• Call our surgery01494 673101

If you are looking to book a cat vaccination, please be aware that there is an ongoing shortage of some cat vaccines affecting all UK Veterinary practices. Find out more here.

Services

We provide the highest level of medicine and surgery at Straid Vet Clinic

Our Services

  • Vaccinations and Health Checks
  • Dentistry
  • Home Visits
  • Hospitalisation wards
  • In House Laboratory
  • Microchipping
  • Neutering
  • Operating Theatre
  • Travelling Abroad
  • Ultrasound
  • ​ X-Ray

Vaccinations and Health Checks

Prevention is better than cure. Annual vaccinations prevent your pets from catching and spreading certain diseases and illnesses, some of which can be fatal. During your appointment the vet can complete a thorough health check, including weight management, and a personalised parasite prevention protocol tailored to your pets needs.

Puppies have an initial course of two vaccinations given 3-4 weeks apart. These can be started at 8 weeks of age. Dogs are due a vaccination yearly, called a ‘booster’, for ongoing protection. The core vaccines need to be repeated every 3 years, and the leptospirosis vaccine, which they can pick up from rats’ urine, is due yearly.

The vaccine gives protection from the following diseases:-

  • Canine Distemper (D)
  • Canine Hepatitis (H)
  • Canine Parvovirus (P)
  • Leptospirosis (L4)

Like puppies, kittens have a course of two vaccinations 3-4 weeks apart. These can be started at 9 weeks of age. For continued protection, cats are due a vaccination yearly, called a ‘booster’.

Cats are vaccinated against the following:-

  • Feline Calicivirus
  • Feline Enteritis
  • Cat Flu

We are also able to vaccinate against Feline Leukemia as an option.  This is a fatal virus so we do recommend that owners take up this option.  This can be done at the same time as the other vaccines at a small additional cost.

Rabbits can be vaccinated against Myxomatosis and HVD from 6 weeks old. Due to a new strain of HVD called HVD2, this can be vaccinated against 2 weeks after the Myxi vaccination. Thereafter, yearly vaccines are required.

Rabbits do not have to have close contact with other rabbits to catch this disease as the rabbit flea spreads it.  It is, therefore, important to vaccinate any rabbit that is housed somewhere where other rabbits may frequently visit, such as the garden or surroundings.

Dentistry

At Straid, dental procedures are performed virtually every day. Often, issues such as teeth defects or gum problems, are only noted at an annual check up with your vet. If left untreated, these problems can cause infections and can be painful. Both dogs and cats are very good at hiding mouth pain, and sometimes the only sign they show is a bad odour from the mouth.

For the veterinary surgeon to complete a thorough examination, a general anaesthetic is required. Each tooth is inspected, and the overall condition of the gums is assessed. Tartar is removed, and the teeth are ultrasonically cleaned above and below the gum line. If necessary, a tooth can be capped, filled or removed.

Following a dental procedure, the vet will advise of further maintenance in order to keep your pet’s teeth lovely and clean, and to avoid repeat procedures. There are many different products that can work, in order to routinely clean your pets’ teeth. We offer free of charge nurse clinics to show you how this can be done at home.

Home Visits

Unfortunately we are unable to do Home Visits during the current Covid 19 restrictions.

We are able to offer home visits for the comfort of your pets and convenience of our clients. In order to arrange a home visit, please give us as much notice as possible. We ask that for a visit on the same day, call before 9:30am and we will call back with the approximate time of your visit.

We understand that it can be difficult to move poorly pets and will always do our best to cater for our clients’ needs, however, certain treatments are unable to be done at home. Our clients will always be encouraged to come to the clinic, where the best facilities are available for the required treatment for your pets.

An additional cost is made for this service, one of our reception team will be happy to give you an estimate.

Hospitalisation wards

We have dog facilities, with various sized kennels, specifically chosen for your pet dependant on the breed. These are prepared with a comfy bed for your pets visit with us, with space to move around and stand. In our separate cattery, the kennels are sized with enough room for a comfy bed, litter tray and space to move around.

These facilities are set up to minimise stress, with privacy screens and pheromone diffusers plugged in to create a calming atmosphere. Our in-patient nurses are on hand to see to any needs your pets may have, with plenty of time for cuddles and a wander in the garden too!

In House Laboratory

The clinic has an in-house laboratory which allows us to get fast and accurate results, often on the same day as performing the test. These include blood and urine tests, as well as microscopy. Alternative tests such as more involved blood tests and faecal samples are sent to an outside laboratory and collected by courier.

Microchipping

It is now a legal requirement to have your dog microchipped, however other pets such as cats and ferrets can be microchipped too. The chip is the size of a grain of rice, so it is very small! This is the most effective way of identifying and reuniting a lost or stolen pet with their family.

Each pet has a unique number which is recorded on a database and matched up to your contact details. Microchip scanners are used to ‘scan’ your pet, which shows the microchip number. This is then ran through the database to retrieve the details of pet and owner.

Please always make sure to update these details if you move home, change number or if your pet is rehomed. If you need advice on how to do this, please contact the clinic on 01494 673101 and a member of the team can help.

Neutering

There are many different views on neutering, with advantages in both neutering and not. However, with veterinary research supporting many health benefits, we recommend neutering dogs and cats if they are not going to be used for breeding.

Both male and female dogs of small to medium breeds can be neutered from 6 months of age. Due to the difference in growth rate, we advise to leave larger breeds till they are between 10-12 months of age. This can be discussed with a vet, who can advise of the suitable timings for your pet in a pre-operation check-up.

Male and female cats can be neutered from 5 months of age. Situations, such as unneutered males and females in the same household or boisterous kittens needing to be let out, sometimes mean that the procedure needs to be done a little earlier. Speak to your vet for advice on specific timings suitable for your pet.

We know that post-operative care is just as important as the procedure itself. Therefore, the nurse will discuss a detailed plan to ensure your pet has the best possible recovery. Most operations also include a free of charge, post operation check with the vet, at this time any stitches or staples are also removed.

Operating Theatre

We have a separate preparation suite and operating theatre, both fully equipped and sterile for surgical procedures. The clinic and staff are committed to performing safe anaesthesias with up to date monitoring equipment including an anaesthetic machine and pulse oximeter. Patients are monitored throughout each stage of surgery, by the operating nurse who assists the vet.

As well as routine surgical procedures, we regularly perform complicated fracture repairs, advanced soft tissue surgery and life saving emergency procedures.

Travelling Abroad

For all types of travel, we strongly recommend you check the requirements on the government website as they change frequently.

https://www.gov.uk/take-pet-abroad

Ultrasound

Ultrasound scans are an important diagnostic tool and a non-invasive way of investigating internal organs. It allows our vets to see things which are not visible on an x-ray, providing a clear image of the heart, liver, kidneys and bladder. In most cases the scan can be taken conscious, only requiring that an area of fur is shaved for the probe.

Ultrasounds can also be used to confirm pregnancy; the vet can assess how the pregnancy is going.

​ X-Ray

We have a digital x-ray machine, which provides the highest quality images in the quickest possible time. These images can then be attached to your pets file and kept on their records.

X-rays are most commonly used to investigate lameness and can show up any fractured or broken bones as well as signs of osteoarthritis. However, x-rays are also effective in diagnosing illnesses and foreign bodies that may have been ingested and tumours.