FOR PET OWNERS
Before you entrust us with the veterinary care of your pet, you’ll probably want to know a little more about how we work:
Underlying everything we do is the old maxim: 'prevention is better than cure'. Obviously, that's the best approach for the health of your pet. But in most cases, it's also the best approach for the health of your wallet, because if we can prevent disease, it is often much less expensive than treating it.
Vaccination
Our vaccination service, which includes an annual healthcheck for your pet, is an important part of the preventative care we offer. We keep up-to-date with the latest developments in this area, to ensure that your pet is neither under, nor over vaccinated.
Modern, well-equipped facilities
If your pet needs treatment, you can be reassured that our experienced team of vets has access to state-of-the-art equipment. Things like gas-induced anaesthesia, a tonometer, slit lamp, in-house laboratory, ultrasound scanning and digital x-ray. They may not mean much to you now, but there may come a time when you'll be glad we're working with the latest tools.
Clinics
We also offer a series of clinics designed to keep your pet in the peak of health, from puppyhood (Puppy Parties) into old age (After Eight Clinics). Through these clinics, we can show you how best to care for your pet at different stages of its life, and how to manage certain chronic conditions. Click below for more details.
'After Eights' Healthchecks For Older Cats And Dogs
If you have cat or dog aged eight or older, an annual 'After Eight' healthcheck is recommended. It'll help us detect and monitor any age-related problems, such as heart disease or kidney failure, and help your animal live a longer, healthier life.
Putlands 'After Eight' healthchecks are run by one of our nursing team, Alice Highwood, and include:
- Head-to-toe physical examination
- Blood test
- Blood pressure check
- Urinalysis
- Weight check
- Nutritional advice
- Behavioural advice
- Clip nails and express anal glands (if necessary)
An 'After Eight' healthcheck costs £55, representing a saving of over £23 on the normal cost of carrying out these tests individually.
Please ring 01892 835456 to arrange an appointment.
Dental clinics are recommended for all cats and dogs, regardless of age, because good dental hygiene now could prevent the need for expensive dental treatment later in life.
Putlands Veterinary Surgery runs dental clinics during which a veterinary nurse will advise you on dental health care and demonstrate how to brush your pet's teeth. She will also consult with a vet if she feels that the animal requires further medical treatment.
This may involve booking your pet in to have teeth descaled and polished, teeth extracted if necessary or any other treatment that would improve the pet's dental hygiene.
Please ring 01892 835456 to arrange an appointment.
If your pet has been diagnosed with diabetes, our clinics will help you understand, manage and live with the condition.
We are aware that having a much loved pet diagnosed with diabetes mellitus can be an upsetting and at first a rather daunting experience.
Therefore, in March 2006, Lisa Bareford, one of our registered and qualified veterinary nurses, undertook a ‘Pet Diabetes Adviser’ course. This allows us to offer a support service both for newly-diagnosed pets, and those that may have been living with it for some time already.
If your pet is newly-diagnosed, Lisa is able to take the time to discuss the condition with you one-to-one, show you how to inject insulin, and answer the many questions you are sure to have.
If your pet has already been living with the condition for a while, Lisa may still be able to help you improve your day-to-day management of the disease, and schedule check-ups and repeat prescriptions.
Diabetes Mellitus occurs in approximately 1 in 100 dogs and 1 in 200 cats with most being diagnosed between the ages of 5-7 years, but it may occur at any age. As with many diseases early diagnosis is important, so our aim is to increase owner awareness of the condition. Symptoms to look out for are:
- Weight loss despite constant hunger
- Drinking too much and constant urination, also associated with wetting overnight
- Lethargy and depression
A simple test can rule diabetes in or out. If you are suspicious that your pet has diabetes, or want to attend a Diabetes Clinic, please ring: 01892 835456
Kidney disease is one of the biggest causes of death in cats. It is very common in older cats, affecting 1 in 5 over 7 years of age. Screening from that age helps us diagnose the condition early, and give your cat the best chance of a longer and better life.
One of the difficulties in managing kidney disease is that symptoms of increased thirst, reduced appetite and weight loss are not usually seen until the disease is quite advanced.
Kidney screening involves us taking a blood sample from your cat, and analysing it to identify kidney disease before the obvious symptoms become apparent.
There is no cure for kidney disease, but with the latest medications and special diets, we can support the kidneys, slow down the disease and thus improve your cat's life expectancy and quality of life.
More information about kidney disease in cats is available from the website: felinegood.co.uk
Kidney screening costs £35.50 inc. VAT. Please telephone the surgery on 01892 835456 for an appointment.
Obesity clinics are designed for all pet owners whose animals are overweight. We'll show you how to get your pet back in trim, safely and effectively.
Obesity is every bit as unhealthy in pets as humans. It can cause fatigue and increase the risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, diabetes mellitus and high blood pressure. Extra weight can strain joints and exacerbate arthritis. There are also increased risks associated with putting an obese animal under anaesthetic.
It can be dangerous for a pet to lose weight too quickly, so it is important that any weight loss programme is overseen by qualified veterinary staff. We recommend special prescription diets that maintain the balance of nutrients that your pet needs when losing weight. We also monitor progress, so that food quantities can be adjusted as progress is made.
Putlands Veterinary Surgery holds weight clinics from Monday to Friday, when a qualified Veterinary Nurse assesses weight problems and sets a strict programme for you to follow with your pet. You will receive all the support you need in order to reach your pet’s target weight. Once that is achieved, the nursing staff will continue to help in any way they can to make sure that the weight stays at that level. The nurse’s time is free of charge. You will only need to pay for any prescription diet needed. Animals who have reached their target weights will be invited back every 3-6 months for an informal chat and weight check to make sure those kilos stay off!
Please ring 01892 835456 to arrange an appointment.
If you’ve got a new dog, attending a Putlands Puppy Party is great way to learn the basics about pet care (such as flea, tick, and worm control), help socialise your new puppy, and have fun meeting other local pet owners.
Putlands Veterinary Surgery holds a free puppy party once a month, to which all puppies are invited, provided they have had their first vaccination.
The evening begins with tour of the practice given by a veterinary nurse, during which you’ll get a flavour of what goes on behind-the-scenes, and the facilities that your animal will benefit from when they need veterinary care.
You’ll then benefit from a series of short talks, during which we’ll explain the basic things you’ll need to know about feeding, neutering, fleas, worms and socialisation.
Throughout the evening, we’re happy to answer any questions you have about looking after your new pet.
After the talks, you and your puppy will be unleashed to mingle with other puppies and owners in the waiting room. And at the end of the evening, you’ll go home with a party bag for your puppy, and a nice memory of an enjoyable and useful evening.
To reserve a place at our next puppy party, please ring: 01892 835456.
