Useful Info.

Pre neutering checks

As a practice, we routinely see owners who are planning to neuter their dogs/cats a week before the surgery.

Why do we do this?

We feel we should provide the best care for our patients and to do this we like to give your pet a full health check with one of our nurses prior to the surgery. This is a chance for you to ask any questions or voice any concerns. At this point, you will be told your pets plan for the day and what will happen on the day of the procedure.

We will check your males to ensure they have their testicles as if they are not descended we will rebook for a few months time.

We will check your females for milk in their mammary glands and to check they are not currently in season as we will not be able to spay if they are.

If these checks are all ok, we can go ahead to book their neutering. If you wanted your pet microchipped/ anal glands expressed/ nails clipped then dont forget to ask.

Lungworm

The nurse will most likely ask you if you are up to date with lungworm treatment – this can be treated with a few products:

  • A spot on treatment called Prinovox or Advocate can be applied monthly to the back of the neck
  • A tablet can be given monthly called Milbemax

Why do we need to cover for Lungworm?

We already know that Lungworm (Angiostrongylus vasorum) is a parasite that can cause serious health problems in dogs and can be fatal if not diagnosed and treated.

Why do I need to treat before neutering my pet?

If you have never treated your pet for Lungworm, you may not notice they have it as they do not always show symptoms. However, if your pet has Lungworm and you have never treated, the risk under anaesthetic is fatal. Lungworm can prevent blood from clotting, therefore during surgery this is a serious matter and we would prefer your pet to be covered to prevent this being the cause of unwanted haemorrhage.

Vaccinating your pet

In the days that I was a veterinary nurse, in the 1980’s, it was advised we vaccinate our pets every year for all the diseases they were likely to come across.

The technology to tell us otherwise did not really exist and if it did it was either in America or not as accurate as we would like it to be. Many scientists and vets were keen to work on this subject and even then work was being carried out in this field.

The immune system of humans and animals is very sensitive and a highly tuned system. It has to detect foreign or non-self materials in order to produce a reaction against it to protect the body. At the same time, and equally as important as this system, is the ability to recognise its ‘self material and not mount a reaction against it!