Getting the most out of a visit to the vets
Our Difference Services Top Pet Club Our Team News Contact Register X Find us Getting the most out of a visit to the vets Independent Friendly Dedicated Clinical Excellence Cost-effective care We understand that not all pets relish the thought of visiting us. To be honest, it’s not always pleasant for you, either, but we try our best to make it as positive as possible for you both. All of our furry friends will need to visit the vets, if only for their annual vaccinations or check-ups. It is therefore very important to us that they, and you, are as comfortable as possible. It is even more essential that they feel safe and secure if they need to receive treatment from us or stay with us. Here are some helpful tips for you and your furry friend to get the most out of your visits to the vets. 🦚Prepare before you visit. Bring in a list of questions you have for us and any medical record cards you may have for your pet. Depending on the reason for your visit, we are likely to ask a number of questions, so have a think before you come in. We may need to know things like: Appetite Have there been any changes? What brands, types and amounts of food do you give them? When was the last time they ate? Have they eaten anything that could have caused issues? Fluid intake Have there been any changes? How much do they normally drink? Medication What medication do you give them that hasn’t been prescribed by us? Do you give any homoeopathic remedies? Toilet behaviours Have there been any changes? What is the consistency? (Yes, we know it’s yucky, but it’s important for us to know)! 🦚 Preparing your pet. Ideally from an early age, socialise your pet where possible with other animals and people. We offer puppy parties, but any interaction with people and other animals will be good experience. Feel free to visit us even when you don’t have an appointment so that they can get used to the surroundings. Especially during practice visits, give your pets a treat whilst they are at the clinic so that they associate it with good experiences. It is also helpful if you can carry out home ‘examinations’. Touch areas around eyes, ears and paws, for example, and check their teeth regularly so that they get used to checks being carried out. If practical, try to take dogs for a walk beforehand and allow other pets to exercise and toilet before coming into the clinic. This will help them and reduce the number of anxiety accidents. We are used to it, but we know that house-trained animals get very stressed at relieving themselves inside and owners tend to be embarrassed. 🦚At the clinic. We recommend keeping cats and small animals in their carriers, perhaps with a familiar blanket or toy. Some people find that covering the carrier with a light-weight blanket or cover can help relieve any stress caused by seeing other animals in the waiting area. Remember that our pets’ sense of smell will alert them to other animals, despite any such covering. We also ask that all dogs are kept on their leads in the waiting area, and if practical, in the consultation room, too. There are strengthened hoops to secure leads to if your dog is particularly strong and likely to pull you over or wrench out of your grip. We know that you may be worried when visiting the vets, but as animals are very good at reading human emotions, try to remain calm as this will, in turn, keep them calm. 🦚After your visit Whilst we try to offer treats to your pet, we find that if you reward your pet after their visit, this will also help them associate the vets with positive activities – a food treat, some play or exercise. If your pet has visited us due to an illness, keep monitoring their behaviour and record any changes following any prescribed medication or treatment. It is likely that we will ask for an update at any follow-up appointments. If you have any concerns about visiting either of our clinics, please telephone us or call in to discuss how we can help. If your pet is particularly problematic when visiting us, our pet behaviourist may be able to give further recommendations to those above. We can also offer a consultation in the waiting area if that helps to ease your pet’s anxiety. Please drop in to say hello or contact us online. About Us Our dedicated team provide friendly, understandable advice alongside excellent clinical care. Corsham: 01249 847 457hellocorsham@peacockvets.co.ukUnit 2 Martingate Centre, Corsham, SN13 0HL Chippenham: 01249 847 186hellochippenham@peacockvets.co.uk23 Borough Parade, Chippenham, SN15 3WL Browse Connect Facebook-f Google-plus-g Instagram
Peacock Vets offers new and unique Pet Club options
Our Difference Services Top Pet Club Our Team News Contact Register X Find us Peacock Vets offers new and unique Pet Club options Independent Friendly Dedicated Clinical Excellence Cost-effective care Top Pet Club – Nature Care: A new take on care – for your pet, for our wildlife, for our planet This is a story of dogs, cats… and bees. Our Top Pet Club has been a huge success since we started in 2021, offering great value for money for preventative pet care such as vaccinations, parasite treatments and much more. At Peacock Vets we don’t just care for your pets; we also care about sustainability and looking after our planet. We therefore wanted to ensure that we continue to give our clients the great value benefits that they expect, but including unique options to enable us all to care for our pets whilst caring for nature, too. Treating and monitoring for worms, ticks and fleas is essential for the safety of your family, so it is important not to simply stop using parasitic treatments without having a discussion with us first. We can discuss the best options for you, your pet, our wildlife and our planet. Why Peacock Vets are revising their Pet Club for the better. More and more evidence is coming to light that parasite treatments used for our pets are having a major impact on our environment. Some products have already been banned for use within agriculture because their use correlated with a decline in the bee population. In addition, these pet treatments contain substances which also harm aquatic life and other insects, all essential for biodiversity. For these reasons, Peacock Vets has decided to reinvent our popular Top Pet Club plans to include eco-friendly options. Our revitalised plans offer the same excellent value, including vaccinations, free anal gland expression, microchipping and insurance administration, for example, as well as an option for additional discounts on set treatments and procedures. How have the plans changed for the better? We believe that by offering regular monitoring for parasites, there will be significantly less need to introduce unwanted pesticides to your pets via standard parasite prevention treatments. Plan members who choose our Nature Care option will therefore have access to unlimited nurse checks for fleas and ticks, and we will treat only when needed. Nature Care is an option for those owners who wish to reduce their impact on our environment when it is safe and appropriate to do so. Reducing the amount of preventative treatment used is not practical or feasible for all of our clients and it must be the right decision for you, your pet, our wildlife and our planet. We will therefore never force any changes to your pet’s treatment regime unless you agree to them. We will also always ensure safe and appropriate alternatives are available, continuing to provide treatment if this is not the case. Reducing the amount of pesticides that reach our rivers and environment is beneficial, and we believe that reducing the amount of pesticides introduced to our pets via preventative treatments will have a positive impact on nature What else is included? Vaccinations Free 6-monthly health check Free anal gland expressing Free nurse nail clips Free microchipping Free insurance administration Discounts on set procedures and medications (Top to Tail plans) Why is it important to monitor and treat against parasites such as fleas and ticks? Fleas can cause itchiness and dermatitis, and severe infestations can cause severe anaemia in young animals. They can also carry tapeworm. If fleas take hold in your home, it can be difficult to eradicate the infestation. If you choose not to treat preventively, we can assist with flea checks, which are free of charge in our Nature Care option. Ticks can carry other diseases such as Lyme disease. They can transfer these diseases to your pet, but also to humans. As it is unlikely that ticks transfer disease within 24 hours of a bite, if you check your pet daily, there is less risk. Owning a dog or a cat does not increase your risk of being infected with Lyme disease, irrespective of their tick status. We can show you how to effectively check for ticks. Toxocara is a roundworm that can cause illness in humans. Historically, pet owners have been advised to treat their pets every three months for worms. The main risk factors for contracting toxocariasis include contact with soil contaminated with dog or cat faeces, especially in children who play in such areas. (Rarely, it can be contracted by eating undercooked meat). Routine worming of adult pets in low-risk settings does not help to lower the number of worms found in the environment. Treatment can be useful for pets who are likely to be shedding a significant number of eggs. These include puppies and kittens (less than 6 months old), pregnant or lactating females, and dogs who hunt, eat prey or are kennelled outdoors. For this reason, we will continue to provide worm treatment with our kitten and puppy bundles. We will continue to advocate regular worming for Toxocara for clients who have households with young children, elderly or vulnerable people and anyone who is immunocompromised. Lungworm in dogs has become a fairly common issue with potentially serious consequences. The prevalence of lungworm is geographically variable in the UK. While positive cases have been diagnosed in our immediate surroundings, the areas around Chippenham and Corsham are not deemed to be extremely high risk. Our Nature Care option offers testing for lungworm, with treatment only for positive cases. Tapeworm infestations in the UK are likely to be well-tolerated in adult pets, and rarely cause issues. As puppies and kittens are commonly infected, however, we advocate worming young animals. Most cases in the