Services

How can we help?

  • Blood Tests
  • Dental Facilities
  • Nurse Consults
  • Orthopaedic Services
  • Ultrasound
  • X-Rays

Blood Tests

Blood tests are often used by the vets to check what’s going on within the internal mechanisms of your pet’s body. Often if you’ve noticed a change in your pets behaviour or general habits (eating, agility, toilet habits etc.) – the vet will suggest a blood test to examine the cause and identify the best route for treatment. There are different types of blood tests for the white and red blood cells. The most common red blood cell tests assess packed cell volume, haemoglobin concentration and red blood cell count. These are all tests to help our vets identify possible diseases. White blood cell tests are usually looking for indicators to short-term stress within the body, including tissue damage, allergic reactions, inflammation and infection. Changes in white blood cell counts can also be indicators to tumours and parasites.

Blood tests are often used by the vets to check what’s going on within the internal mechanisms of your pet’s body.

During a blood test, your pet will be gently restrained so that they hold still, and the vet will then select a suitable vein to put the needle into and extract the sample. In some cases, the sample will then be examined in our lab, where they will find out what’s causing your pets problem, and the results will then be privately disclosed to you either via phone or appointment. The majority of blood test results will be able to be given to you almost instantly however, and we can tell you then and there on the day.

A vet will usually advise a blood test and appointments would be made from there, but if you would like to discuss any of this in more detail then please feel free to give us a ring and we would be happy to help, however we can.

Dental Facilities

Dogs and cats teeth are very similar to our own, making them vulnerable to many of the same oral problems that we can develop. Plaque and tarter build up can result:

  • Gum redness, inflammation and/or infections
  • Tooth root infections
  • Pain and discomfort
  • Reduced appetite
  • And bleeding from the gums, with the risk of toxins entering the blood stream

At Victoria Vets, we pride ourselves in providing the best level of care to our clients and the animals, and are always keeping up to date with the latest technology. We recently purchased some new state of the art dentistry equipment for our dental suite and have had some fantastic results.

It’s very important that your pet's oral health and hygiene is maintained to a high standard. The mouth is one of the key places that bacteria can thrive.

It’s very important that your pets oral health and hygiene is maintained to a high standard. The mouth is one of the key places that bacteria can thrive, and for that reason, it is very important that it is regularly checked and treated appropriately. Both tooth and gum diseases can be very painful if left to develop, and in extreme cases, certain oral problems can even be fatal. We recommend at least one oral check-up a year – as prevention really is key in some cases!

Brushing your pet’s teeth is a good way to keep their oral hygiene in check. Although they may suffer from similar dental issues to humans, they must not use human toothpaste, as it can be extremely toxic to animals. There are toothpastes designed specifically for animals, which you can purchase from us here at the practice. These contain enzymes that help to dissolve plaque effectively and in a safe way for your pet.

A few symptoms indicate oral problems. These include:

  • Quiet or subdued behaviour
  • Pawing at the mouth
  • Not eating/difficulty eating/chewing on one side of the mouth
  • Keen to eat but not eating (looking at food bowl etc)
  • Excess salivation
  • Face swelling (in severe cases)

If your pet is showing any of these symptoms then please give us a ring and arrange an appointment so one of our vets can take a look in more detail. Alternatively, you cn now request an appointment online.

Nurse Consults

We are now offering consultation appointments with our veterinary nurses. You will not be charged a consultation fee for these appointments and will only pay for the medicines or service you require!

Nurse consultations will cover:

  • Nail clipping
  • Stitches out
  • Express anal glands
  • 2nd vaccinations
  • Flea treatments
  • Bandaging
  • Worming
  • Microchipping
  • Post-op checks
  • Tick removal
  • Nutrition advice
  • Dental advice
  • Puppy and kitten checks

If you would like to arrange a consultation with one of our nurses please feel free to give us a ring and we’d be happy to arrange one for you. Alternatively, you can now request an appointment online.

Orthopaedic Services

Orthopaedics is the branch of medicine that deals with the ‘prevention and correction of injuries or disorders of the skeletal system and associated muscles, joints, and ligaments’. These types of conditions are quite common in animals, especially dogs, and it is uncommon for an animal to go through life without experiencing some sort of problem in this area. Most of these are minor and can be resolved quickly and easily. Orthopaedics vets use a mix of both surgical and nonsurgical methods to treat a variety of different issues, including tumours, infections, traumas and injuries related to the bones, joints, ligaments, muscles and tendons in the body. This can be managed through pinning and fixation methodologies, as well as bone plating and in some cases prosthesis and mobilizers. Minimally invasive procedures are generally the preferred route in orthopaedics, as this encourages a fast diagnosis and repair. The key focus is to improve the pet’s mobility and quality of life for your pet, as these types of conditions can sometimes be very frustrating and painful.

What we often forget is that our pet’s four legs are more than just legs – and consist of lots of different parts! These include the shoulders, paws, elbows, carpus (wrists), stifle (knees), tarus (ankles), hips, pelvis and upper and lower legs. Orthopaedic problems can also occur in their skulls and spines. Limping and lameness are two of the more common signs that your pet may need orthopaedic treatment, but you should look out for any symptoms of arthritis, neoplasia or bone discomfort as these are also indicators.

Our orthopaedic vet, Peter Dale, comes into our practice every Wednesday, where he holds consultations in the morning and operates. If you are interested in arranging an appointment with him, please give us a ring and we would be happy to arrange that for you. Alternatively, you can request an appointment online.

Ultrasound

Ultrasound scans are a way for our vets to see what’s going on inside your pets body (mainly the liver, kidneys and intestines) without having to perform a surgery. Through sound waves the scan will produce images for the vets to see and examine what’s causing the problem. These images are created when the sound waves (which are far too high pitched for us or your pets to hear!) go into the body and then reflect back to a scanner which can measure them. A small patch of hair will have to be shaved off your pet by one of our vets to enable us to get a more accurate reading from the scan, and the scan itself is very calm and straightforward – your pet will be lying down in a dimly lit room for approximately 30 minutes and we do all that we can to insure they are as comfy and stress-free as possible!

The most common use of ultrasound scans is during pregnancy, but your our pet may need a scan for a number of different reasons. These include:

  • Abnormal blood work
  • Re-occurring vomiting or diarrhoea
  • Random weight loss
  • Chronic infections
  • Pregnancy
  • Pre-surgical
  • To permit biopsy
  • Urinary changes
  • Baseline ultrasound for future examination (geriatric patients)
  • Cancer staging
  • Fluid on the chest or stomach
  • Or checking the progress of a previous health problem

X-Rays

An x-ray is a quick and painless means of photographing the inside of the body, particularly bones. Your pet will usually be sedated or put under aesthetic during the procedure as nobody can go in and hold them during the x-ray (to comply with health and safety regulations) – and this enables us to get a more accurate photo, and also makes it a less stressful experience for your animal.