Animal hospital

Our fully equipped animal hospital, which includes an in-house laboratory to ensure fast results, diagnostic facilities and special anaesthetic monitoring equipment allows us to perform a range of routine and elective procedures, including: 

• Orthopaedic Surgery

Broken bones and fractures are an all-too-common occurrence for our four-legged friends; thankfully, with advances in surgical techniques, these injuries can be successfully treated.  We offer a range of orthopaedic repairs from pinning and plating to external fixation, cruciate ligament repairs and patella surgery.

• Soft tissue surgery

We perform the vast majority of soft tissue surgical procedures that your pet may require such as desexing, exploratory laporotomies, caesareans, lump removals, biopsies, wound stitch-ups, removal of intestinal foreign bodies, abcess removal, delicate eye and ear surgery - the list is endless!  A very common soft tissue surgery is the removal of lumps.  Some lumps may require a biopsy prior to removal to help understand whether they are cancerous or not.  This information assists us in planning the surgery accordingly to give your pet the best possible outcome.  Once they have been removed we recommend sending them to our external laboratory for analysis. Although most lumps are benign (not harmful), a minority are more serious. In the case of malignant tumours, early removal and an accurate diagnosis is extremely important to maximise the chances of a good outcome. If you find a lump or bump on your pet please make an appointment to discuss any surgery your pet may require. 

• Anaesthesia

Whether your pet is undergoing a minor procedure or major surgery they'll be in the best possible hands under the watchful eye of our qualifed experienced nurses, who utilise our specialised anaesthetic monitoring equipment to ensure your pets always receive quality care and attention. 

• De-sexing

Desexing or neutering your pet is a surgical procedure that prevents them from being able to reproduce.  In male pets it is commonly referred to as “castration”, and in female pets as “spaying”.  This is the most frequent surgery performed at Vetcall, and in almost all cases your pet goes home the same day.  We neuter dogs, cats and rabbits, as well as 'pocket' pets, including guinea pigs, rats etc.  The most common age to desex your pet is between 4 and 6 months, however they are never too old to be de-sexed.  There are many benefits to de-sexing your cat or dog before 6 months.  They include: preventing unwanted litters, which can be very costly, and may add to the already overwhelming number of stray animals that are put down each year, prevention of testicular cancer and prostate disease in males, prevention of pyometra (infection of the uterus) and mammary tumours (breast cancer) in females, stopping the “heat” cycle in females, decreasing aggression towards humans and other animals, especially in males, being less prone to wander, especially in males, living a longer and healthier life, reduction of council registration fees.  

For more information on desexing please see our desexing page and FAQ section: cat desexing / dog desexing.

We are well-equipped for all our surgical procedures with electric heat pads, fluid infusion pumps, electrocautery and anesthetic monitoring equipment.

Each patient has an individual post-operative pain management regime designed to suit its requirements.  

With our separate dog and cat wards, you can rest assured your pet will be able to recover and recuperate without having to worry about the presence of their archnemesis!

• Dentistry

Dentistry is a rapidly growing area of veterinary science.  We have seen a greater awareness over the last 25 years of its importance to the overall health of the animals we treat.  Just like humans, pets’ teeth need looking after too!  The health of their teeth and gum's has a significant impact on their overall quality of life.  Imagine how your mouth would feel, and smell, if you never brushed your teeth.  Imagine having a really bad toothache and not being able to tell anyone about it!  Dental disease begins with a build up of bacteria in your pet’s mouth.  Bacteria, combined with mineral from the saliva and food debris, inevitably causes tartar to accumulate on the tooth.  Without proper preventive or therapeutic care, plaque and tartar build-up leads to periodontal disease, which affects the tissues and structures supporting the teeth.  Periodontal disease can cause oral pain, tooth loss and even heart or kidney problems.  Common signs of dental disease, in order of severity, include yellow-brown tartar around the gumline, inflamed and red gums, bad breath, change in eating or chewing habits (especially in cats), pawing at the face or mouth, excessive drooling, pain or bleeding when you touch the gums or mouth.   If your pet is showing any of these signs of dental disease please book an appointment for a free dental check.  Early assessment and action can save your pet’s teeth.  

For more information please see our Pet Dentistry page and also our FAQ section: dental care

• X-ray

Our hospital is fully equipped to take radiographs (often called X-rays) of your pet using modern digital equipment.  We will discuss your pet’s case and conduct a thorough physical examination to determine if your pet requires radiographs.  Radiographs are a very important tool to help us diagnose diseases in animals, particularly for conditions involving bones, the chest or abdomen.  Most of our patients are admitted into hospital for the day to have radiographs taken, unless it is an emergency and we’ll take them immediately.  Your pet will most likely be sedated or anaesthetised to allow us to take the best quality radiographs possible.  Once the radiographs have been taken we will book an appointment to show and explain the images and to discuss the diagnosis and treatment plan for your pet.

• Ultrasound

At Vetcall we also perform ultrasounds.  Ultrasound is commonly used for pregnancy diagnosis in bitches and queens, but is also very useful in detecting abnormalities in internal organs such as the heart, kidney, liver, spleen and especially the bladder.

• Blood Pressure Monitoring

High blood pressure in pets can occur spontaneously or secondary to another disease process.  Untreated it can have very serious consequences such as sudden blindness and increased risk of stroke, kidney disease and heart disease.  At Vetcall we monitor blood pressure as part of our Senior Pet Wellness Programme, in critical care patients, anaesthised patients, patients at risk of high blood pressure and patients receiving blood pressure medication.

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