Health Checks Dogs
For a routine health check, one of our vets will examine your pet from nose to tail, assessing their eyes, ears, teeth, skin, coat, paws and claws as well as listening to their heart and lungs and examining the abdomen for any unusual lumps or bumps. We will always involve you fully in discussions about any subsequent steps we might recommend.
Puppy Health Checks
Our Puppy Health Checks ensure that your new family member is fit and healthy and give you some basic pointers on healthcare and helping them settle in to their new home. We’ll also discuss vaccinations, worming, desexing, training, dental care, grooming, diet and socialising.
Adult Dog Health Checks
Preventative health care includes vaccination and parasite control. We recommend that your pet has a yearly wellness blood test and dental grading. This way we can keep track of any changes in health and take preventative measures early. This can prevent illnesses and save you money down the road.
Senior Dog Health Care
Animals can be very good at masking discomfort or changes as they get older. This may allow certain ailments such as arthritis or dental disease to progress to an advanced stage before detection. We can help you interpret early changes in your pet’s behaviour in order to provide appropriate advice and treatment if required.
Our aim is to provide the best quality of life for your senior pet as they reach advanced years.
Any pet over eight years of age is considered a senior, and for large breed dogs (over 25kg) six years of age is considered senior. Although many dogs are still behaving like puppies at this age, their bodies do develop special needs, particularly with regards to nutrition, oral care and exercise.
Blood and urine tests can help rule out problems such as kidney disease, liver disease, thyroid disease or diabetes, all of which become more common as pets age. Blood tests provide a benchmark for any changes that develop over the years. Blood samples can be taken during a senior health check consultation but we more commonly keep your dog in for a few hours and ideally until the blood tests are completed so they can be discussed with you at discharge. If you are able to bring in a recent urine sample for your pet we can perform a urinalysis which provides also valuable information. Our nurses can supply you with a urine jar and advice on how to collect it.
With early diagnosis many conditions can be managed successfully, allowing our senior pets to grow old gracefully.