We provide our own Emergency Care in the practice 24/7, so we always have access to patient records and can do the best for your pet. With access to digital radiography, ultrasound, an in-house laboratory for blood work, an intensive care unit with oxygen, video endoscopy, emergency surgery and critical care monitoring, we have the facilities to treat and care for the seriously ill pet. The following are examples of the type of trauma that usually require emergency medical attention and may threaten your pet's life if not treated:

• Bleeding - continuous bleeding from any part of the body; blood in faeces or urine.
• Coughing - severe, persistent coughing; choking sounds.
• Diarrhoea or vomiting - continued or severe diarrhoea or vomiting.
• Difficulty breathing - shallow breathing; seems to be choking.
• Difficulty giving birth.
• Eye injury - redness; swelling; squinting; discharge.
• Ingested toxin, poison or foreign object - any household or garden chemical, human medicine, medicine overdose of any kind, chocolate, swallowed stones, bones, sharp objects, cloth material, string etc.
• Injured - hit by a car; hurt by another animal; fallen from a great height.
• In pain - pet is crying out.
• Lethargic or non-responsive - cannot stand or move; not responding to voice or touch.
• Lumps - lumps that are growing rapidly or bleeding.
• Trouble urinating - straining or frequent, painful urination.
• Weight loss - dramatic or unexplained weight loss over a short time; not eating.

Please call in advance where possible so that we can prepare for your arrival. Out of hours , use the emergency number 01425 614482 and the vet will meet you at the clinic, if not already there. When you arrive your pet will be examined to determine his or her stability. If your pet needs to be hospitalised, the admitting vet will discuss with you the proposed treatment plan.

It is our policy to offer over night in-patient care according to the needs of the patient. It is the responsibility of the Duty Vet to establish what level of care is required by each individual case. Nursing staff are on the premises each evening and it is their responsibility to ensure that the Duty Vet's instructions are carried out, these may include:

• Informing the Duty Vet if the animal’s condition changes significantly.
• Administering any simple treatments
• Removing food/water bowls as indicated.
• Moving animal into new kennel or changing litter trays as necessary.
• Checking drips are running correctly.
• Taking dogs out to pass urine in the evening/morning where appropriate.

The Duty Nurse/Resident Vet is responsible for checking in-patients between 9pm & 11pm as well as between 6am & 8am as necessary. If the Duty Vet requires a higher level of support for a particular animal, this will be arranged with the Duty Nurse. Provision can be made for close circuit TV monitoring or for the Duty Nurse to sleep in and monitor on an hourly basis. Clients should realize that high-level in-patient care is very labour intensive and is therefore charged accordingly.

The use of digital radiography is an essential tool in modern diagnostic procedures. Radiographs, commonly known as x-rays, are used to evaluate injuries and conditions which require more than external examination. Radiology equipment gives us a non-invasive way to observe your pet's internal physiology so that we can provide a more thorough and accurate diagnosis. Our vets use x-rays to detect bone fractures, bladder stones, tumours, soft tissue problems - those related to the heart, stomach, intestines, reproductive and urinary systems - as well as to locate swallowed foreign bodies such as toys, stones or socks!

The imaging procedure is completely painless and can be performed on a calm,  co-operative pet without sedation, although more commonly the vet will administer a sedative or general anaesthesia in cases where the pet has trouble becoming fully relaxed naturally. The vet will discuss this with you prior to the procedure taking place.

Once the x-rays have been taken, they can immediately be evaluated on the computer screen and can be stored and emailed if needed.

Non-invasive Diagnostics for your Pet. Ultrasound of the chest and abdomen simplifies the diagnoses of internal disease by providing vets with a clear view inside the patient's stomach, liver, kidneys, heart and other internal organs.

It is a safe, non-invasive diagnostic procedure, which, unlike x-rays, does not result in your pet's exposure to radiation. An ultra-sound machine uses sound waves to penetrate the internal organs and creates an image that is displayed on a monitor. The procedure involves using a hand-held probe on the skin above the area being studied.

An ultrasound of the heart, or echocardiogram, is one of the most useful tests for evaluating heart conditions in a pet. With ultrasound, the vet can look inside the heart, in the chambers, and can rule out or confirm a diagnosis and help to determine the amount of valve leakage or the severity of an abnormality.

Some of the common reasons to ultrasound a heart are:

• Heart murmur
• Irregular heartbeats (arrhythmia)
• Laboured breathing
• Birth defects

Ultrasound is commonly used on the abdomen for the following reasons: 

• Liver disease
• Kidney disease
• Pregnancy
• Urinary bladder disease
• Screening for cancer

Laser Therapy is the use of specific wavelengths of light (red and near-infrared) to create therapeutic benefits.

These include improved healing time, infection control, pain reduction, increased circulation and decreased swelling.

Healthcare professionals throughout the world have used it for over 20 years and there are literally thousands of published scientific papers showing its safety and efficacy.

Laser therapy is quick, safe, pain free, and can be done without actually touching your pet. Although your pet will probably feel better immediately, the effects of laser treatment are cumulative so it is usually better to start with a course of 5 treatments, usually 3 one week and 2 the next followed by boosters as necessary. The typical treatment takes three to eight minutes. We routinely treat dogs, cats and rabbits and have found it is especially useful for pain control (especially joint pain), strains and post surgical pain and wounds with swelling and delayed healing.

For further information see:

www.klaser.co.uk