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Vaccination
Is your pet
Up to date?
Did you know that one of the key reasons pets live longer is that we are able to vaccinate them against a range of infectious diseases such as parvovirus in dogs and feline flu & enteritis in cats. These viruses, without vaccination can lead to severe illness and possibly death in our pets.
When kittens and puppies are first born, providing their mother has been vaccinated, they will have a certain level of immunity that will protect them in their
first few weeks of life. However this rapidly falls and in order to restore it a primary course of vaccination is required to boost their natural immunity and ensure their health and survival. However this immunity will fade over time and regular booster vaccinations, combined with a health check, are the best way of protecting your pet, plus keeping an eye out for any other problems.
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Winter – a seasonal survival guide
Surviving the winter months can be challenging for many of our pets. To help we are suggesting a few tips to help keep your pet well.
Obesity alert! With winter closing in, your pet’s exercise regime might not be as long as it would be in the summer months. Settling down in front of the fire is welcoming to our pets as well as us! Where possible constant exercise will help to keep your pet fit healthy and well. Keeping an eye on your pet’s weight during the winter is important as carrying excess weight can bring with it health issues. Should you have concerns regarding your pet’s weight we run weekly weight clinics. Please feel free to call us to find out more details.
Arthritis Alert! As well as checking your pet’s weight, keep an eye out for joint stiffness. Struggling to rise and being slow to move are signs of osteoarthritis which can be made worse by the cold weather. A prompt check by us will help ease your pet’s discomfort. Arthritis medication can put the pup or kitten back into your pet!
Festive hazards! As Christmas approaches it too brings its own hazards to our pets. “Ribbon and tinsel” are lovely to look at and play with but if swallowed may cause intestinal blockages, so be careful with those playful members of the family!
Did you know? ….grapes sultanas and raisins can cause possible renal failure? Keep your pets away from mince pies and yummy Christmas cakes! Chocolate (milk and dark) and certain plants like “mistletoe” can also be toxic to our pets if ingested.
Try to avoid the “turkey trots” this year by avoiding feeding your pets the Christmas left over’s!! If they are not used to this kind of food their tummies will complain!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
FROM ALL AT
VALLEY VET’S
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Toxic Alert
Permethrin spot-on poisoning in cats – cat owners beware.
Many over the counter, canine spot-on flea treatments bought from supermarkets and pet shops contain permethrins or similar products. While these are perfectly safe for dogs, they should never be applied to cats, since they can cause seizures and very often death. We advise our clients not to use these products AT ALL, even on their dogs, especially if they have a cat in the house because if the cat comes into contact with where they dog has been lying or licks the dog’s coat this can be disastrous.
We have an excellent choice of safe and effective treatments for your pets- please ask us to advise you on the best choice for your pet.
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Amazing X-rays!
It’s an astounding fact that x-ray’s were discovered over a 100 years ago in 1895, and within a year of their discovery were being used clinically to diagnose and assess bone fractures.
Radiography as it is known allows us to visualise internal organs and bones without the stress of operating
Through the modern use of digital x-rays we can see almost as soon as the pictures are taken. We are also able to seek any further diagnosis from any of our specialists should we require there services. At Valley vets we pride ourselves on our modern digital system that we have available to assist us in the diagnosis of your pet’s health.
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IS YOUR PET A V.I.P?
Here at Valley Vets we think all of our clients and pets are VIPs’ and we hope that you feel that you are treated accordingly when you visit our surgeries. Here at Valley Vets we like to try and do our best to help our owners save money wherever possible. Becoming part of our V.I.P scheme will enable you to save up to £80.65 per year on your pet’s preventive health care! The VIP plan is an ideal way of spreading the cost of your pet’s preventative health care over the whole year and means you have nothing to pay when you come in for your vaccination appointment! “Gold standard” preventative health care for your pet involves worming him/her every 3 months with a recommended wormer, using prescription flea and lung worm spot on once monthly and having yearly booster vaccinations. We realise doing all this ‘properly’ is quite costly so our V.I.P plan allows you to spread the cost of this over the year and at the same time save a considerable amount compared with paying for these treatments as a non V.I.P member. As part of our V.I.P plan you will also receive a 15% discount across the board on any purchases or treatments your pet may receive and your pet will also get a FREE OF CHARGE health examination half way through the year.
Our plan is based on a monthly direct debit which allows you to spread the cost throughout the year. The plan starts from £9.89 for a small dog per month to £17.90 for an extra large dog. We also cover cats and rabbits in our plan. Should you wish to find out more details of the plan please call or ask any of our staff who will be happy to give you more details!
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New staff
Over the past few months you may have noticed some new faces around the practice. We would like to welcome Kirsten, Rory and Lauren to the team.
Kirsten and Rory join us part of our vet team and with enthusiasm and youth on there side are proving to be a great asset to the team. Both of our new vets are graduates of Glasgow University, while Kirsten has worked in England for the past few years Rory joins us fresh from university. We wish them all the best in there chosen career and welcome to Valley vets.
 
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24 HOURS
For Repeat Prescription
Please allow us 24 hr notice should you require a repeat prescription for your pet. This allows us time to consult with our vet and dispense your medicine ready to collect.
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Pet Insurance
Is your pet protected?
IT’S a sobering thought that in a typical year, 1 in 3 pets will require veterinary treatment, so unexpected veterinary bills can unfortunately occur at any time. Recent advances in veterinary medicine and surgery have meant that treatments that were unimaginable a few years ago are now a reality. MRI and CT scans are increasingly routine and surgical procedures such as cataract removal, spinal surgery and hip replacements are all fairly common place. In addition, a range of other medical conditions such as skin disease and arthritis can also be costly to treat.
On a daily basis we see the heart wrenching decisions some clients have to face regarding the treatment of their pets. However, with the right insurance we can ensure that all treatment decisions are made on the basis of need rather than cost. So, don’t take any chances- make sure you get your pet insured today. Remember Veterinary treatment is like paying for your own health privately! We do not have the pet’s NHS.
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GARDEN BIRDS
As we sit snugly inside this winter. It’s worth sparing a thought for our feathered friends. Severe winters can be a real test of survival skills for many of our commoner species such as blackbirds, blue tits, robins and sparrows. On a cold winters night, birds can use up an incredible 10% of their body weight just keeping warm. As a result they need to feed well every day just to replenish their reserves for the cold night ahead. Prolonged cold spells can lead to high mortality rate in birds.
With a little warm water, food and shelter, gardens can become a haven for wildlife; Ensure a supply of fresh water every day- if its cold use tepid water. During cold winter weather birds require high energy food to maintain their fat reserves to survive the frosty nights. Doing our small part will help feed and care for these small creatures.
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