Advanced surgery and medicine

What is it?
Laparoscopy is more commonly known as ‘keyhole surgery’. It has been used in human surgery for years and more recently has been developed for use in veterinary surgery. Just like in human surgery the incisions are small and using a camera along with small instruments we are able to perform some routine surgeries.

When do we use Keyhole?

We are using it for abdominal surgeries such as ovariectomies (spay), cryptorchid surgery (undescended testicles) and organ biopsies.

What are the benefits?
Keyhole surgery is a highly skilled procedure and has tremendous advantages over traditional open surgery including:

• Smaller incisions, so there is less trauma to the muscles and other tissue
• recovery time is much reduced
• there is less pain associated with the surgeries
• a lower risk of infections
• reduced surgery time and therefore time spent under anaesthesia and a happier pet!

If you would like to know a bit more or to book in, please give us a call on 01403 252 964.

Finance plan
If you would like to spread the cost of surgery, please talk to one of our team about our Finance Plan. We offer low cost finance options to help you spread the cost of paying for treatments.

Find out more

We have three state-of-the-art endoscopes – two bronchoscopes and a gastroscope, which enable us to view the respiratory and alimentary tract in most cats and dogs in a non invasive manner. This is linked to a video/televisual system to enable more than one person to view and interpret any clinical findings.

Sometimes, your pet can have a condition that’s difficult to diagnose without surgery to examine an internal organ or by obtaining a tissue sample. Surgery in these cases may be necessary, but sometimes endoscopy can provide a less invasive alternative.

During this procedure, one of our highly skilled vets will insert an endoscope — a tubular instrument with a small camera and light at one end, into the mouth. This very useful equipment can also be used to examine other organs such as the airways of the lungs, the bladder and the colon.

We have a high resolution digital X-ray machine that enables us to take fabulous quality x-rays quickly, which means less stress for the patient and faster diagnosis!

What is an ultrasound?
An ultrasound exam is a non-invasive imaging technique that allows us to see what’s going on inside your pet using ultrasonic waves. The process is not painful and our team works hard to ensure it is as stress free as possible for your pet.

We have invested in the latest imaging technology to provide accurate and rapid diagnosis of a wide range of conditions. Our sonographers can map detailed information about your pet’s abdominal organs and allow non-invasive measurement of heart blood flow to help shape bespoke treatment plans.

Will my pet need an anaesthetic?
Anaesthesia is not usually needed for most ultrasound examinations, unless biopsies are to be taken. The technique is totally painless and most pets will lie comfortably while the scan is being performed. Occasionally, if the pet is very frightened a sedative may be necessary.

Heart disease is one of the most commonly diagnosed conditions in dogs and cats. Early detection of a potential heart problem is so important and will not only improve the quality of life but often considerably lengthen the life span of affected animals. At an early stage your pet may not show any symptoms, we often pick up a potential problem during a routine visit.

We use several instruments to monitor the health of our patients hearts. We have the equipment to perform electrocardiographs (ECG), ultrasound scanning, radiographs (X-ray) and blood pressure monitoring. These diagnostic tools form an important part of the investigation and monitoring of heart disease and certain other conditions such as:

• Mitral valve disease
• Dilated cardiomyopathy
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

We use only cutting-edge technologies to give us unprecedented accuracy, speed and precision of laboratory tests. Occasionally, we need to use an external laboratory for more complex tests. These tests are couriered overnight ensuring we can report your pet’s test results as quickly as possible.

Blood samples, urine tests and microscopic examination of blood, skin and urine are checked using our in-house laboratory service providing results in a matter of minutes even on weekends.

Our dental treatments and veterinary oral surgery service are provided by dedicated vets and nurses providing high quality veterinary dentistry to your pets. We treat all animals as if they were our own and we know how important it is to provide you and your pets with the best advice and treatment to maintain excellent oral health for your pets.