CONSULTATION - A full examination is recommended at least annually and depending on the patient’s age and medical condition, possibly more frequently. A full examination includes temp, heart/lungs, abdominal palpation, teeth and ears. Feel free to discuss any health issues or concerns you may have.  

VACCINATIONS are recommended in puppies and kittens starting at 6 weeks of age. Adult dogs should be vaccinated against the main viral diseases of Parvovirus, Distemper, and Hepatitis. Speak with your vet to see which vaccination regime best suits your dog. Boarding kennels require dogs to have a C6 vaccination and cats an F3 vaccination given at least 2 weeks prior to going to boarding kennels.

Parvovirus affects dogs of all ages but mostly pups and younger dogs. The virus affects the intestines causing bloody diarrhoea and vomiting which leads to dehydration and sometimes death. Parvovirus is not only spread from one dog to another, but also can be brought home on shoes and car tyres. Parvovirus requires hospitalisation, and supportive intravenous fluids; and can be expensive to treat. Vaccination is your dog’s only protection.

Feline Aids affects the cat’s immune system, in much the same way as human AIDS. Feline AIDS is transmitted in the saliva through bites from cats infected with the Feline AIDS virus. As the disease progresses - weight loss, poor coat, and chronic infections may occur. Vaccination and or isolation from other cats is the best preventative for Feline AIDS. The initial vaccination is a course of 3 vaccinations, followed by an annual vaccination. Feline Aids is becoming more prevalent in the cat population.

WORMING  - Puppies and kittens should be wormed every 2 weeks from four weeks of age.  Adult cats and dogs every 3-4 months with a reputable worm tablet, ie Milbemax or Drontal.  Cheaper worm tablets don’t usually eliminate all worms.

Dogs and cats can become infected with four different types of worms; hookworm, tapeworm, roundworm and whipworm.  There are many symptoms but the more common symptoms you might see are: worms in the faeces, weight loss, or scooting on their bottom.  Tape worm can be transmitted to humans with disastrous consequences, so be sure to worm your dog regularly.

HEARTWORM - disease is a serious and potentially life threatening disease which can be easily prevented with monthly or annual treatments.  Heartworm is spread by mosquitoes, so any dog can be infected regardless of how much contact they have with other dogs.  If there are mosquito’s around - your pet may become infected.  Before commencing a preventative medication your dog requires a simple blood test.  This requires a couple of drops of blood and can be quickly and easily done at time of consultation.  There are numerous preventative medications available – discuss these with your vet to determine which would work best for you and your pet.

FLEA CONTROL – We stock a large range of topical flea preventatives.  Be sure to treat your dog regularly for year round protection. Our reception staff can assist you in your choice of product.

SURGERY/DESEXING - We use Isoflurane  anaesthetic, the safest anaesthetic  gas available and have a range of monitoring instruments and equipment to monitor your pets vital signs whilst undergoing all anaesthetic procedures.   Intravenous fluid support during surgery and pain relief lasting 24-48 hours is administered.  Pre anaesthetic blood testing is recommended for older animals before undergoing surgery.

Surgery can be expensive, so please ask for an estimate.
 
DENTISTRY - dental disease is common in domestic pets, often leading to bad breath, and tartar build up on the teeth.  Healthy teeth are vital to the general health and well being of any animal.  We are fully equipped for routine and complex dental procedures, including ultrasonic cleaning, scaling and polishing.  Please ask our reception staff for information regarding Hills range of Oral Care and T/D foods for dogs and cats.

X RAYS - We have just upgraded our radiograph equipment to digital radiography which allows us to convert normal x rays to a digital image enhancing the radiographs for better bone and soft tissue detail.

HOSPITALISATION - When having routine surgery we aim to get your pets home to you on the same day of surgery – we know that’s where they are happiest. In the event they need to stay in hospital we have climate controlled hospital cages, and dog runs.

PUPPY TRAINING is recommended for puppies from 8-14 weeks of age.  Puppies must have had their first vaccination before attending puppy training.  Puppies learn in a safe and controlled environment the social skills, verbal cues and acceptable behaviours required to make great family pets.  Our classes are run by two qualified vet nurse instructors who are experienced in puppy training and are able to answer any of your questions regarding your new puppy.  Puppy training is held on Wednesday evenings, from 6.00pm – 7.00pm and runs for four weeks.  Classes are kept to a maximum of 6 puppies, so you will need to book in advance with reception as classes fill quickly.    

PATHOLOGY - We have well equipped “in house” pathology available for immediate use by our veterinarians. These include urinalysis, skin and ear cytology, faecal floats, as well as a range of antigen/antibody tests for diagnosis of diseases such as parvovirus, heartworm disease and feline aids virus More complex tests are outsourced to Symbion, Gribbles, and Path New England. We have access to specialist vet pathologists at these labs to discuss any complex or unusual cases.

CLIPPING & GROOMING - Some of our regulars enjoy a weekly hydro bath and blow-dry.  

GROOMING - Shampoo in our hydro bath with a medicated, flea or soothing shampoo, brush and blow dry, and nail trim if required.

CLIPPING includes clip to your specifications, hydro bath, brush and blow dry, nail trim and ear plucking if required. Regular clipping is recommended for long haired pets – this prevents matting.  In the warmer months we recommend booking well in advance.

RANGE OF VETERINARY DIETS AND ADVICE - We offer a range of premium pet foods, including veterinary diets and prescription foods for specific disorders.   Our reception staff can assist you with your selection and offer nutritional advice.  We stock a variety of Hills & Advance dog and cat food.

MICROCHIPPING - About the size of a grain of rice, a microchip contains a 15 digit permanent identification number which is easily implanted under the skin between the shoulder blades. The microchip number is entered onto a data base with the owners contact details. To enable your pet to be returned to you in the event of being found, lost or stolen remember to update your details with council each time you move house or change telephone numbers.

The law requires that dogs and cats must be microchipped before being sold by the breeder.

ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION FOR DOGS - We use progesterone assay via blood testing of the bitch to time the insemination and our methods have proved to be successful over many cases with a high pregnancy rate.

BIRD CONSULTATION - Since breeding budgies for pocket money, Chris's interest in birds has grown over the years to include all domestic birds, chooks and our native bird life.   Some bird diseases can be transmitted to humans making us very ill, so if your bird is showing any symptoms it’s a good idea to organise a consult.

Some of the more interesting cases we have treated for WIRES at no cost are a Wedge-tailed Eagle with a broken wing, and a Red-tailed Tropicbird that was far from home.