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Services

How can we help your pet?

Microchipping

It is a legal requirement to have any dog over the age of eight weeks microchipped (and to keep your details up-to-date). It could also help find your pet if they ever went missing.

A microchip implant is an identifying, integrated circuit placed under the skin of a dog, cat, ferret, or other animal. The chips are about the size of a large grain of rice and are based on a passive RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology. Once the chip has been inserted into your pet, it provides an inexpensive but permanent means of identification throughout your pet’s life.

The chip is inserted into the scruff of the neck in a quick and relatively painless procedure. Each chip has its own unique identification number and once implanted, it remains electronically inactive until scanned by a special microchip scanner.

The chip responds to a low voltage electronic signal from the scanner and transmits its unique code, which is then displayed on the screen. This allows vets, pet rescue staff, dog wardens and the police to access a database to discover the identity of the pet and its owner.

Your pet can receive this procedure for the small cost of £19.50 (incl. VAT) or at no cost if your pet is a member of The Pet Health Club.

Neutering

Improve your pet’s health and avoid those unwanted surprises

Neutering is the term given to desexing. It involves a castration procedure for a male, or a spay (ovariohysterectomy) procedure for a female. At Twickenham Veterinary Surgery we deal with many local rescues, so often see the desperate plight of homeless animals and the problems and sorrow that they encounter.

Our experienced team of vets strongly recommend neutering cats, dogs and rabbits, and castrating male guinea pigs and rats if they live with others.

Unless you plan to breed from a cat, dog or rabbit, it is essential to have your pet neutered at an early age to prevent breeding. Most females get worn out nursing their young and pregnancy itself is not risk-free. Neutering is a fairly simple procedure and as an operation carries very few risks.

A neutered animal is healthier, happier and more affectionate and undoubtedly will have a longer life

Many people claim that neutered pets become fat and lazy, but this is not true. Neutered pets on average need to consume 30% less energy per day, so it is advisable to cut back their feed as soon as they have had the operation - this way, they are highly unlikely to gain weight and become lethargic as a result of weight gain.

There are no undesirable side effects of neutering but there are many positive benefits:

  • Neutered pets tend to be more content and healthier. They are more home loving and do not have the tendency to fight or wander compared to unneutered pets
  • Females are less likely to get mammary tumours and they cannot get pyometra (an often fatal infection of the uterus)
  • In the case of rabbits, they cannot get adenocarcinomas (nasty tumours of the uterus which are very common in rabbits)
  • Males are less likely to develop aggressive tendencies or prostate problems and cannot get testicular tumours if they are castrated

We recommend cats to be neutered from four months of age, whilst dogs can be neutered from five to six months of age (depending on their breed - we can advise you on this). Male rabbits can be castrated from 12 weeks of age and female rabbits spayed from six months of age.

Neutering is a simple, safe and cost effective way to promote and protect the healthy life of your domestic pet.

Nurse Clinics

If you want any advice or support, our veterinary nurses are the people to ask. Here at Twickenham Veterinary Surgery, we are fortunate to have the support of our registered veterinary nurses and experienced nursing assistants to help you and your pets with some of the things listed below.

Weight Clinics

If your pet needs to lose weight, our nurses can create a bespoke weight management programme to help you to help your pet lose weight. This is designed to take into account your pet’s age, current and target weight, body condition score and pre-existing medical history. Support will be available to help your pet reach their target weight and fine-tune the diet plan if necessary at a fortnightly or monthly weigh-in.

Geriatric Clinics

If you have an older pet, this is the clinic for you. When our pets get older, we need to meet their needs, physically and mentally. Our nurses will discuss any healthcare and behavioural issues relating to old age and help you understand conditions that come with old age, such as kidney disease, arthritis and brain ageing.

New Puppy or Kitten Advice

Do you have a new puppy or kitten? Our nurses would love to meet you and your pet and talk to you about vaccinations, worming, neutering, diet and behaviour, as well as any other questions about the new addition to your family.

General Health Care

Do your pet’s nails need clipping? We are happy to do this for you and can also teach you to do it yourself. In addition, we can answer any healthcare queries about your pet and discuss parasite prevention and control.

Dental Clinics

Are your pet’s teeth squeaky clean? At these clinics, the nurses will discuss dental care for your pet, including tooth brushing using enzymatic toothpastes, dental supplements, dental foods, dental chews and toys.

Rabbit Health

Do you have a rabbit? We have very strong links with Animal Rescue and Care and deal with rabbits on a day-to-day basis. Our nurses will be able to advise you on all aspects of rabbit care, including weight problems, nutrition, husbandry, neutering and behavioural issues.

Post-operative Clinic

Has your pet just had surgery? If your pet has just had an operation (such as neutering), we need to see your pet to check the wound is healing well and that your pet has recovered from the after-effects of surgery and general anaesthesia.

Medication Clinics

Is your pet being tricky? If you are having trouble medicating your pet, the nurses will be able to do it for you and give you tips for how to be successful at home and keep your fingers intact!

House Visits

If you are unable to come to us, we can come to you

To ensure your pet receives the highest standards of veterinary care, we always suggest that we treat your pet at our well-equipped surgery.

However, under certain circumstances where you are unable to visit our surgery and would prefer us to visit you and your pet at home, we can make an appointment for one of our experienced and friendly vets to come and see you.

An appointment will be made around our working schedule at the surgery.

For clients who have transport difficulties, there are a number of local taxi and animal ambulance services available.

 

We can only offer house visits with in a 3 mile radius of Twickenham Veterinay Surgery. Click on the map below to see if we are able to visit you.