Have a question before your book your pet in for a visit? Take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions below…
How do I book an appointment?
How often should my pet have a check-up?
This will vary, depending on your animal’s baseline level of health and wellness. But at a minimum, we recommend popping in at least once a year for an annual check-up this is performed with your pet’s annual vaccination. Remember pets age much faster than us, as a rule of thumb 1 dog year is 7 human years.
For our senior patients over 7 we recommend at least 2 checkups per year. To help with this we offer a FREE senior consult for all animals 6 months after their annual vaccinations with us.
When and why should i desex my pet?
We recommend desexing your dog at around 5-6 months of age for cats and small breed dogs. This corresponds with the average onset of sexual maturity for both male and female dogs. For larger breed dogs there is now evidence to delay desexing to 12-months where possible . Council legislation requires all dogs to receive a tattoo inside their left ear at the time of the procedure.
Benefits of de-sexing for males:
- Reduces the risk of prostate infections;
- Eliminates the risk of testicular cancer;
- Can reduce territorial aggression and marking; and
- Reduces roaming.
Benefits of de-sexing for females:
- Reduces the risk of breast cancer;
- Eliminates the risk of uterine cancer and infections;
- No bleeding from season; and
- Reduces roaming.
When can I socialise my puppy?
As a general rule 10 days after their last puppy vaccination for the course (course of three). But we offer a puppy only area safe for early socialisation at puppy preschool after their first vaccination.
My dog or cat has a lump... Should i bring it in ?
YES, if you are concerned we strongly advise a consult with the vet. The vet can perform in-house cytology or external Histopathology if necessary to get a diagnosis. Dogs get many malignant skin cancers to and the earlier they are attended to often the better the outcome.
What do i need to do before my pet has surgery?
Patients need to be fasted before any anaesthetic, sedation and sometime blood tests. The night before the scheduled procedure your pet is to have a normal dinner, then no more food after 8 pm, meaning no breakfast on the procedure day. Water may be left out over night and taken away first thing in the morning. We advised keeping cats locked up the day before scheduled surgery.
We also advise washing your pet before a surgery, when they have sutures they will not be able to be bathed for generally 10 days post surgery. Admission times for your pet on the day of the procedure are between 8-9 am but if arranged we can have a nurse available for admitting from 7 am. Admitting usually takes about 15 minutes and is a chance for us to discuss the anaesthetic, health concerns, current medication, blood tests and fluids which may be necessary. Most procedure are day surgeries and we will call to discuss a discharge time post op.
Why does my animal need pre-anaesthetic blood test?
We advise pre-anaestheic blood tests for all animals but they are particularly important for pets over 7 years old. A blood test is a much more sensitive indicator of disease than the physical exam. Screening for conditions such as thrombocytopenia, high or low glucose, high white cell counts and anaemia may greatly reduce the risk of anaesthetic and surgical procedures.
Evaluating electrolytes, haematocrit and total protein in fasted patients is essential for minimising risks of hypotension’s and arrhythmias. Checking organ functions particularly kidney and liver is also considerably important prior to an anaesthetic. Pre-anaesthetic blood testing allows the veterinarian to tailor anaesthetic protocols, enhance potential required monitoring ie BP, change anaesthetic agent , fluid therapy and pain medication based on individual results . Ultimately a safer anaesthetic for your pet. They also serve as a invaluable baseline referencing and interpreting for future blood work if your pet gets sick.
How often should i get my horses teeth done?
We recommend yearly for most horse or 6 monthly for older horses and sometime more frequently if they have a specific dental problem.
Do you see horses not already vaccinated for Hendra?
While we will see unvaccinated horses, we strongly advise that all horses are vaccinated for the Hendra viruses which is now yearly after the initial course. Unvaccinated horse put the veterinarian, owner, family and horse at risk. It also limits the treatment we can offer in certain circumstances.
Do you do house calls?
Yes we do, and if we are concerned about your animals we can transport it back to the veterinary surgery for hospitalisation. When the time comes, we also offer a home euthanasia service.