Choosing the right small animal hospital for your pets can be hard. Vets are responsible for caring for your beloved furry friends, and ensuring that they live long, happy lives. Your vet has the power to save your pets life, so it is important that your furry friends are in the right hands.
Understanding the services that a small animal practice can provide can be useful when choosing a vet surgery.
Read on to explore the different services small animal practices can offer.
Microchipping
Microchipping allows pets to be reunited with their owners if they ever get lost.
Since 2016, it is now a legal requirement for your dog to be microchipped, with a fine of up to £500 if you don’t have a dog tracker chip or the details on the dog are incorrect.
How Does Microchipping Work?
A microchip is a small electronic chip which is implanted under the pet’s skin and contains a unique number that can be read by a scanner.
The owner’s contact details are then logged on a central database with the number so should the pet ever go missing or be stolen, it can be scanned by the authorities and returned to the owner swiftly and safely.
Microchipping is only effective if you keep your details up to date. If you move house or change telephone number, you must make sure you update the database with your current details.
At Bay Vets, we provide quick and efficient microchipping to prevent you from getting fined and to help out in the event of your pet going missing.
Neutering
Neutering is a medical procedure that prevents pets from being able to reproduce, and comes with a host of other health benefits.
Neutering is available to a wide range of pets and has different procedures depending on the gender and species of your pet.
It is essential to keep your pet indoors until they are neutered to prevent the risk of catching diseases or suffering any injuries due to roaming.
Male Dog and Cat Castration
The operation of castration of male cats is called an orchidectomy. The procedure involves general anaesthesia, and an incision is made over each side of the scrotal sac so that each testicle can be excised or completely removed.
Female Dog and Cat Pet Spay
The operation of female spaying is also known as an ovariohysterectomy. This procedure involves the removal of the ovaries and uterus which stops the cat from having heat cycles and reproducing.
Why Spay/Neuter Your Pet?
Neutering is vital in protecting the health and wellbeing of your pet. However, there are also other benefits which neutering can provide.
- Reduce animal overpopulation – A lot of countries have a surplus of companion animals and are forced to euthanise or abandon some of these animals, leading to a large amount of starved, disease riddled strays roaming the streets.
- Neutering/spaying your cat will increase your pets life expectancy. Castrated dogs have an increased life span of an average of 1 to 3 years, while cats are expected to live 3 to 5 years longer after being spayed. Altered animals have a very low to no risk of mammary gland tumour / cancer, prostate cancer, perianal tumours, pyometra, and uterine, ovarian and testicular cancers.
- Neutering your pet can reduce his/her urge to roam and decrease the risk of contracting diseases or being hit by a vehicle while roaming.
- Benefits your community – stray animals can be a nuisance to the community, soiling parks and streets, ruining shrubbery, killing livestock and passing around harmful diseases like rabies.
- Decreases aggressive behaviour like biting in males
- Reduces or eliminates risk of spraying and marking
After Getting Your Pet Spayed/Neutered
After the operation, your pet is likely to be sleepy and disoriented as the anaesthetic drugs wear off. It is important to keep your pet as relaxed as possible, even once the anaesthetic drugs have worn off because their internal stitches might loosen up if they become too lively.
It’s likely that your pet will be given a protective cone to prevent them from licking and nibbling at the wound.
After their operation, your pet will most likely need to have a check up to make sure that they are healing properly.
Dentistry
Dental healthcare is vitally important for your pet and you can get advice, support and treatment from your vets.
Animals like humans, are susceptible to tooth and gum disease and they should visit an expert in dental health annually.
There are ways that you can keep your pets teeth healthy in between visits to the vet:
- Brush your pet’s teeth – brushing your animals’ teeth is the most effective way to prevent plaque buildup. Most pets aren’t too fond of this at first, which is why it’s a good idea to get your pet used to it at a young age.
- Be aware of the signs of potential teething problems. If your pet is displaying quiet or subdued behaviour, pawing at the mouth, difficulty eating, face swelling or excess salivation, this might be a sign that your pet is suffering from teething problems, and is a good idea to get them checked out by the vet.
Diagnostics
High quality, thorough diagnostics are important for providing the correct treatment for your pet.
There are two major types of test categories:
- Screening tests – Tests used for clinically healthy animals to detect the possibility of a a disease
- Diagnostic tests – These are tests used for clinically diseases animals to confirm the diagnosis or classify disease status
At Bay Vets, we provide a great number of facilities that enable us to diagnose, treat and care for your furry friend. These include:
- In-house laboratory
- X-Ray
- Ultrasound
- Endoscopy
- ECG
- Measuring blood pressure
- Operating theatre
- Laser
- In-patients
- Prescriptions
Canine Behaviour
Vets often offer behavioural classes for dogs to assist them in becoming well-behaved, confident and happy pets.
At Bay Vets, we provide behavioural classes available to dogs aged 9 weeks until they reach their senile years. These classes allow your pet to feel comfortable around other dogs and uncovers any behavioural issues your dog may have.
Puppy Parties and Care
We also host puppy parties designed to provide puppies of up to 16 weeks old the opportunity to meet and play with other puppies and their owners and become more accustomed to visiting our surgery.
Puppies are much more adaptable before the age of 16 weeks, so this is why it is important to introduce your puppies to different experiences while they are in this socialisation period.
Pet Transport
Pet transport is a useful service that some veterinary services offer, which enables you to arrange transportation for your pets to the surgery. This can be a particularly helpful service if you have multiple pets as they can often be hard to manoeuvre to different locations.
Bay Vets offer a pet transport service which allows your pets to be safely transported from their home to one of our premises.
Pet Check-Ups
Check-ups are important in detecting any potential problems with your furry friend, which could prevent any potential diseases from becoming life threatening. Uncovering any problems early on can also save you money on any major operations or treatment needed to save your pet.
Puppy and Kitten Check-Ups
It is important to get your adorable bundle of fluff checked by a vet to ensure that your pets are as healthy as they can be.
A check-up will usually consist of a thorough examination to determine their state of health, a parasite check and initial vaccination or discussion of the types of vaccination your pet needs.
Discussion about when your pet will be neutered might also be included in this initial check-up.
Veterinary Service Near Me
Are you looking for an established, caring veterinary practice in the Lancaster area?
Bay Vets provide a range of healthcare services tailored towards your pet, so that you can be assured that your pet is cared for in a way that best suits them.
Our knowledgeable team at our Lancaster vets surgery are equipped to deal with everything from general health checks right through to major surgical procedures.
When you choose Bay Vets, your animal should not normally need to be referred elsewhere for treatment. Our expertise means that we are recognised in the surrounding area as somewhere other veterinary practices can send particularly difficult cases for treatment.
Unfortunately due to exceptional demand for our services we are unable to register any new clients at the moment. However, if you would like to join our waiting list, please register for our waiting list here to be contacted as soon as we are able to take on new clients.
