Preventative Medicine

Dog and cat vaccinations are highly effective at preventing certain infectious diseases and we strongly recommend that you have your pet regularly vaccinated to keep it healthy.

The fact that we hardly ever now see Canine Distemper is largely thanks to the development of effective vaccines. Unfortunately, we do still regularly see cases of, for example, Canine Parvovirus and cat ’flu’, which are both diseases that can be prevented with yearly vaccinations.

Intranasal kennel cough vaccines are needed for dogs going into kennels and are a good idea for any dog, especially those likely to be in regular contact with others, to prevent them developing this very common and unpleasant condition.

If you are planning to take your pet abroad, he or she will need a rabies vaccine.

The yearly vaccination consultation also allows our vet to give your pet a thorough health check and discuss any other concerns you may have.

It might not be the most pleasant of topics, but there are very real health risks for both you and your pets if they are carrying worms! Young children are particularly vulnerable.

We stock a wide range of effective products to ensure that your pet is free from worms and we are very happy to advise on what we think will be best for your pet.

For dogs, we usually supply wormers in tablet form, but we also have granule, liquid or paste options available.

For individual cats that really don’t enjoy pill popping, there is also the option of a worming ‘spot-on’ that simply goes onto the skin at the back of the neck. This can be a stand-alone product or given as part of a combined preparation which also treats for fleas, ticks and ear mites.

Fleas are a common and unpleasant external parasite. They can cause severe itchiness and skin disease in their own right, but can also carry and transmit infectious diseases, some of which are human as well as animal pathogens. Although flea activity will peak in the warmer months of the year, fleas are a year-round problem, especially thriving in warm centrally heated houses.

Ticks are also a significant problem in this area, particularly for dogs exercised off the lead. As for fleas, ticks can cause skin issues directly but also act as vectors for a range of infectious diseases.
There are a range of products available for the treatment and prevention of external parasites and we are always happy to discuss those products and make a recommendation for your pet.

Often, for fleas in particular, it is important to treat both the animal and the home environment to successfully control the problem.

Some dogs and cats go through life with the perfect smile and never need dental care. This is the exception rather than the rule, though. We see many cases of advanced periodontal disease, often resulting in multiple extractions, that could have been prevented. Early detection of tooth or gum disease and, ideally, regular brushing are the key to maintaining a healthy mouth.

We are very keen to promote high standards of medicine and preventative care for our rabbit patients.

Rabbits housed outdoors are at a high risk of contracting myxomatosis which can be prevented by annual vaccination. We also advise vaccination against Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (VHD), an acute and invariably fatal disease of rabbits which we see increasingly in this area. The two diseases are protected against by a single annual vaccine.

We routinely neuter male and female rabbits for management or health reasons.

Being herbivores, rabbits rely heavily on their teeth. Regular checks and dental treatment when needed help to keep them in good condition. Overgrown incisors can be trimmed with our specialised dental burr, though in extreme recurring cases incisor extraction is a successful alternative. Similarly, the molar teeth may become overgrown and cause painful ulcers on the tongue or cheeks and require rasping or burring under light sedation.

Lice and mites are commonly identified and treated. Just like cats and dogs, rabbits are also prone to internal parasites. There are now worming pastes designed specifically to keep your rabbit parasite free.