The Vet Practice

By The Vet Practice on Sunday, 30 November 2008

It's a fact that most people "shop around" for desexing prices. We know this because we receive many calls each week asking about the price of desexing a cat or dog.

Different clinics will charge different fees for the procedure and there is a tendency for some people to select this service just on price.

This is not ideal as there are many things involved in the procedure which can differ or even be left out in order to arrive at that particular price.

So, you need to be aware of these before you make comparisons.

There are questions you should ask when ringing around so that you can more directly compare fees with value.

Not all surgical procedures are performed in the same way using the same equipment or the same anaesthetic and pain management protocols.

Because it's difficult to explain all this information over the phone we've condensed all the important information you really should know into a special 23 page report.

It's available from our practice for a small fee of only $7.00.

And for those of you who choose to have your pet desexed at our clinic, we'll happily refund the purchase price of the book.

So find out what's really involved in the procedure before booking your pet in to be desexed.

 

By The Vet Practice on Saturday, 29 November 2008

This is one of the most common questions our clients ask us.

With so many different varieties and brands available it can get confusing. However, you should apply the same rules to selecting a pet food as you do to choosing foods for your own family.

Look beyond the packaging appeal and read the ingredients list instead.

Choose a quality dry kibble as the daily staple. It's the most economical because unlike the canned and loaf varieties you're not paying for the water content.

And as with anything, price will be a fair indicator of quality.

A few things to look for on the ingredients list include:

• Meat Meal as the first ingredient on the list. (Not cereals such as wheat and corn) Although dogs can digest and utilise cereals as a carbohydrate and protein source, the main source of protein should be meat. Cereals should be listed below meat
• Avoid products containing meat by products. This is not a quality ingredient and as the name implies - could include anything!
• Look for added Vitamins and Minerals
• Look for the claim "Nutritionally balanced"
• Avoid added preservatives and artificial colours and flavours. Just like us, pets can suffer from adverse reactions to these
• The product should have a daily recommended feeding guide 

Finally.

Dogs too love variety in their diet so the addition of some fresh meat and vegetables on a regular basis will go a long way to keeping your dog fit and healthy.

And yes, that could mean less trips to the vet!

By The Vet Practice on Friday, 28 November 2008

We've had a really good response to our offer of a Free eReport on dog vaccines.

We certainly hope it's given you some useful information.

For those of you who have requested the report and have not received it, it's because it was rejected by your hosting provider.

Sorry. We did try.