“Our Commitment To Your Pet Lies In The Quality Of Our Care”

Your Veterinary Care Online Help Site!

234 Power Road, Endeavour Hills, Vic 3802

 

Telephone: 1300-838-738 or 1300-VET-PET

 

The quality of our website is a reflection of the level of service you can expect from us!

SOME OF THE DELETERIOUS EFFECTS OF OBESITY ARE:-

“Our Commitment To Your Pet Lies In The Quality Of Our Care”

• General

Lethargy, irritability, fatigability, heat intolerance, inactivity, increased risks with anaesthesia and surgery, technical difficulty with many diagnostic and therapeutic procedures

• Musculoskeletal

Arthropathies, metabolic bone disease

• Cardiovascular

Increased cardiac workload, myocardial fatty deposits, myocardial hypoxia and arrhythmias

• Gastrointestinal

Increased risk of pancreatitis and hepatic lipidosis

• Endocrine

Glucose intolerance, increased risk of diabetes mellitus

• Respiratory

Dyspnea, alveolar hypoventilation (“Pickwickian syndrome”), exacerbation of any respiratory disease (especially trachea collapse)

• Immune

Increased susceptibility to infection, delayed healing

• Reproductive

Dystocia, infrequent cycling, reduce reproductive efficiency

How do we manage obesity in dogs & cats

• There are medical implications of obesity (such as diabetes, pancreatitis, arthritis, etc).
• A target weight has to be set. The planned reduction should represent no more than 15% of the pet’s current weight.
• The weight loss can usually be achieved in 10-15 weeks in dogs and 16-20 weeks in cats.
• Amount of feed is calculated based on 40-50% (dogs) or 60% (cats) of the maintenance energy requirements at target body weight.
• The concept of feeding the weight reduction diet is at the exclusion of all other foods. The discipline and co-operation required of all who come into contact with the animal has to be reinforced if they are encouraged to record the total daily food intake on a chart. It may be preferable to confine cats to the home to prevent supplementation from other sources.
• Weigh the pet carefully on the same scales at the same time every week or fortnight. Record the weight on a chart. Small and steady weight losses are more evident from the weight chart than from simple observation of the pet.
• Careful monitoring of cats during weight reduction is highly recommended. Food intake should match expectations. Clinical examination should be performed at regular intervals. Periodic haematological and blood biochemical evaluation may also be appropriate.
• If satisfactory weight loss is not occurring, then the daily food allowance may be reduced by 10%, whilst keeping a careful watch on the general health of the animal. If such a reduction is necessary, it should be maintained for the rest of the dieting period.
• When satisfactory weight loss has been achieved, the pet should be changed to a high-quality diet. It is important to calculate and regularly reassess the daily amount of food required to maintain the target weight.
• Follow up after 1 and 3 months and then at 6 month intervals.

In the event that your pet is showing signs of discomfort or is not its usual self we do recommended that your present your pet to us at the earliest, to prevent the problem progressing and causing other complications. Early recognition and treatment means that your pet will recover sooner, and will therefore be far more comfortable. It is not only significantly more difficult to treat a pet in an advanced stage of the disease, as well as far more expensive, but one also has to take into account the significant pain and stress your pet is under by not being treated at the earliest.

We sincerely recommend that you please call us on 1300-838-738 (1300-VET-PET) to schedule an appointment at the earliest. We do not believe in berating our clients for presenting the pets late, as we believe that this is counter productive. It is not our intention to cause you any embarrassment, offence or anxiety. Our approach is now that you have presented your pet to us, how do we go forward from here, not only keeping your pet’s welfare at heart, but also working with your wishes and limiting factors. We do approach all cases presented to us with a level of sensitivity. As pet health care professionals we will present our assessment and treatment in a professional manner and factually as possible.

You may not be aware that in older pets multiple problems often arise as aging affects all body systems. As pets age they become increasingly vulnerable to diseases. The three leading causes of non accidental death in pets are cancer, kidney disease and heart disease. Older animals seldom suffer from a single disease. One problem may markedly influence the course of another. Ageing is characterised by progressive and irreversible change. Pets are likely to start having diseases associated with ageing between 7 and 13 years. Smaller dogs tend to live longer than large dogs. The quality and length of life of older pets can be improved through regular health checks (every 6 months). A thorough clinical examination will help define some of these problems.

Because we do care for the welfare and interest of your pet, we do go out of way to ensure that your pet can access medical or surgical attention in time of its need. It would also interest you to know that:-

1. We do pride ourselves in the quality of our services.
2. We do provide a 24 hour on call service.
3. We also offer payment plans through a third party, provided you meet the criteria as set out by the financing institute.
4. If you cannot bring your pet to us, we will come to you as we do have a fully equipped pet ambulance.
5. We also do house calls.
6. Your pet will receive a very high level of care given the level of diagnostic and monitoring equipment that we have on hand.
7. We do welcome you to take a personal tour of our facility.
8. We also provide pet grooming services
9. We also provide puppy classes. Puppies are trained not only indoors, but also outdoors, bring exposed to outdoor noises and traffic in a controlled environment. The puppy training classes are run by Ms Julie Pocknee.
10. We do care for our wildlife, and work very closely with wildlife carers providing veterinary care where needed.
11. We take an active part in community services and proudly support Service Dog Training, by way of providing veterinary services to working dogs of individuals with disabilities. Please see www.servicedogtraining.com.au

If you have not used our services before, we do suggest that you try our services and see the differences for yourself. From our analysis we find that over 30% of all new patients are referred to us by existing clients, and a further 25% of all new patients are brought in by existing clients. Our clients travel from as far as Camberwell, Clayton, Fitzroy, Ringwood, Chelsea, St Kilda, Port Melbourne, Pakenham, to name but a few. From the level of service we provide, you would come to understand that we are not your average Veterinary Services provider. We do recommend that you bookmark our web address www.petcarevet.com.au

Our staff are very friendly and courteous. We are very easily accessible. We are located at 234 Power Road, Endeavour Hills, at the intersection of Power Road and Heatherton Road, Endeavour Hills, just off the Monash Freeway. Please note that parking is at the rear.