Clinical Services

Canine vaccinations

We strongly recommend vaccinating your puppy from six weeks of age. The vaccination course includes two injections, the first to be given from six weeks of age and the second from ten weeks. The diseases vaccinated against include Distemper, Hepatitis, Leptospirosis, Parvovirus and Parainfluenza. Dogs require an annual booster to maintain immunity against these diseases.

In the event of your dog going to a boarding kennel, we recommend that the Kennel Cough vaccine is given 2 weeks prior to kennelling to ensure full protection. This vaccine also provides immunity for a year and we recommend that it is given at the same time as the annual booster.
We also provide rabies vaccinations and clinical exmainations which are required for pets travelling abroad.

Feline Vaccinations

It is important that cats are vaccinated against many serious diseases such as influenza, enteritis and leukemia. The primary vaccination course should commence at eight weeks of age and consists of two injections, given two or three weeks apart, depending on the age of your kitten. Prior to the leukemia vaccine, we would advise that all cats are blood tested to ensure they do not already carry the feline leukemia virus.

We also advise blood testing for Feline AIDs, (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus/FIV) , as this virus can seriously affect the health of your cat. However, there is currently no vaccine available against FIV.

Flea Control

We advise all year round flea control. There is a full range of anti-flea pet and household products available in our clinic and our veterinary and nursing staff are available for advice at all times.

Worming

We advise regular worming from two weeks of age in both puppies and kittens. Various products are available and reminder cards can be sent to you on request.

In house laboratory

We have a comprehensive, in house laboratory, including haematology and biochemistry blood testing, which allows for quick and accurate results when diagnosing diseases in dogs and cats. This technology can make the difference between life and death when treating very sick patients. We routinely carry out fine needle aspirates and skin scrapings and examine them microscopically, which aids with the diagnosis of a variety of conditions.

Genetic testing

We offer genetic testing for CEA/CH in collies along with a wide range of other genetic tests. A genetic (DNA) test for CEA/CH (Collie Eye Anomaly/ / Choroidal Hypoplasia, a specific type of CEA) is available. The benefit for the improved breeding of dogs is that the test can characterise the genetic status of parents such that the potential for CEA disease in progeny can be predicted with a high confidence. These tests are a requirement before pups can be registered with the ISDS.

DNA testing is also carried out by outside laboratories.

Dermatology

Allergies in animals are quite common. 10-15% of all dogs have some kind of allergy. The most common type of allergy in dogs is atopic dermatitis: a hypersensitive reaction to inhalation allergens, such as pollen and mites.

Other types that dogs may suffer from are:

Flea allergy caused by contact with flea saliva;Food allergy where certain food components function as an allergen; contact allergy where the reaction is caused by antigens that come into contact with the skin (carpeting, blankets, shampoo and the like).

Because the symptoms associated with the various allergies may look very similar, it is important that a proper clinical examination is carried out to find the exact cause of the allergy.

Skin diseases are very common complaint seen at the clinic. A complete history and investigation of the problem is needed and may need diagnostic tests to diagnose the issue. Skin biopsies, skin scrapes, hair plucks and swabs of affected areas are carried out in the clinic.
A full range of allergy testing and immunotherapy (vaccine against allergens) is also available. We are available for advice on this complex problem at all times.