Consultations
Consultation times are normally from 8:00 am to 10:30 am & 3:00pm to 5:30pm Monday to Friday and 9:00 am to 12:00 on Saturdays. A standard consultation is normally around 15 minutes. We aim to see everyone on time, however some complicated cases may take a longer than 15 minutes and can delay our schedule. All consultations are by appointment, however if you have difficulty making these times we are able to look after your pet for the day at no charge. (i.e. drop your pet off at 8 am on the way to work and pick them up again on the way home and we will check them over for you during the day and call you to discuss our findings ) We try accomodate people outside these hours whenever possible. House calls can arranged by appointment.
We can administer the full range of vaccinations available to keep your pet free from important diseases. While there are different options, we will tailor the vaccination protocol to your pets requirements.
Surgery
As a teaching hospital for veterinary nurses we provide and maintain the highest level of surgical facilities. The senior veterinarian Dr. Andrew Newington has additional post graduate qualifications in surgery with the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists. All major procedures are performed in one of two dedicated sterile operating theatres with a comprehensive range of surgical equipment backed up by the latest technology in aneasthesia monitors. From spey and neuter surgery to soft tissue and orthopaedic surgery such as cruciate repair we can offer most surgical options for your pet. For any surgical procedures we are not equipped to perform, we can easily refer your pet to the Veterinary Specialist Group (VSG) located next door.
Dentistry
To maintain good health in your pet it is important to keep their mouth healthy. Bad breath is not normal and is usually a sign of dental disease. Veterinary dental specialists reccomend most pets will require some dental care from about 6 years of age onwards. With a dedicated dental surgery we can provide a full range of services from a prophylactic scale and polish to extractions. We also have Periovac, a new vaccine designed to help prevent periodontal disease. If you are concerned about your pets oral health, a check up at the clinic will allow us to reccomend what treatment if any is required. Many owners also use one of the newer dental diets to help keep their pets teeth clean, and this can be combined with teeth brushing for the best results.
X-Rays - Ultrasound
With a seperate x-ray suite and the x-ray unit from Carrington Hospital we can provide high quality radiographs from even our largest patients. When required we can get x-rays reviewed by the specialist radiologist based at VSG. Ultrasound is now commonly included in our investigation of a medical problems. This is a non invasive procedure similar to a pregnancy scan in people and is normally done without any sedation. Should your pet require an ultrasound examination this can be arranged on an out patient basis next door with a specialist at VSG.
Referrals
As previously mentioned with New Zealand's leading private veterinary refferal centre based next door, we can easily arrange a refferal for your pet when required. We can also arrange refferals for Dermatology and Opthalmology.
Laboratory Tests
With the purchase in March 2007 of a Spotchem EZ blood analysing machine we can provide many biochemistry tests in house in less than 15 minutes. This allows us to perform pre anaesthetic blood tests on the day of your pet's procedure. Pre anaesthetic testing allows us to screen for common medical conditions that make influence your pets anaesthetic and as such we would reccomend this prior to all anaesthetics. We have detected a number of problems in otherwise healthy animals prior to anaeasthetic with these tests. For those tests we can't perform, we send our samples to Gribbles Pathology. We have two dedicated courier pick ups per day Monday to Friday and so in many cases provide same day results.
Microchipping
Whilst all newly registered dogs are required to be microchipped, many cat owners are taking advantage of this scheme to have their cat microchipped. This should ensure that should their pet go missing, where ever it might be found the owners can be contacted. We currently register your pet on the NZ animal register . This allows us access to your details 24/7. Administering the chip is quick and generally painless. The chip is placed via a needle under the skin between the shoulder blades. You are able to update your details via the website at any time.
