in the attic or mice seeking shelter can also bring fleas into your home. Fleas also travel on their own, as much as a mile an hour. They will hop inside through an open door or window and are often small enough to come through a window screen. Once inside your home there is no place a flea cannot get to. Adult fleas spend most of their time on your pet, but the remainder of the time they are roaming your house and laying eggs – thousands of them!

If you’ve never been lucky enough to see a flea, they are about 1/8-inch-long, reddish brown and shaped like a sesame seed with legs. They are usually found on your pet’s head, belly or lower back. If you ripple the hair backwards and look at the skin they can be seen scurrying through the base of the hair coat. The droppings they leave behind can be seen in clusters. They look like grains of pepper. If you place some of these on a moistened white sheet of paper they will smudge into red blotches. This is because flea droppings contain digested blood. Plain dirt stays black or gray when wet.

Prevention

Fleas can usually be prevented by TREATING ALL PETS THAT GO OUTDOORS so they don’t bring reproducing fleas into the house. If you had fleas in previous years it is wise to use an environmental flea spray in the house as well, especially on the ground floor near doors and windows. This will kill the occasional flea that hops in on its own.

Many flea products sold in supermarkets and pet stores are not very effective. Some are even harmful to pets. Most compounds strong enough to be effective are available only through veterinary practices who are properly trained in their use. Insecticides should be used only according to label directions.

CARE IS NEEDED TO ENSURE THAT TOXICITY DOES NOT DEVELOP DUE TO THE CONCURRENT USE OF OTHER DRUGS, PESTICIDES OR CHEMICALS, OR BECAUSE THE COMPOUND USED WAS NOT SAFE FOR A PARTICULAR AGE OR TYPE OF ANIMAL.

Many insecticidal flea collars available in stores are not very effective and may even cause skin irritation on the pet’s neck. Flea shampoos and soaps are great for cleaning a dog or cat with fleas, but they often have no residual effect. They only kill fleas present on the pet at the time the bath is given.

As soon as the animal dries off, fleas will hop right back on. For long-term control you need a product that safely stays in or on the body for weeks or months at a time.

New Products on the Market

There are several new products on the market, which are changing the way we deal with fleas. Many products are very EFFECTIVE, EASY TO ADMINISTER (tablets and spot-on’s) and work on MORE THAN ONE TYPE OF PARASITE. Some products contain growth inhibitors/regulators (e.g. lufeneron in Program injection/tablets and S-methoprene in Indorex house spray).

These don’t kill adult fleas, but they BREAK THE LIFE CYCLE by preventing flea eggs from hatching and other immature stages from developing further (e.g. Program injection/tablets, Indorex environmental spray).

In our practice, we use Bravecto for the treatment of tick and flea infestations in dogs and cats. This product gets into blood stream by giving a tablet to dogs and applying a spot-on to cats (i.e. it is systemic). It is an insecticide (kills fleas) and acaricide (kills ticks). Bravecto provides IMMEDIATE and PERSISTENT flea (Ctenocephalides felis) and tick (Ixodes ricinus) killing activity for 3 MONTHS. Fleas and ticks must attach to the pet and commence feeding to be exposed to the active substance. The onset of effect is within 8 hours of attachment for fleas (C. felis) and 12 hours of attachment for ticks.

The product can be used as part of a treatment strategy for the control of flea allergy dermatitis (FAD).

We also stock Program©, Stronghold© and Advocate© for selected cases or on request. We stock Indorex© for the environment.

Program© is an injection given to cats every 6 months and an oral medication given to dogs once a month. It circulates in the pet’s bloodstream and is ingested by the flea when it bites the pet. The medication is a flea hormone, which will prevent the eggs that fleas lay from hatching out. This hormone has no effect on mammals so Program© has NO SIDE EFFECTS OR CONTRAINDICATIONS.

The medication makes its way into the bloodstream and affects the flea when the flea bites the pet.
The great thing about Program and Indorex is that they WILL prevent your home from being infested.

Ticks

Tick are blood-sucking parasites that lurk in long grass and attach to unsuspecting pets when they pass. They can cause skin infections or abscesses where they attach and potentially transmit diseases such as LYME DISEASE.

Most flea products kill or repel ticks, but TICKS ARE TOUGHER THAN FLEAS. They take longer to die and fall off the pet.

Bravecto is the product we recommend to treat and prevent tick infestations.

If you are considering beginning a flea or tick control program for your pets, please consult with us.

There are so many products on the market nowadays that it’s difficult to decide which ones are right for you. We are more than happy to help!

PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT US
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT ANY STAGE

We are here to help you!

Neutering Cats

The average lifespan of a neutered pet is much longer than that of an unneutered one.
Unspayed females can develop breast cancer or severe uterine infections by the time they are 8-10 years of age. Unspayed females are also in heat frequently, during which time they are noisy and troublesome to live with.

Unneutered male cats have very strong smelling urine, which they like to spray in the house to mark their territory. They are also prone to wander in search of female cats and are very territorial as well. These traits lead to high rates of death from being run over by cars, fight wounds and contagious illnesses (for some of which there is no cure e.g. Feline Immunodeficiency Virus and Feline Leukemia Virus).

Neutering Dogs

Almost all unspayed female dogs will eventually develop either mammary tumours (breast cancer) or a severe uterine infection called pyometra, by the time they are 8-10 years old. Female dogs also go through a messy heat cycle (season) two to three times each year.

Male dogs commonly develop prostate disease, peri-anal tumours and testicular cancer in their old age. Even more sadly, one of the more common reasons for euthanasia of pets is behaviour problems. These are usually aggression, running away, or urinating in the house by unneutered male dogs. Intact males also have greater tendencies to roam, which lead to road traffic accidents, dog fights and contagious diseases.

If cost is a concern for having surgery, just £5-10 per week saved from the time you get your puppy until he or she is 6 months old will be more than enough to cover the surgery.

Neutering Rabbits

Why neuter?

• Prevention of Pregnancy: This is the most common reason that rabbits are neutered, particularly if there are both male and female rabbits living together in a household.
• Prevention of Uterine Cancer: This is the most compelling medical incentive to neuter female rabbits. In some rabbit populations the rate of uterine adenocarcinoma, which is a malignant uterine cancer, can approach 80% of the females.
• Prevention of Other Uterine Disease: Cases of other uterine disease such as pyometra (infected uterus full of pus), uterine aneurysm (uterus full of blood) and endometritis (inflamed uterine lining) also occur in rabbits.
• Prevention of Aggressive Behaviour: Both male and female rabbits can display aggressive behaviour when they are fully in the state of sexual maturity.
• Prevention of Urine Spraying: Both male and females can spray urine on vertical surfaces to make their territory. This is more common in males.
• Prevention of Testicular Disease: Most commonly we see abscesses (usually the result of bite wounds from other rabbits), haematomas (blood filled areas) and cancer.

When should I neuter my pet?

During the recent few years, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NEUTERING PETS HAVE CHANGED. Traditionally, neutering in dogs has been recommended at 6 months of age REGARDLESS of gender, breed or size. What we know now is that we need to CONSIDER EACH PET AS AN INDIVIDUAL and base the decision to neuter on things like the animal’s size (when adult), age, breed, behaviour and environment.

Whilst there are significant behavioural and health benefits to neutering, early neutering can increase the risks of some conditions, especially in large breed dogs, but this can be reduced by waiting. Please speak to one of our vets about the best time to neuter male dogs.

General Guidelines for Dogs

Small Breeds: <10kg adult weight e.g. Pomeranian, chihuahua, shitzu, etc.
From 6 months old - ideally before first season in females (reduces risk of mammary cancer even more if done before the first season).  May want to wait in males with fear aggression as testosterone exposure can help improve confidence

Medium Breeds: 10-25kg adult weight e.g. Spaniels, whippets, border collies, etc
From 6 months old - May want to wait in males with fear aggression as testosterone exposure can help improve confidence

Large Breeds: >25kg adult weight e.g. Labradors, German shepherds, lurchers, etc.
Neuter once fully grown because of concerns of increased risks for joint problems with younger age neutering.  Most large breed dogs are fully grown at about 12 months. 

Giant breed dogs e.g. Bull Mastiffs, St Bernards, Great Danes, etc. 
Neutered when fully grown at about 18 months old.

Note: females of large and giant breed dogs are recommended to be neutered between first and second seasons (to reduce risk of mammary cancer).

General Guidelines for Cats 

Cats can be neutered from 4 months old for both males and females. There are no known health concerns with neutering at this age; and they tend to recover from surgery quicker at this younger age.

Are there any disadvantages to neutering at a later age? 

If your pet is displaying any aggressive tendencies or urine marking behaviours, spaying or neutering EARLIER rather than later may be beneficial. 

Spaying females AFTER their first heat/season may lead to an INCREASE in development of mammary cancer as opposed to spaying before the first heat. 

Having intact male and female dogs in the same household could result in unwanted breeding, so spaying or neutering before sexual maturity would be recommended in this situation. 

Finally, there may be personal reasons for wanting your dog to be spayed or neutered early, such as not wanting to deal with the “mess” of a dog in heat/season, cost concerns or other issues.

Please note, we still strongly recommend that you spay and neuter pets, as many behavioural and health issues can be prevented by doing so. But, the new evidence is convincing for waiting a bit later to do surgery in our large and giant breed male dogs. 

General Guidelines for Rabbits

Depending on the breed, from four to nine months.

Talk to our veterinary surgeons to get all the information you need and make decisions that are best for the health of your individual pet.

Things to consider before breeding from your pet

1. Do you have the time to raise a litter of kittens or puppies? The time and effort required may be considerable, especially if problems are encountered.
2. Is your pet a good representative of his/her breed? Up to 40% of purebred dogs have some form of genetic defect which they can pass on to their offspring.
3. Look at the general health of the breed. Are there any problems such as hip dysplasia or seizures?
4. Can you afford the expense if your pet becomes pregnant and needs veterinary care for associated problems? Caesarean sections and other emergency care can be very expensive (and are not always covered by insurance—check your policy).

In Summary

• We recommend spaying (surgical removal of the ovaries and uterus) of females and castration (surgical removal of the testicles) of males, for all pets that will not be used for purebred breeding.
• Your pet will be healthier and happier, and you will have done your part to reduce the pet overpopulation problem.
• You will be helping to prevent many dogs and cats being put to death each year because there are not enough homes for them all.

To talk to one of our friendly team and find out more, please Contact your Practice. Alternatively to make a booking with us, please click here.

Neutering is the responsible thing to do.

95% of puppies can be born with intestinal worms! These parasites can cause vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, stunted growth and even death. Some kinds are also transmissible to humans. Many cases of animal roundworms cause illness in children every year.

We recommend deworming puppies monthly until 6 months old, then every 3 months thereafter. In cases of increased risk e.g. where pets are hunters, scavenge, eat other animals faeces, etc., then monthly deworming is recommended.

For prevention of internal parasites, remove faecal material from your garden regularly and dispose of it.

So that you may better understand the problems internal parasites can cause, and what signs to look for, we have included a short description of the five most common types of internal parasites.

Roundworms . . .

are the most common type of intestinal worm. They are 2-4 inches long and resemble strands of spaghetti. They live in the small intestine, and may cause vomiting, diarrhea or weight loss. Larval worms also damage the liver and lungs while migrating through these organs on their way to the small intestine. Roundworms are transmitted via stools of other infected dogs or cats, or through the uterus of the mother dog to her unborn pups. Entire worms can sometimes be seen in the stools or vomitus of infested animals.

Hookworms . . . 

are half inch long worms that attach to the lining of the small intestine, causing blood loss and diarrhea. Puppies can become infected through the mother’s uterus before birth, or via her milk after birth. Older animals acquire hookworms through skin contact with the stools of other dogs or cats.

Whipworms . . .

live in the large intestine. They are not as common as the other intestinal parasites but the disease they cause can be very serious. Bloody diarrhea and weight loss are the symptoms seen. These worms are transmitted by ingestion of the stools of infested animals.

Tapeworms . . .

live in the small intestine, where the head attaches to the intestinal wall and produces a chain of segments. Mature segments containing eggs are passed with the stool, or may be seen around the rectum. They resemble small grains of rice. They may be acquired by the ingestion of rodents or birds or, most commonly, through the ingestion of fleas. Flea control is essential to control tapeworm infestation.

Coccidia . . .

are one-celled protozoal parasites, more like bacteria rather than “worms”. Puppies can pick these up from their mother and they can also be acquired by eating rabbit or other wildlife droppings. They are treated with antibiotics.

Giardia . . .

are also protozoans. Antibiotics or special wormers kill them but they are difficult to eradicate completely and often flare up with stress or other intestinal problems. They are contagious to humans and cause vomiting and diarrhea in both people and pets.

When a pet reaches approximately 8 years of age, they are equivalent to retirement age in humans. As your pet reaches this stage in their life, their every day requirements change.

With the ageing process, changes occur in the function of the body. Some of these changes can be seen from the outside: weight gain or loss, stiffness, dull hair/coat, loss of sight or hearing. Some changes, however, occur internally and can’t be discovered without laboratory testing. Unfortunately, by the time symptoms of illness can be seen (in liver or kidney disease for example) organ damage is already in the advanced stages.

Cats are notoriously good at hiding all signs of illness so, although your cat may seem healthy well into their senior years, many problems common in senior cats, such as kidney and heart disease may not show obvious signs until your cat becomes seriously ill.

Regular examinations and senior care testing can help identify problems early enough to prevent and/or slow down senior health ailments. Early detection of disease often means more effective and less costly treatment options. Senior testing can help establish normal baseline values for your pet, creating a point of comparison for the future.

Key Points

• Pets can age four to seven times faster than humans
• Like humans, being aware of the signs of ageing is the first step to ensuring your pet lives a long and comfortable life
• The signs of ageing in a cat are not always obvious. They include hypertension, diabetes, dental disease and osteoarthritis
• 3 in 10 cats and 1 in 10 dogs have kidney disease
• 1 in 10 cats over 9 have hyperthyroidism
• We can provide advice and support for you and your pet as it gets older so please ask about health screening for senior pets

Key Illnesses to be aware of:

• Kidney disease
• Heart disease
• Dental disease
• Diabetes mellitus
• Hypo/hyperthyroidism
• Liver disease
• Cancer
• Impaired senses
• Cognitive dysfunction (senility)
• Urinary incontinence/infections
• Osteoarthritis

Symptoms that suggest senior problems:

• Weight loss or weight gain
• Increased drinking and/or increased urination
• Reduced activity or lethargy
• Vomiting or diarrhoea
• Poor hair/coat
• Unusual behaviour
• Difficulty walking/moving
• Coughing

What's involved in a Senior Testing Program?

Tests may include some or all of the following elements based on the physical examination:

• A Comprehensive Physical Examination - The most important element. This Involves assessing all body systems and identifying abnormalities
• Blood pressure measurement - Helpful in heart, kidney and some metabolic diseases, eye diseases, obesity
• Blood tests - Helps diagnose kidney and liver dis-ease, diabetes, anaemia or infection (SDMA: test for early stages of kidney disease, before other biochemistry markers increase)
• Urine tests - Gives information on kidney function and kidney/bladder infection
• Thyroid screen - Helps diagnose thyroid disease

Arthritis

Find out more about Arthritis here

Laser, Platelet-rich Plasma and Stem Cell Therapy

Therapeutic Laser Treatment

Laser Therapy ("Cold Laser" or "K-Laser") uses light to accelerate the body’s natural healing processes.

Wound Healing:

Laser therapy increases the speed of wound healing by altering cell metabolism and specific blood hormone and protein levels. It can be used to speed the healing rate in chronic ulcers and skin wounds.

Pain management:

By controlling chemicals released from cells during inflammation, we use laser therapy as an alternative to painkilling drugs which have strong analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. It can be used for a wide range of clinical conditions from arthritis and muscle damage to skin conditions like inflamed ears.

With its pain management and wound properties it is routinely used by our practice after surgery, such as neutering and other more invasive procedures, as an effective alternative or addition to traditional painkillers. We find that it dramatically reduces pain and inflammation.

No Side Effects:

Many clients prefer the use of laser therapy compared to NSAID medication, e.g. meloxicam, as there are no side effects and the anti-inflammatory and analgesic benefits are quickly seen. This is especially important when pets need to be on long-term painkillers for conditions such as arthritis. Laser therapy is safe and compatible with other pain-relieving treatments.