Category: November 2018

So it’s coming up to Christmas time, and obviously the perfect present for a loved one is a puppy, right? The idea of welcoming a little ball of fluff for you and your family to love every day seems absolutely wonderful. However, deciding on buying a puppy as a Christmas present can mean making hasty decisions on where your new puppy has come from. Here is a little more information on what sort of research you need to be doing before collecting a new little pet.

As a Nurse in the Veterinary industry, my advice to someone thinking about getting a puppy is to firstly, check out any local rescue shelters first as there are so many puppies and dogs out there that need loving homes. You never know you may just meet your furry soulmate. Make sure you have done plenty of research into the breed you are looking for, as of course they may have a cute little face, but that cute little face could also have an extremely tying personality and they may need plenty of time for training and exercising. But the more important factor to consider, is that if you are going to a private breeder for your puppy, make sure you have all the information possible from the breeder, and that you have seen at least the mother, ideally the father too.  To read more about things to look for when buying from a private breeder, here’s a link to the RSPCA’s guide to buying a puppy:

https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/dogs/puppy

Another thing to consider is that puppy farming is becoming one of the biggest trade markets for third party breeders. A puppy farmer often has little or no regard for a young pup’s welfare. They often forget about Biohazard security, meaning puppies are extremely prone to fatal diseases like Parvovirus, a disease which can have a devastating outcome within hours. These puppies are cruelly being bought in bulk from farms across Europe very cheaply, and then illegally smuggled into the UK and sold on. There are farms now all over the UK supporting puppy farming, and taking part in this inhumane act. According to the RSPCA, over 87 percent of puppy trade calls they receive are regarding puppies bought over the internet.

So please, if you are really wanting a little puppy for Christmas, make sure you know 100% what you are walking into. A puppy will always look after you, so make sure you return the favour.

We sometimes get asked about consultation fees – whether we charge them, and why.

We do charge a consultation fee to see our Vets, it is currently £35, or £23.50 for small furries (rabbits, hamsters etc).

Our Veterinary Surgeons are highly trained professionals, who studied for many years to be allowed to call themselves a Vet. It’s something that they are probably most proud of, out of everything they have achieved in life. They see it as a great honour to look after your pets, helping you find solutions to your problems, making your furry friend feel better, and relieving their suffering where necessary. All of this comes at a cost, as they have mortgages of their own, a car, bills, and they do need to eat every now and again, so we pay them a salary (a very well deserved salary in our opinion!). As well as our staff, our other overheads include building rent, business rates, gas, electric and water bills, computer licensing, card machine fees and stationary as well as professional fees such as RCVS registration and public liability insurance to name but a few (or should that be phew!).

We truly care about your pets, and want to give them the high quality care that they deserve. All registered Vets have to keep up to date with CPD – Continuing Professional Development. This is required by their governing body, the RCVS. CPD is a wonderful thing, it allows our vets to learn about new medications, treatments and techniques, however it does also come at a cost. It goes without saying that our surgery is equipped with modern equipment which enables us to treat your pet whilst they are with us, which again comes at a cost. There’s a theme emerging here…

Charging a consultation fee allows us to keep our medication and surgery prices as low as is practically possible. It just doesn’t sit right with us to allow you to see a vet free of charge, and then charge you higher for medication which your pet might desperately need.

We are fully transparent about our prices, they are on our website here and we will happily chat through them with you if you call. One of the more common questions that we get asked is ‘How much is it going to cost to treat my pet’. It’s not a question that we enjoy responding to, as we just don’t know. Sometimes it takes a lot of time (and money) to get to the bottom of a pet’s condition, because they just can’t tell us what’s wrong. Our vets are happy to communicate with you fully during and after a consultation or procedure, to keep you informed of the costs. We provide accurate estimates before any surgery, which we try our absolute best to stick to. Your pet’s final bill will rarely exceed your estimate. If we admit your pet to the surgery we will keep you updated of any costs on top of your estimate. Insurance can help wonders for pets in need of treatment. For more information about insurance, please see that section of our website here, or talk to us at the surgery.

We truly do believe that our services offer good value for money, however don’t just take our word for it. In a recent survey [November 2018] our clients told us that they were, on average, 99% happy with our value for money. Our Facebook reviews and testimonials also testify this.

Finally, if you ever have any questions about our prices, or anything at all, please get in touch with us via the usual methods; email, phone or pop in to the surgery and see us. And remember, if your pet is a part of our Healthy Pets Plan then they get 3 consultations included in their package to use every 12 months.

Unless you are planning to breed from your pet, we always recommend neutering them. Not only does this prevent unwanted behaviours, it can also benefit their health, especially as they age.

Entire bitches are more prone to certain cancers, such as mammary or uterine cancer. They can also develop a Pyometra, which is where the uterus becomes infected and needs removal urgently. This can be life threatening to your pet if not treated as an emergency. Entire males are at a higher risk of developing testicular and prostate cancer, and certain anal tumours. Entire female and male dogs can both display unwanted behaviours, such as mounting, aggression and even false pregnancy, which can be distressing for both the bitch and the owner.

Both male and female cats will ‘call’ to potential mates. Females will have seasons every 3 weeks and consistently call if they do not get pregnant. The noise can be a nuisance! Entire male cats are more likely to stray, and can be involved in fights and road traffic accidents, as well as contributing towards unwanted or unexpected litters.

We routinely neuter cats from 4 months of age, and dogs from 6 months of age. We are unable to neuter a bitch when she is in season, so would recommend either neutering before the first season or waiting for 3 months afterwards.

Neutering both cats and dogs does involve an anaesthetic, for which there are always risks, however we believe that the benefits greatly outweigh the risks of the anaesthetic. If you are unsure about neutering your pet, please do talk to us. We can provide tailored advice for your pet and reassure you where necessary.

Recovery time varies on a case by case basis, and most patients are just with us for the day with no overnight stay required. Male cats will not have sutures, however female cats and both male and female dogs will have sutures for at least 10 days. During this time we recommend lead only walks and keeping your cat indoors. Your pet will usually have a buster collar or a bodysuit to prevent them reaching their sutures. Your nurse will see your pet for 2 post op checks, with the final check to remove sutures. These are included in the price, as well as additional post op checks if required.

For neutering prices please see here.

Dogs and cats, just like humans, can get a build-up of plaque on their teeth after eating, due to food binding with saliva and bacteria and forming a film-like layer. If this plaque is not brushed away it can lead to tartar build up, which is the visible substance that you can often see on their teeth. Again, if this tartar is left untreated it can cause gum disease which can lead to multiple other problems including bad breath and tooth loss. It is so common in dogs, that studies show over 80% of dogs under 3 years old have some stage of dental disease. [Kennel Club]

Dental disease can be painful, but most pets are good at hiding the signs, and will rarely stop eating altogether. Signs to look out for in your pet include difficulty picking up toys/treats, bleeding or red gums, dribbling and even pawing at their face or mouth. If you have any concerns, please contact us in the first instance.

If dental problems aren’t treated timely, tooth loss will occur. More frighteningly, bacteria can enter the blood stream, which can cause problems for your pet, such as kidney, lung or heart disease.

To treat dental disease, your pet will most likely need a general anaesthetic to allow a scale and polish to be performed, including extractions where necessary. In some patients, a pre-anaesthetic blood test will be performed first to allow us to obtain a picture of your pets overall health. We might also recommend that your pet is placed on intravenous fluids throughout their surgery.

To prevent dental disease in the future, your vet or nurse can show you how to brush your pets teeth regularly. This is best started when your pet is a puppy or kitten. There are also products to slow down the build-up, such as specialist chews. In some cases, we might recommend that you try a dental specific diet for your pet, but this can be discussed at your appointment.

An estimate of costs for dental work will be given to you at your vet appointment. Some insurance companies will cover dental work, however most won’t. We can advise on this at your appointment.