Prevention is always the best treatment. It’s the same as a pilot’s safety check list before flying or our safety check lists before anaesthetics and operations
In most vet clinics, preventative health checks mean vaccinations and parasite treatments. We feel that while both are worthy there are more important benefits from preventative health checks – reviewing your pet’s weight and diet, ensuring the mouth is healthy, discussing changes we should make as our companions grow older, ensuring that both we and they enjoy our lives together.
Your pet visiting us yearly is much the same are our visiting our GPs every five years or so. It provides an opportunity to note something that you may think is insignificant but is in fact the early stage of a change that is still easy to correct.
The most common conditions we see at annual health checks are surreptitious weight gain and gum disease. Both are widespread in cats (especially indoor cats) and dogs. As well as a complete physical examination we review your companion’s behaviour and can give you advice on how to improve the lives of all members of your family.
We will send you an annual reminder for your pet’s annual health check. This may or may not include a booster inoculation and parasite prevention treatment.
Tooth and gum disease is often seen at annual health check visits. If there are mouth problems we give you advice on how to resolve the condition and prevent it from coming back. For example, we may suggest offering your cat chicken wings or chicken necks to eat so that the teeth and gums are self cleaned. We may suggest that you try brushing for dog’s teeth or providing beef bones to chew on. (Beef bones only because they are too hard for most dogs to break and swallow.) In many instances the best treatment is for us to book in dental treatment, for example a scale and polish, removing diseased teeth that can’t be saved.
Six months after we diagnose and treat tooth and gum disease in your cat or dog we suggest a re-visit, to see that the condition has resolved or hasn’t returned. We will contact you by email.
Time flies. They are kittens and pups one day then tentative about jumping on the sofa seemingly the next. Our pets age far too fast. But there is so much that can be done to make life comfortable for older pets, and to catch problems early.
We suggest senior health checks for all cats and dogs. Arbitrarily we suggest at 10 years of age for cats and at between 7 and 10 years old for dogs. (Giant breeds benefit from early Seniors checks.)
At Senior health checks we examine sight, hearing, mouth and mobility issues as well as the heart, lungs and belly. We take a blood sample and review both how the organs are working and how red and white blood cells are performing.
One of the most frequently under diagnosed conditions in older dogs and especially older cats is chronic joint pain. Since 2020 this has been successfully managed with ‘MABS’, monoclonal antibody injections called Librela for dogs and Solensia for cats. If your pet may benefit we will discuss these simple treatments with you.
Wonderfully skilled, kind compassionate independent vets practice. I’ve used them for twelve years for my two cats and they have provided excellent care and advice with a lovely human touch. I would recommend them every time.
Natasha Thorneycroft
My Pug Queenie has been seen by a number of the Vets at the London Vet clinic, all were brilliant, they thoroughly explained all of the procedures that my dog would be having. I’m a first-time pug owner and I have very much appreciated all their help. Queenie’s had her spay & Boas surgery here. Jo was fantastic, she did the Boas, which has been highly successful, Queenie’s been coping well with the extreme heat we have been having. Highly recommended!
Queenie
Chop is our English Bulldog and she is quite lazy, but she is always enthusiastic to come along to see everyone at The London Veterinary Medicine Clinic as they are all so kind and make anything she needs doing an easy task. The Clinic keeps us informed of all the things we need to do to keep our dog healthy and when, in the past, she has had medical procedures, talk us through the options best for her. Thank you for your help!
Terry Newman
My dog is quite anxious, and taking him to the vet can be so frustrating as he won’t let anyone touch / examine him. Natalia has been so amazing with him, I feel so lucky to have found her. She really cares about him and thinks ahead of how to accommodate him and support him when he is sick. She is always extremely responsive and thinks outside the box when needed. Having a rescue dog can be so scary from time to time and I can’t stress enough how grateful I am to have her as my dog’s vet.
Leanne Moser
Best vets in London! Super friendly and knowledgeable, our dog always loves going even when she’s unwell, which I take as a good sign!
Christina Rhodes
Such kind and caring attentive and speedy doctors and nurses. As my first time seeing a vet in the UK i feel great relief and gratitude
Gabriella Caspi
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