Frequently asked questions

Appointments
Emergency service
Fleas
Food
Home visits
Insurance
Payment
Microchipping
Mis-mating
Neutering
Repeat prescriptions
Taking pets abroad
Vaccinations
Visitors
Worming
Vomiting & Diarrhoea
Fireworks & Noise Phobias

Please telephone the surgery for appointments, repeat prescriptions, home visits, test results and all other enquiries including accounts.

How do I make an appointment?

The practice operates an appointment system to avoid our clients having too long to wait in the surgery.

Appointments for surgery can be made either by telephone or at reception, which is open from 8.30am to 7.00pm weekdays and from 8.30am to 12.00noon Saturdays. Please ask the receptionist to book your appointments or operations with the veterinary surgeon who knows your pet and his/her current problem the best as this aids continuity and best patient care. Continuity is good for everybody.

New:  We are now running some cat only clinics at the practice which will be dog free available to cat and small pet owners, helping to reduce the stress for you and your pet.  Please enquire when making your appointment.

If an animal is brought to the practice for the first time, we will ask whether is is already receiving treatment and, if so, when it was last seen.  The original veterinary surgeon will then be contacted for a case history.

The duty veterinary surgeon will see urgent and non-urgent problems on the same day. Consultations are booked at 10-minute intervals (longer on request). Each appointment is for one pet’s problem only.

Special appointments:  dermatology, cardiology, old dog checks etc may need longer periods.

The Saturday surgery is a service for the more urgent problems.

At some appointments the pet may be seen by both a vet and a veterinary nurse.  At other times - for example re-bandaging - it will probably by a nurse who deals with the pet, although the nurse will always confer with a vet if necessary.

We do our best to keep to time. If you are kept waiting due to emergencies we will apologise for the inconvenience.

Please cancel your appointment in advance if you are unable to attend. We offer telephone advice each day if you think your pet does not need to be examined.

The vet will provide you an explanation at all times of all the veterinary treatment options available for your pet.

What emergency service do you provide?

The practice provides a 24-hour emergency service outside the consulting hours. There will always be a vet on call for problems that need medical attention or that you think should not wait until that morning. Please telephone us for advice so that the most appropriate action may be taken.

If the surgery is closed your call will be diverted to our out of hours emergency service that will then contact the vet for you.

Do you make home visits?

If for any reason you are not able to attend the surgery, a home visit may be arranged.  With very few exceptions all animals are best seen at the surgery as this means we can do the best for your pet.  Facilities at the surgery are, of course better (lighting, no areas for animals to hide, presence of trained staff, more equipment on hand, instant access to fluids and other drugs in an emergency, lack of territorial aggression) and we would encourage you to attend whenever possible.   Many taxis will transport animals to the surgery and their fee is more cost effective than a house visit. 

We are happy to do home euthansia at the practice, we will always try to arrange them for a suitable time when both a vet and a nurse can attend.

Do you have a repeat prescription service?

Please note that all animals on continual medication must be checked at frequent intervals before the drugs can be dispensed.  The time interval varies depending on the nature of the case and the type of medication involved but a typical period between checks is three months.  As well as complying with the law, the check is necessary to ensure that your pet is receiving the correct dose, & that there are no side effects, or even to see if the product is still necessary.  In order to dispense a drug, a vet must have been recently dealing with the case.  This applies even where your pet has been on the same treatment for many years. 
We realise this may cause some inconvenience, but we have to comply with the law which is unfortunately is getting increasingly restrictive.

We require at least 24 hours notice of all repeat prescriptions, please telephone the surgery for your request. After contacting the surgery your prescription will be made up and stored in our dispensary. Please note we must have seen your pet recently within the last few months. If for any reason your pet's prescription cannot be made up we will try and contact you.

Clients should be aware that prescription only medicines (Poms) may be purchased from us or through any pharmacist who stocks the appropriate veterinary licensed medication. We are happy to provide you with a prescription. At least 24 hours notice must be given for the collection of prescriptions.

I am a visitor to the area, can you treat my animal?

We welcome holidaymakers and visitors to our area. Please call the surgery for an appointment. We always will get in touch with your current veterinary surgeon for details on your pet.

How do I pay?

It is our aim to give the highest standard of veterinary medical care; a simple comparison of our fees with other practices will show that we are both affordable and highly competitive

To assist us in keeping our fees as affordable as possible, we ask that payment be made at the time of each consultation and treatment, or when you are collecting your pet after an operation. We are always happy to provide an estimate of costs before treatment is commenced, if you are worried about the costs, we are always able to advise on fees prior to undertaking any treatment. We accept all major credit and debit cards.
Please note an admin charge may be added to accounts if not paid at the time.

Should my pet be insured?

We strongly recommend that you consider insuring your pet. Pet insurance can be used to cover the costs of diagnosis and treatment. Please enquire at reception for more details of the benefits on lifetime cover for illness and injury and monthly budgeting for routine preventative care. There are many pet insurance schemes on the market and you should be aware that many of them do not cover all age groups or types of therapy and may have unreasonable excesses applied to them.

The advantage of pet insurance is that you the owner has peace of mind in the event of serious accident or injury that your pet will receive the optimum care, no matter what the cost. This practice will not be persuaded to perform very costly procedures just because the pet is insured if it is not in the best interests  of the animal.  All fees incurred must be settled directly with the practice.

Routine preventive care has been shown to be the most common reason for visiting the vet – these are vaccinations, regular health checks, year round worm and flea treatment plus advice related to general health and diet. This gives you the peace and mind of knowing that you will never have to compromise on veterinary treatment for your pet. The idea is that prevention is better than cure.

What must I do before taking my pet abroad?

To allow dogs and cats to leave and re-enter Great Britain an official PETS certificate must be issued. For this your pet needs to be fitted with a microchip, vaccinated against rabies, blood tested and be treated against tapeworm and ticks. Please ask a member of staff for more details or discuss in more detail with the vet.  Click on our PETS info sheet to find out more.  We are now running Pet Travel Clinics at the surgery - please request an appointment with Mary Crackles.

How does micro-chipping work?

A small microchip inserted under your pets’ skin behind the neck enables your pet to be identified using a scanning device. This simple procedure is a permanent way of identifying your pet and will help in reuniting you if your pet ever gets lost. Each chip carrier a unique identification code which can be scanned using a small handheld device.

Vets, dog wardens, rescue charities and other organisations dealing with lost pets are equipped with these scanners.

Dogs, Cats, Rabbits and Horses can all have a Microchip inserted.

Can I get pet food from the surgery?

We keep in stock a large range of Hills and James Well beloved pet, prescription and diet foods at both surgeries along with wormers, flea treatments and general pet care items.

What vaccinations do you recommend?

We recommend all dogs and cats are vaccinated yearly after their initial injections as puppies and kittens. Kittens can start their vaccinations from 9 weeks of age; all vaccines need 2 injections with a 3 to 4 week gap in between. Puppies can start their vaccinations from 6 weeks of age. The 2nd vaccination has to be done 2 to 4 weeks apart but not before the puppy is at least 10 weeks old.  First vaccinations may require a 20 minute appointment.  Full immunity is achieved 2 weeks after the 2nd vaccination.

Dogs are vaccinated against:  Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parvo & Parainfluenza. 

Cats are vaccinated against:  Flu, Enteritis, Chlamydia & Feline Leukaemia.

Please request an extended appointment with a veterinary nurse to go through all the unanswered questions you may have.

Yearly vaccinations are essential to maintain good immunity. Remember that your pet’s visit to the surgery for an annual booster is also a good opportunity for a thorough examination and health check.
Many kennels and catteries will require your pet to have their vaccinations up to date.   Please check with the kennels if they require your dog to be vaccinated against kennel cough.

Rabbit vaccinations – VHD vaccinations can be given from 3 months of age, with a yearly booster. Myxo vaccinations can be given from 6 weeks of age with boosters given every 9 months.  Rabbits should not be vaccinated during pregnancy - only healthy rabbits should be vaccinated.  Vaccines can not be given at the same time.

Ask a member of staff for more details or check our pets corner article on vaccinations -  Prevention is better than cure.

How old should my pet be when it is neutered?

Neutering is a routine surgical procedure, which provides health and behavioural benefits. In all species and sexes neutering is a simple, routine operation that can be done on any weekday. A general health check will be performed to ensure your pet is fit and well for surgery.
We recommend female dogs to be spayed usually 3 months after their first season and male dogs castrated from 9 months of age. Bitch spays should be checked at least one week prior to the operation.
For cats we recommend neutering at any time from 6 months of age.
Please ring the surgery for advice on booking in your pet.

We are a member of the Dogs Trust Neutering Scheme - please contact 0845 606 3036 for more information on how you can save money!

Neutering

Pre-Operative Instructions

Post Operative Information

Heat in Bitches

Whelping

I think that my pet has mis-mated, what should I do?

We use two injections 24 hours apart then scan anytime up to 20 days after mating.  The first injection can be given up to day 45 after mating.

Contact a member of staff as soon as possible following the event, during normal surgery hours for more details.

Why does my pet need to be wormed?

Many dogs and cats of all ages carry roundworms and tapeworms. In many cases infection is not obvious, but vomiting and diarrhoea, abdominal discomfort, stunted growth and poor coat condition can occur, especially in puppies and kittens. Worming programmes vary with age and animal, please ask a member of staff for advice.

Fleas & Worms

Drontal Worming Tablets

I don't think that my pet has fleas, should it still be treated?

Many dogs and cats which scratch do NOT have fleas; there are many other causes.  It is essential therefore, that animals which scratch excessively are booked in for an appointment.  However many animals have fleas and they may not scratch at all.

As a practice we recommend the regular treatment of dogs and cats for fleas on a routine basis. Fleas are seen all year around. Prevention is always better than cure. If fleas have been found on your pet the first step is to kill adult fleas  with an "adulticide".

Flea products for applying to an animal can be sold only to our clients: they are classified as prescription only medicines and cannot be given to animals that the veterinary surgeons have not seen and prescribed treatment for.   It is important that animals are checked by the practice regulary (every 6 months) when they are receiving flea treatment.

One of our qualified veterinary nurses will be happy to carry out a free flea check for your pet at the surgery.

Please ask at reception for more details on the products we recommend.

Fleas & Worms

Frontline Combo

What do i do if my pet has diarrhoea & vomiting?

First thing to do is to starve your pet for 24 hours, then feed on light meals only. For further information please check out our factsheet or contact a nurse at the practice.

My pet is afraid of Fireworks - what should I do?

If your pet hates Bonfire night or New Year's Eve now is the time for making preparations
Please click below on what you can do for your pet.

Fireworks & Noise Phobia