Lifelong care for pets providing clinical excellence, knowledge and experience
NEWS
Everyone wants to do their best for their pets, but with demands on money from all directions it is easy to be tempted to cut corners when it comes to such things as vaccination, worming, flea treatment and neutering. * Many of the diseases we vaccinate against are relatively uncommon, but can prove fatal. * The cost of routine flea and worming treatment is considerably less than dealing with diseases and infestations. * In many situations, neutering is advisable and beneficial to the pet’s wellbeing. Paragon offer Pet Health Clubs which allow regular payments towards the cost of preventative health care, often with an incorporated discount scheme.
If your pet has been injured, the vet may give a choice of treatment options, based on individual requirements and available finances. Procedures in first opinion veterinary practice are much more sophisticated and much safer than they used to be. Costs have certainly increased but improved techniques, procedures, equipment and training mean the likely outcomes have also improved enormously.
The cost of veterinary care by Ann Noble
(Small Animal Vet)
When the individual needs are beyond the scope of first opinion practice, we may recommend referral to a specialist centre for procedures such as MRI scans. This may massively increase the chances of success, but a scan alone may cost £700 - £800 so bills for specialist treatment may end up in the thousands. For these reasons, vets recommend pet insurance. It means the primary consideration when deciding a course of treatment can be ‘what is the best option for my pet?’ rather than ‘which is the option I can afford?’
February 2014
Contact us: PARAGON VETERINARY GROUP Carlisle House, Townhead Road, Dalston, Carlisle CA5 7JF Tel: 01228 710208 vets@paragonvet.com
TOWNHEAD VETERINARY CENTRE Newbiggin, Stainton, Penrith, CA11 0HT Tel: 01768 483789 townhead@paragonvet.com LONDON ROAD SURGERY 87 London Road Carlisle CA1 2LG Tel: 01228 591005
Not all insurance policies offer the same benefits. Be clear on what you want from the policy, and what you think it will provide. Staff in veterinary practices can advise on how to understand these options. Please contact our staff or call in for further information.
PARAGON VETERINARY GROUP Visit us at: www.paragonvet.com and please ‘like’ us on our FACEBOOK page www.facebook.com/ParagonVets.Pets
24 hour emergency service
PUPPY & KITTEN CARE by Kelly Armstrong (Veterinary Nurse)
This is the first of a two-part series on caring for your new 4-legged arrival. If a new puppy or kitten has joined your household recently or you’re thinking of getting one here are some top tips for helping your new addition settle in. • For puppies and kittens this will usually be their first experience of being away from their mother and litter mates so will be a stressful time and can often cause anxiety. It may just take time for them to settle in, although there are some products which may help. Adaptil for dogs and Feliway for cats are devices which release pheromones into the environment to help relax your pet. They can also help your existing pets if you’re bringing a newcomer into the home. • Puppies and kittens will need regular worming for roundworms as these will be passed on to them from their mother. Tapeworm control is important too once they are going out of the home. They will also need to be treated for fleas regularly, with the cat flea being the most common affecting cats and dogs. • Vaccination for puppies is vitally important to protect them from potentially fatal diseases such as parvovirus, distemper, hepatitis and leptospirosis. We can also vaccinate against infectious bronchitis (kennel cough). For kittens we vaccinate against feline enteritis, ‘cat flu’ and feline leukaemia virus. • Micro chipping is highly recommended and soon to become a legal requirement for dogs. The microchip can be implanted at the vaccination stage for your pet. This gives your pet the best possible chance of being reunited with you if lost or stolen.
Here at Paragon we have an offer of £10 to implant a microchip! See next month’s edition of our Paragon Pets newsletter for more top tips on caring for your puppy or kitten.
LOVE IS IN THE AIR!! Here at Paragon we are celebrating Valentine’s Day!! As we are feeling the love, for the full week running up to Valentine’s Day we are giving away free treats for all animals that come in for a free health and advice check with a nurse. All clients who come in for a nurse appointment that week will also be put into a prize draw to win a £20 Paragon voucher, to be drawn on Valentine’s Day. Show your pet you love them by bringing them in for a nurse check from
free the 10th-14th February.
PARAGON VETERINARY GROUP Visit us at: www.paragonvet.com and please ‘like’ us on FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/ParagonVets.Pets