Consulting Room

We have a single consulting room where all clients see a qualified veterinary surgeon. Even when patients are being brought in for procedures or treatment we feel that clients like to see a qualified veterinary surgeon who can answer any questions or queries. To us every patient is special and we understand how worried owners can be when their pet is undergoing surgery or treatment away from home.

We like dogs to be presented with their lead so that they can go for a short walk in the garden whenever appropriate.

The practice carries a wide range of drugs and it is the policy of the practice to abide by the cascade system of veterinary prescribing and to use only those drugs that are properly licensed for use in our species – even if they are a little more expensive. Where there are no specific licensed drugs appropriate for treatment will use the best drug available and comply with the legal requirements.

Practice Office

The main Practice Office is “compact”. Gill and Wendy share the small office situated in the centre of the building and between them administrate and run the whole practice with its 2500 patients.

We aim to provide a Gold Standard service to our clients and patients which involves a considerable amount of contact and discussion with our clients, their insurance companies as well as the arrangements that have to be made to ensure the smooth running of the Practice.

We have 3 telephone lines, one fax line and 3 e-mail systems within the practice to enable the best possible communication with our clients and the various support services that are involved.

Preparation Room

Before patients are taken to theatre they are anaesthetised in the preparation room. Here they can be cleaned and clipped or radiographed or have blood samples taken. This is not a sterile environment but we obviously try to keep it as clean and tidy as possible.

Patients receiving an anaesthetic are monitored on an electrocardiogram and every animal over the age of six months has a full blood profile run before an anaesthetic to ensure maximal safety.

Our patients are not just cats or dogs or rabbits, they are part of our client's family and we take every care possible.

Operating Theatre

The operating theatre has recently been refurbished with hydraulic table and a totally sterile environment. (We actually swab the surfaces and floors each month and test for the presence of any bacteria). All surgical instruments are pre-sterilised and kept in closed cupboards for immediate use. The anaesthetic unit has a scavenging unit (both anaesthetic units in the practice do) so that no fumes or gases can escape into the working environment.

The gowned and masked surgeons and sterile theatre provide an unusually high standard of veterinary facility with the patient being prepared in the prep room and only brought to theatre after being cleaned and prepared for surgery.

Kennels

Our 26 “bed” kennels area is part of the main building and is centrally heated with directed air flow to minimise disease spread.

Each patient is allocated a cage for the duration of the stay and each cage is made of bevelled cornered stainless steel – again to minimise the risk of disease or contamination.

The gently sloping tiled floor makes the regular cleaning easier to the central drain. The entire kennel area has no external opening windows or doors to maximise security.

The garden

We are fortunate in having an enclosed lawn and garden where patients can be exercised safely. Night flood lighting is available if required and the area is protected by CCTV for both staff and patient safety.

In patients never have to be taken out onto the public highway for exercise. They have the benefit of a secluded grass area where they can be watched and exercised safely.

Overview

A patient’s stay at a veterinary practice is always likely to be traumatic. Firstly because they are ill or injured and secondly because they are away from their owners. We try hard to make their stay as friendly and as good as possible with a range of foods available to temp the ill ones. We routinely stock a range of Royal Canin and Hills diets as well as the “tempters” such as roast chicken, tuna, fish fingers and Heinz baby foods. It is not uncommon to find a few prawns in the food fridge to tempt the poorly patient.