1) Can I get REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS for my pet?

2) When does my puppy need to be registered with the Council?

3) Should I treat my dogs and cats for fleas during winter?

4) Why is the flea treatment not working?

5) What should I do if my pet has a fit?

6) How old is my pet in human years?

7) How often does my pet need worming and why is it necessary?

8) Why should I bring my cat in for a cat bite? Won’t it just heal up?

9) I can’t give my cat a worm tablet, what should I do?

10) When is the best time to neuter my cat?

11) When is the best time to neuter my male pup?

12) When is the best time to spay my bitch puppy?

13) Why are vaccinations necessary?

14) What is the NZ companion animal register?

15) Can I get pet Insurance?

1) Can I get REPEAT PRESCRIPTIONS for my pet?

ANSWER QUESTION 1
Your Vet may prescribe long-term treatment for your pet and in some instances may be prepared to repeat a prescription without seeing the patient. Before you run out of the medication, please telephone the clinic for a repeat prescription, allowing at least 24 hours notice for the prescription to be checked by the Vet. All animals on such treatment will need to be checked at least every 6 months or at the vet’s discretion; the receptionist will inform you if a check-up is needed.
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2) When does my puppy need to be registered with the Council?

ANSWER QUESTION 2
All dogs need to be registered with the Council from 3 months of age.  All newly registered dogs then need to be microchipped within 2 months.  Please ask at reception for further details.
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3) Should I treat my dogs and cats for fleas during winter?

ANSWER QUESTION 3
Yes! Traditionally we tend to think of fleas not being a problem during winter, as they tend to die off after a good frost.  However, it has now been found that with houses being heated and more animals spending time indoors, flea numbers are not dropping off during winter.  We have seen a steady number of flea-related skin problems through the winter.
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4) Why is the flea treatment not working?

ANSWER QUESTION 4
We frequently see lack of efficacy with supermarket purchased flea remedies. Always purchase your flea products from a vet, if you have a high flea burden our staff will also discuss the importance of environmental control.
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5) What should I do if my pet has a fit?

ANSWER QUESTION 5
DON’T PANIC!  A fit may last only a minute or so, but they can go on for longer.  Approach the animal with care, as he/she will not be conscious of what they are doing.  It is important to remove all stimuli eg. Dim the lights, switch off the TV/radio and keep quiet.  Observe the patient well as your observations can be of great assistance to your vet in making a diagnosis.  If your pet is in harms way during the convulsion eg. Close to an open fire, at the top of the stairs, roll him/her onto a blanket with caution (watch the teeth!) and drag him/her clear from the danger.  During this time there is little that you, the owner, can do to help.  Remember your pet is not in any pain during these episodes and probably won't remember a thing about it!  Recovery is usually complete within minutes to hours.
You should ALWAYS contact your vet immediately if your pet has a fit for the first time or if it lasts more than a few minutes, any fit lasting more than five minutes warrants contacting the vet immediately.  Recording dates, duration and severity of all fits you witness is very helpful for veterinary assessment.
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6) How old is my pet in human years?

ANSWER QUESTION 6
A tricky question and there is no accurate rule of thumb, in general small dogs live longer than big dogs – an Irish Wolfhound is very old at 9 years of age (so a year is about 8 or 9 of his years) where as some small dogs will live into their late teens so one year probably equates to nearer to 5 or 6 “dog years”.

With cats a figure of 6 “cat years” to one year is probably about right but it is important to remember that as with people we all age at very different rates so we tend to remember the exceptions to the rule i.e. the cat that lived to 18 as opposed to all the ones that did not!
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7) How often does my pet need worming and why is it necessary?

ANSWER QUESTION 7
Worming is a basic part of preventative public and veterinary health care and we would suggest all pets are wormed every 3 to 4 months. Our nurses and reception staff will be able to advise you on a suitable product for your pet.

8) Why should I bring my cat in for a cat bite? Won’t it just heal up?

ANSWER QUESTION 8
Infected cat bites and scratches have the potential to cause severe fatal disease – pyothorax being a classic example – we would always advise bringing your cat in for treatment if it has fight wounds.
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9) I can’t give my cat a worm tablet, what should I do?

ANSWER QUESTION 9
You can bring the cat to the clinic and our staff will worm it for you and show you how to do it at home, however some cats are just about impossible to medicate orally and if so we can advise you on alternative topical treatment.
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10) When is the best time to neuter my cat?

ANSWER QUESTION 10
Our standard advice is that all male (tom) cats should be castrated at 6 months of age and all females (queens) should be spayed at 6 months.
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11) When is the best time to neuter my male pup?

ANSWER QUESTION 11
5 to 9 months is our general advice, this will depend a bit on your particular life style and the breed, temperament and growth of the pup. We generally give specific advice on individual pups during vaccination visits.
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12) When is the best time to spay my bitch puppy?

ANSWER QUESTION 12
This is a slightly more open ended question as there are several pros and cons to what age to spay at – in general we advise spaying at 6 months of age before the first season (this avoids the hassles of dealing with a season and reduces the incidence of mammary tumours in later life). We normally give specific advice on each pup during vaccination visits, or please contact reception to discuss your
particular pup.
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13) Why are vaccinations necessary?

ANSWER QUESTION 13
Vaccinations are a cornerstone of preventative health care.

Parvo virus is well established Nelson and because it is a very resistant virus no pup is safe from it. Parvo is a potentially fatal disease and can get very expensive with prolonged treatment and always has a guarded prognosis.

We strongly advise all puppies are vaccinated at 6 to 7 weeks of age and receive a total of three puppy vaccinations. At time of vaccination our vet will discuss Leptospirosis and Kennel Cough vaccination with you so that we can design a vaccination protocol relevant to you and your pet’s life style and risk factors.

New Zealand has a very concentrated cat population and we see a lot of respiratory disease in cats and would recommend all kittens are vaccinated, starting at 8 weeks of age. In addition cats that go outside and get into fights are at risk of being infected with FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus).

We recommend that all cats that go outside are vaccinated for FIV.

Please discuss your pet’s specific vaccination recommendations with one of our vets.
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14) What is the NZ companion animal register?

ANSWER QUESTION 14
The companion animal register is a national microchip register for all animals.
For more information visit their website www.animalregister.co.nz
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15) Can I get pet Insurance?

ANSWER QUESTION 15
Yes reasonably priced Pet Insurance is available. We recommend these policies, as unexpected accidents or illnesses can be expensive. Some policies also cover routine procedures, such as vaccination and neutering. Details are available at reception.
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