Nurse clinics

Our experienced veterinary nurses work with you to keep your pets fit and healthy so they can live fuller, longer lives. At our dedicated nurse clinics, we run regular check-ups and preventative treatments.

And while our nurses are highly qualified, they will always refer you to a vet if necessary.

Below is a list of our clinics, but call us to find out how our nurses can help you with other issues including:

• Microchip checking.
• Administering medications.
• Nail clipping.
• Weight checks.

Nurse clinics are available at the Welwyn Garden City hospital. Please call 01707 331963 to make an appointment.

Nurse clinics include:

Weight management clinics

These weight clinics give advice on the best way to tackle any issues, whether your pet is underweight or overweight. Obesity is an increasing problem in our pets and can lead to, or worsen, many health problems such as arthritis, diabetes and heart conditions.

We know managing our pets’ weight can be challenging, so we provide regular weight checks and discuss different ways to help reduce or maintain your pet’s weight, such as exercise and diet.

Fleas, ticks and worming treatments

Prevention is definitely better than cure when it comes to flea, tick and worm treatments.

We’ll talk you through all the options available for flea and worming treatment and can demonstrate how to remove ticks should your pet get one.

Giving your pet regular flea and worm treatment is important for you, your pet and the environment. Get some expert advice today.

Friendly visits

We’ve found these sessions are incredibly beneficial for our more nervous patients. Visiting the vet can be incredibly stressful for some pets and their owners. These sessions aim to get your pet to relax and sometimes actually enjoy coming to see us. These are reassuring consults – we don’t do anything worrying. All your pet will receive is a lot of fuss and treats. These can also be done at the branches with our vets.

Nail clipping and grooming

Our nurses can keep your pets’ paws in good shape with nail clipping. Minor grooming procedures eg ear epilation or knot removing (dematting) can also be done with a nurse appointment.

Getting a new pet

It can be a challenge knowing where to start choosing a new pet. We are always happy to help and offer advice over the phone or in person to help you choose a pet that will fit in with your lifestyle.

General veterinary clinics include:

Dental care clinic

Keep your pet’s teeth and gums in top condition and you won’t face the pain of dental operations or the costs of veterinary cleaning or removal of damaged teeth. Research has shown that by the age of two, around 80% of dogs and 70% of cats will have some signs of dental disease – don’t let your pet be one of them!

Talk to our vets about how to brush teeth, the best products to use and the best diet for your pet’s teeth at their life stage.

Adolescent (pre-neutering) checks clinic

When your dog or cat is six months old, we like to bring them in for a fun session that helps them get used to being at the vet’s and also check their growth and general wellbeing.

When they come along, we’ll get them used to having their paws and ears played with and have a look at:

• Teeth.
• Diet.
• Exercise.
• Training.
• Flea and worm control.
• Neutering.
• Insurance.

Senior pet clinic

It’s natural that pets face more health risks as they age, just like us. So, as our animal clients get older, we like them to have regular health checks.

Cats from age 11 and dogs from eight years (smaller breeds) and five years (giant breeds) are our “senior citizens”.

We’ll give your pet a proper “top to tail” exam, where we look for early signs of kidney/liver disease, arthritis, dental disease and tumours, high blood pressure, and others.

Just like us, the sooner we detect any problems, the more we can do to help.

Post-operative care clinic

Following veterinary procedures involving a general anaesthetic or sedation, your pet will need a post-operative check with lots of TLC. These clinics are to reassure you that:

• Wounds are healing correctly.
• Stitches have been removed safely and dressings changed correctly.
• Any dental work, especially extractions, are looking good.
• In overall terms, your pet has recovered well from the procedure.

We’ll also talk to you about any aftercare you can do, such as preventative care following veterinary dental work.

Post-op checks are included in the cost of all operations.

Rabbit clinics

Rabbits are increasingly popular pets in the UK and we love them too. Did you know that with the correct daily care, they can live up to 10 years? Our vets and nurses can advise you on housing, caring for indoor rabbits and litter training. We can also show you or your children how to correctly handle your bunny, and check their teeth and nails. We love rabbiting on! You can ask us about:

• Dietary advice.
• Sexing.
• Vaccinations.
• Parasites.
• Neutering.
• Flystrike.

Diabetic care

If you’re learning to live with a pet who is diabetic, you’ll appreciate our professional help and support. At our diabetic clinics, we will tell you all you need to know about diet and exercise and show you how to give insulin.

We’ll also teach you how to monitor your pet and manage their condition, as well as how to recognise the warning signs when something is wrong.

Managing diabetic patients can be time consuming and difficult but you are not alone. We are here to help.

Firework clinic

Fireworks can become your pet’s worst nightmare. Come and speak to one of our vets for advice on how to help your pet cope with them.

Neutering clinic

We understand that bringing your pet in for neutering can be quite worrying. All our vets and nurses can provide advice on neutering and discuss the benefits with you. We can also go through with you what the procedure involves and help discuss aftercare, so you can be sure it is absolutely the best option for your pet.

During adolescence and after neutering, our pets often require a change in diet to maintain their body condition; we’ll talk to you about that too.

Anal sac expression

Our vets will help your pet feel more comfortable by emptying anal sacs.

Blood pressure checks

Many older pets, or those with long term illness, can suffer from high blood pressure and require medication and monitoring. Our vets and qualified nurses can provide a regular monitoring service for older pets and those on medication. Please refer to our senior pet clinic for details.

Blood sampling

We recommend regular blood samples for all older animals and those on certain medications. With most animals this can be done at the branch practices with you or a trained receptionist holding your pet, but with anxious animals we recommend booking them in at the Welwyn Garden City hospital for a nurse to hold.

Palliative care

Palliative care is becoming more important in our patients. As our pets live longer and we diagnose illness earlier, there are some cases where we cannot cure but we can make your pet live more comfortably for the time they have. Our team understands and will help you deal with this difficult time.