Sanatorium Road Cardiff CF11 8DG Tel: 029 2038 2211 www.park-vets.com Companion Animal Spring Newsletter 2015 OUR SMALL ANIMAL TEAM Simon Moat Suzanne Baxter Welcome to our Companion Animal Spring Newsletter..we have had a very busy few months since our last newsletter at Christmas..We have visited primary schools, gained an award and lots more to tell you. Seal of approval! After a lot of hard work we are very pleased to announce that Park Vets has become an accredited member of the Practice Standard Scheme run by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, this means that we have passed a strict inspection looking at every aspect of the practice, Not every veterinary practice is accredited, so we are very proud that we have been granted this honour. School Visit to Tregenna Nursery Mary Walters On the 3 rd MARCH our Vet Suzanne, Nurse Laura and Student Vet Bethan visited Tregenna Nursery to teach some of the children about a vet s role in looking after pets. They brought with them some animals and the children had fun bandaging soft toys and learning about what a happy healthy pet needs. Everyone had a great time! Thank you to Tregenna nursery for having us! Andy Wales For more photos of the visit please visit our Facebook page and please don t forget to click the LIKE button. Suzanne and Laura plan to visit Albert Road Primary School, Penarth in April to do this all over again for their reception class. Suzanne
Per Syrstad Blood Donor Register. Unfortunately there isn t a readily available Blood Bank for pets in the South Wales Area. At Park Vets we keep a register of dogs and cats who we can use as suitable donors for any surgical or medical cases that require emergency transfusions. Marina Crockford The transfusion of blood can in some circumstances make a significant improvement in the clinical outcome of some of our seriously injured pets. Obviously we take every care in the selection of suitable donors. They must be in good health with no concurrent health problems, be fully vaccinated, ideally be of a larger breed size, Labradors (and bigger!!) or maine coon cats are ideal. Suitable donors must be of a docile nature and be available at short notice as no one can predict when blood may be needed. Andy Jeffers We are unable to store blood products for long periods, so we contact owners with pets on our donor list when we require their help and obviously only a safe quantity of blood is taken from each donor. All donors on our list are offered free 6 monthly health checks and free annual vaccinations. Following a donation, as well as the gratitude of staff at Park Vets and those of the owner s of the recipient patient, clients are given vouchers towards veterinary treatment and products from Park Vets. Morgan Richards If you are interested in helping us, please add you name to our donor list by contacting a member of staff in any of our branches for further details. Or call 029 20 382211. BUILDING WORKS AT PARK VETS Building work will be starting at Park Vets on Monday 9 th March. This work will only affect our main hospital in Sanatorium Road. The work is scheduled to last around 6 months. We hope that this work does not cause too much disruption to your visit and your patience would be greatly appreciated. Gavin Droney As well as updating our current facilities the building work aims to ensure we can provide an even better service to our customers in future. One of the major aims is to ensure a larger waiting area for customers to minimise owner and pet stress whilst in the practice. Within this will be a dedicated cat area. It is widely recognised that cats are very affected by stressful situations. In a veterinary practice, in addition to the stress of seeing a vet and travelling to the practice, the presence of dogs in the waiting room can make the visit much worse. Within the new waiting area it is our aim that our feline friends will feel safer and more welcome during their visit.
Aoife McCarthy A new feature will be the addition of a dedicated dental suite. We are looking to update our current set up to include a dental xray machine. Dental xrays are routinely performed to aid effective treatment in human dentistry and has become an increasingly useful tool in veterinary dentistry. If you are concerned that your pet may be suffering from dental problems, in addition to seeing a vet you can always book in for a free dental check with our nursing team. Attila Trombitas Lastly the way in which drugs are dispensed is being changed. The presence of a dedicated drug dispensary will help to ensure that drugs are given more efficiently and any queries regarding these drugs can be dealt with straight away. Dr A. Jeffers BVSC MRCVS Tracy Arend Thomas Searle NEW CLINICAL MANAGER Emma Hollingworth We d like to welcome our new clinical manager Emma Hollingworth, who will be responsible for the day to day running of the main hospital branch in Cardiff, although she will be visiting Penarth and Pontypridd occasionally so you may see her on her rounds. Emma joined the practice in February as our Clinical Manager, she qualified as a veterinary nurse in 2007 and has continued to work towards additional qualifications including pet health counsellor, clinical coach and veterinary practice administration. Emma has a keen interest in nursing clinics and will be providing support to the team to ensure the best possible care is given to you and your pets. Outside of work Emma loves horse-riding, taking part in regular competitions, she also has two very naughty Jack Russell dogs and a cat called Tilly who also thinks she is a dog! Leaving - Per Syrstad On a sadder note, we are losing one of our more senior, much respected small animal vets, Per Syrstad. Per and his family have decided to return to his native Norway we wish him luck in his new life but will sadly miss both his personality and his veterinary skills. Just remember Per, Park Vets door will always be open for you!
PUPPY AND KITTENS PACKAGES Give your puppy the best start in life with our NEW Puppy Packages!! Keep your puppy healthy with a full course of puppy vaccinations (given at 8 and 12 weeks). A Free Puppy Health Check by one of our caring qualified vets Free Microchip keeping your pet safe should it go missing. One free dose of Nexgard to keep fleas at bay. Free four weeks pet insurance for those unexpected vet fees. 10% discount off Neutering (valid up to 12 months of Age). Take advantage of a 25% discount off Milbemax worming pack (i.e 4 for the price of 3). Join our free Youth Club with one of our qualified Nurses (*Only available at our Cardiff Surgery). All for 65.00 inc VAT Give your kitten the best start in life with our NEW Puppy Packages!! Keep your Kitten healthy with a full course of Kitten vaccinations (given at 8 and 12 weeks). A Free Kitten Health Check by one of our caring qualified vets Free Microchip keeping your pet safe should it go missing. One free dose of Broadline a combination flea & worming treatment Free four weeks pet insurance for those unexpected vet fees. 10% discount off Neutering (valid up to 1 year of Age). Join our free Youth Club with one of our qualified Nurses (*Only available at our Cardiff Surgery). All for 70.00 inc VAT
Pet Health Club Why it makes perfect sense to join our Pet Health Club It helps you provide essential routine care for your pet, which is all part of being a responsible pet owner You save money on the cost of treatments and services that keep your pet healthy and happy You can spread the cost of routine care by convenient Direct Debit, making it easier to manage Save money and spread the cost with convenient direct debits Included in your Health Club - Your Annual booster vaccination - 12 months Flea and worm treatment Check out the extra benefits of membership: Free micro chipping for dogs 25% off micro chipping for cats 30 annual voucher for out of hours treatment 10% off repeat prescriptions 10% off routine dentals and dentistry products 10% off routine neutering 15% off diets including prescription diets 10% off additional parasite control FREE health checks with our nurses for nail clips, weight checks, ear cleaning and general advice Cost Per Month And it s so easy to join Ask at reception and join our Pet Health Club today. There is no joining fee so just ask for an application form and we ll get you started on a program of affordable life-long veterinary care for your pet. DOGS Toy 0-3kg Small 4-10kg Medium 11kg - 25kg Large 26kg - 40kg Very Large 41-65kg CATS Cats Less than 10kg 8.61 per month 9.92 per month 10.46 per month 12.91 per month 18.29 per month 9.53 per month
Nurse clubs! As part of our promise to provide our clients with the highest standard of care, we are introducing extra nurse clubs for your pets! These clubs are designed to provide you with access to our team of veterinary nurses who can provide free advice on nutrition, weight management, parasite control, dental health and answer any questions you might have relating to your pets general health. Nurse appointments will be available throughout the day so please contact the practice to book in your free appointment! Dental Club This provides you with an opportunity to have your pets mouth checked by one of our nurses for any signs of disease or problems, we can provide you with advice on oral hygiene including tooth brushing, diet alternations and products that might be of benefit. After 8 Club We all care about our pets and this does not change as they get older, so we have decided to offer you an after 8 club to bring in your older pets to receive a check over, our nurses will be able to offer recommendations or advice on nutrition as this changes as our pets age, mobility scoring, pain assessments and general well being. Referral appointments to see our vets can be arranged if our nurses suspect any issues. Weight Watchers This club is designed to help your pet gain or shed those extra pounds. Pet obesity is increasing at an alarming rate, so we are here to help you so your pet does not become one of those statistics. Nutritional advice and diets are available to ensure your pets goals are achieved and maintained! We also provide Junior appointments so you can bring in your rapidly growing youngster for a free weight check and general check over, we can discuss any questions you might have including long term flea and worm control, diet, behaviour, socialisation and much more. Emma Hollingworth
Lungworm cases on the increase! We have seen a number of positive lungworm (or Angiostrongylus vasorum) cases especially in the Penarth and Barry area! Check out cases in your area by using www.lungworm.co.uk (Click on the Where is Lungworm map) This potentially fatal parasite is transmitted to our dogs (and foxes) by slugs and snails. If infected your dog could become seriously ill, with symptoms ranging from a cough to poor blood clotting to just general tiredness and change in behaviour. Younger dogs seem to be more prone, as are dogs known to eat slugs and snails. Even dog bowls or toys contaminated by slugs and snails can pose a risk. Warm damp conditions are ideal, and spring and autumn are peak times for slug and snail activity. The parasite cannot be passed be passed to humans or other pets. If you think your dog may be at risk, please talk to us at PARK VETS today Prevention is always better than cure. We may advise monthly Milbemax for high risk patients or appropriate treatment for others during times of peak slug/snail activity Top tips Pick up toys from the garden Regularly clean water bowls Pick up dog and dispose of properly dog poo! Know the risks and spot the signs Talk to us at Park Vets about prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Suzanne
RABBIT AWARENESS WEEK 9 th 17 th May 2015 Park Vets will be supporting rabbit awareness week, please call one of our branches to book a free nurse appointment with one of our qualified nurses for one of the following clinics:- Weight Check Teeth Check Ears Check