Forms & FAQs

Vaccinations are a relatively inexpensive and simple way to prevent - or reduce the severity of - many major and sometimes life-threatening diseases in our domestic animals. Side effects are rare, and usually mild.

It is recommended that cats are vaccinated annually with either an F3 or an F4 vaccination, and dogs are vaccinated annually with C5. For more information about vaccinating your pet, please download Vaccinating Your Cat or Vaccinating Your Dog.

Item descriThere are many benefits to the early desexing of your pet. These include the reduced risk of injury from wandering onto roads, or as a result of fighting. A desexed animal is also more amenable to training, less likely to urinate in the house, and will be less aggressive. Your desexed pet is more likely to become a beloved member of the family. In addition, desexing your pet can reduce the risk of disease, and give you peace of mind that you are not contributing to the supply of unwanted animals in our community. For more information about desexing your pet, please download our Desexing Small Animals Information Sheet.

It is a legal requirement for you to have your pet fitted with microchip identification. The simple procedure takes only a few seconds and is normally performed in the consulting room. A microchip, about the size of a grain of rice, in injected under the skin between the shoulder blades. The microchip number corresponds to your details and allows you and your pet to be easily and quickly reunited, in the even your pet is lost or injured.

Puppy School is an enjoyable way for puppies from 8-16 weeks to develop positive socialisation behaviours. Dogs that are well socialised as puppies, develop into confident animals, able to behave appropriately in public. Among other things, you will learn: how to handle your puppy and what to expect; general health topics such as nutrition and dental care; and the basics of obedience and toilet training. For more information on Puppy School, please download our Puppy School Information Sheet.

If your pet requires emergency veterinary treatment, you should call the normal clinic phone number.

Have a pen handy, as a recorded message will give you the mobile phone number on which you can contact the on call emergency vet. Please note: Outside normal consultation hours the clinic is not staffed. You will need to follow the above procedure to contact a veterinarian.

Yes! Just as with humans, obesity can predispose animals to other diseases. Obesity in cats and dogs, for example, can predispose them to conditions such as arthritis, liver disease and diabetes. You are encouraged to have your pet weighed at the animal hospital, free of charge, and to talk to a vet about how to address your pet’s weight issues.

It is normal for a dog to scratch its ears about as often as we might scratch our heads. More frequent scratching is usually a sign of disease. It may reflect a foreign body being lodged in the ear (such as a grass seed), ear mites or quite commonly an ear infection which can be quite painful. If you are concerned about your pet’s ears please make an appointment with your veterinarian. Ear infections or grass seeds are best treated promptly in order to minimise the chance of ruptured ear drums and chronic changes to the ear canal that could permanently affect the health of your pet.

Bad breath can be a result of your cat or dog’s diet but halitosis (bad breath) is often a sign of dental disease. A quick check with your veterinarian or qualified veterinary nurse will confirm if this is the case. Dental disease is a serious and often painful condition that can be treated and managed with the help of your veterinarian.

The day before surgery your pet should have no access to food after 7 pm. The morning of the surgery please take away your pet’s water bowl as soon as possible. It is important that your pet does not have a stomach full of food or water at the time of surgery to reduce the risk of vomiting and aspiration (breathing in of vomit) while under the effects of anesthesia. You may also wish to give your pet a wash in the days leading up to surgery as you will not be able to do this in the 2-3 weeks after surgery, if your pet has stitches. For more information on preparing your pet for surgery, please download our Before Surgery Information Sheet.

Your pet’s veterinarian is not just a G.P. Your vet is a surgeon, obstetrician, dermatologist, radiologist, radiographer, anesthesiologist, oncologist, internal medicine specialist, podiatrist, and physiotherapist. When you see a veterinarian you are paying for the opinion of a professional who has spent 5 years or more in tertiary study to become an expert in animal health. These are people who have worked just as hard and performed just as well as those that became human health professionals. Therefore your veterinary bill is a reflection of the costs of maintaining a high level of care provided by your veterinary practitioner. The animal industry does not have the luxury of having a Medicare rebates system, prescribed pharmaceutical scheme benefits or health care insurance.

Pet insurance can be life-saving if your pet needs emergency surgery or intensive care as payment is usually required upfront and may be several thousands of dollars. However, the pet insurance industry is relatively young in Australia in comparison with other countries. The best advice is to always read the fine print and ask lots of questions of the insurer you are considering. It is also a good idea to start insurance cover when the animal is as young as possible as most insurers will not cover any pre-existing conditions.

Routine surgeries such as desexing include your pet’s day hospital, a health check prior to anesthesia, all drugs involved with pre-medicating and anaesthetizing your pet, monitoring of the patient during anesthetic, nursing care during recovery, 24 hours of pain relief, and a check of the wound and suture removal 14 days after surgery.