Foxhall Vets - Frequently Asked Questions

Contact information

Foxhall Veterinary Clinic
2 Brookside Close
Ruskington
Sleaford
Lincolnshire
NG34 9GQ

Clinic hours telephone:
01526 833555

**Opening Hours**
Mon	08.30 - 19.00
Tue	08.30 - 19.00
Wed	08.30 - 19.00
Thu	08.30 - 19.00
Fri	08.30 - 19.00
Sat	08.30 - 12.30
Sun	Closed
24 hour IN-HOUSE emergency cover.
Consultation by appointment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Vaccinations

- DOGS -; Puppies: Ideally the 1st vaccination should be done at 8 weeks old with the 2nd being 2 weeks later. However they can be given from 6 weeks if the puppy is at risk (always discuss this with your vet). If the vaccination is given at 6 weeks old then the 2nd would still be given at 10 weeks.

It would also be advisable to have your new puppy at home for a few days before being given the 1st vaccination. this will give you a chance to see if your puppy has any diarrhoea or is generally unwell. Vaccinations will NOT be given to puppies that are unwell. Please stick to the breeders diet until you have had a chance to discuss this with your vet, any changes made should be done gradually.

BOOSTERS: Are given yearly consisting of DHPPI + L. D = Diphtheria H = Hepatitis P = Parvo virus P = Para-influenza (flu)
L = Leptospirosis (Weils disease). Every 3rd year a reduced vaccination Can be given.

KC (kennel cough): This can be given yearly and is recommended for dogs that are kenneled and socialise with a lot of dogs. This vaccination should be given at least 5 days before going into kennels. Do speak with the kennels before having this vaccination as all have different procedures.

- CATS - ; Kittens: Ideally the f1st vaccination should be given at 9 weeks with the 2nd being 3 weeks later.
There are different vaccinations available. For cats that are 'out and about' then Flu, enteritis and leukaemia is recommended. For house cats, then flu and enteritis will do. If you are putting your cat into a cattery then please check with them what is required.

BOOSTERS: Are given yearly.

All booster turn into re-starts if left more than 10 weeks over the due date.

- RABBITS -; Yes they also need vaccinating! These can start from 6 weeks old. Myxomatosis is recommended every 6 months. If this disease is contracted then there is very little that can be done.-
HVD (hemorrhagic viral disease) can be given once a year with a minimum of 2 weeks between the myxomatosis and the HVD vaccination.

- RABIES -; This vaccination is required for pets traveling abroad. A blood test is sometimes necessary 3 - 4 weeks following the vaccination to determine that blood levels are acceptable for traveling Results from this test can take as long as a month to be returned and a passport can then be given out with valid test results.
Pets traveling abroad need to be up to date with there booster vaccination and be micro chipped. DEFRA can be contacted for further advise.

Worming

- DOGS - ; Puppies: start at 2 weeks, then every 2 weeks until the age of 12 weeks. Then once monthly until 6 months old. 3 monthly thereafter. Always weigh before next dose until 1 year old. It is always advisable to weigh regularly.

Adults: Dogs which do not eat all sorts of 'rubbish' and spend most of the time on the sofa, then twice yearly is adequate. Scavengers, like Labradors and Spinones, then recommended every 3 months (4 times a year) .

Pregnant bitches: From day 40 of pregnancy to avoid pre-natal worm larvae transferal. Panacur 25mg per kg daily until due date.

Frequency can be reduced if you are using Advocate as this will cover some worms.

- CATS - ; Kittens: Under 1kg start at 2 weeks old, Panacur 1 dose for 3 days at aged 2 and 5 weeks and again before leaving for their new home aged 8 weeks then again aged 12 weeks.

Adults: Indoor cats 1 -2 times a year. Hunters every 3 months is recommended, however it can be done more frequently if there is a problem.

Pregnant queens: Use Panacur.

Products available from your Veterinary Clinic are:

Milbemax for dogs and cats, if your veterinary clinic has seen your pet. Drontal if not.
Profender is available as a spot-on for cats only.
Panacur for those smaller babies. Drontal also comes in a suspension, an ideal way to worm very young puppies.

- RABBITS -; Yes they need worming too! Panacur for worms also Lapizole for 28 days will protect them against Cunniculosis, a very debilitating illness, often fatal.

Fleas

Flea treatment is an essential part of pet care.

Fleas can be an all year round problem. With many of our pets spending time indoors with central heating. There are many products available and spot-on treatments are easy and effective to use.

For Cats we recommend either:

Advocate spot-on available in 2 sizes:
- less than 4 kg
- 4 to 8 kg

or

Frontline Combo spot-on. This can also be purchased in a 100ml or 250ml spray which can be used on cats or dogs over 6 weeks.

For Dogs we recommend either;

Advocate spot on available in 4 sizes:
- less than 4 kg
- 4 to 10 kg
- 10 to 25 kg
- 25 kg and over

or

Prac-tic spot-on also available in 4 sizes:
- 2 to 11 kg
- 11 to 22 kg
- 22 to 35 kg
- 35 to 50 kg

If your pet has a flea infestation and is in your house, then this will need to be treated too. You would need to pay particular attention to bedding and soft furnishing, However any small crack of crevice is a potential breeding ground for fleas.

A household spray, R. I. P. is available, 1 can is enough to cover an average 3 bedroomed house for 12 months.

There are products available for rabbits, Advocate is also available for rabbits. We would recommend that you treat your rabbit regularly with Rearguard, This helps to prevent fly strike. This is a sponge applicator used to apply solution to the rear of your rabbit to stop flies from laying their eggs which then would hatch into maggots.

All of the above products are kept in stock at the clinic, others are available on request. Such as Stronghold, Advantage, Advantix, Frontline and Effipro.

These products are 'prescription only' medicine, this means that the Veterinary Clinic would need to have seen your pet to be able to prescribe these. A free nurses appointment can be offered to dispense this medication.

Dogs - why neuter?

We are often asked 'why do I need to neuter my Pet'?

Apart from the health benefits, which we'll come to later, there are emotional and environmental factors.

A bitch comes into season approximately every six months.
Your bitch will be in season for three weeks each time.
When in season she will attract male dogs, especially un neutered dogs.
A male dog will follow a bitch in season everywhere for a chance to mate. You may have to physically fend him off if he is very persistent.
Wanting to mate, but being unable to do so, will be very frustrating for your un-neutered bitch. It is common for bitched to scale high fences, or even dig their way out to find a male dog with whom to mate.
Many dogs bought into welfare organisations or re-homing centres are in fact bitches in season.

Health benefits :

An un-neutered bitch is at an increased risk of developing mammary tumours.
Neutering your bitch eliminates the distressing condition known as phantom pregnancy.
An un-neutered bitch is at risk of developing a life-threatening and not uncommon condition called pyometra – a potentially fatal infection of the uterus which fills with pus. Undiagnosed the uterus can burst causing peritonitis and death.

TOO MANY DOGS AND PUPPIES, NOT ENOUGH HOMES......
Rescue centres all over the country are full of unwanted dogs. All are desperately looking for a new start. Everyday thousands of healthy dogs are destroyed simply because there are not enough homes.
Some people believe that there is a lot of money to be made from having a litter of puppies.

Breeding from a bitch is more expensive and far more time consuming than you could possibly imagine.
Bitches can give birth to up to 10 or more puppies in each litter.
Whilst pregnant your bitch will need specific dietary requirements.
When the puppies are being weaned, you will need to feed them four times a day. You will also have to toilet train them and clear up after them.
Some bitches can have difficulty giving birth, then veterinary assistance is needed, often out of hours. A caesarian section is sometimes required, this can cost hundreds of pounds.

We recommend that a bitch is neutered ten to twelve weeks after her first season. This is due to the fact of knowing exactly where she is in her cycle.
They are NEVER too old.

Some people believe that routine castration of male dogs is unnecessary. Here are some reasons why we think that neutering you dog is best for them and for you.

Your male dog can smell a bitch in season from a very long distance away. Some dogs will dog anything to reach her, including scaling tall fences or digging out.
These dogs are liable to become lost, or be involved in a road traffic accident.
Often, male dogs become very frustrated. They may try to mount cushions, toys or even people's legs. Some become very snappy, others become very dominant, and can attack other dogs.
Most un-neutered male dogs scent mark by urinating in and around the house.
The risk of testicular cancer is completely removed by neutering. Many older male dogs develop prostate enlargement. Some symptoms include urinary problems, constipation and also increased risk of prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer can be hormone dependant, these dogs have to be castrated when they are getting on in years and therefore can present with a greater anaesthetic risk.

We recommend that a dog can be neutered from six months old for smaller dogs sometimes a little older for larger dogs depending on maturity.
They are NEVER too old.

Cats - why neuter?

We are often asked ' Why do I need to neuter my pet'?

Apart from the health benefits, which we'll come to later there are emotional and environmental factors.

Many female cats in season become lost when they are chased by entire male cats. They often become disorientated and cannot find their way home. Consequently they become pregnant and end up having their kittens on the streets
This is how feral colonies are formed, these cats often struggle to survive, go hungry and have various health issues i.e. cat flu. They are often very difficult to home if rescued.
So many cats carry the F.I.V. virus that other cats are at risk of catching if they are bitten for example during mating. Feline mating can be very violent, particularly if two males are fighting over one female.

A female can come into season up to three times a year. She can give birth to up to six kittens each time, sometimes more, which can lead to further complications.
A cat can start to breed from the age of six months. If a female cat was to mate each time she came into season, and all her kittens were to survive and breed, then there could be up to 21,000 extra cats in just 7 years!!!

Female cats should be neutered from five to six months old. There is no benefit to your cat in letting her have a litter before she is spayed. If your cat has already had kittens, she should be neutered promptly when her kittens are approximately seven weeks old or she WILL become pregnant again. (neutering her will not affect her milk supply).

If a female cat is kept permanently indoors, she too needs to be neutered. This is because she will constantly come into season, which is very frustrating for her, and for you.

Which leads me onto health benefits:
Un-neutered females are at risk of various health problems including, cystic ovaries and pyometra – a potentially fatal infection of the uterus. Undiagnosed, the uterus fills with pus, and then bursts causing peritonitis and death.

When it comes to male cats, when mature, un-neutered male cats will begin to roam further a field in his search for a female cat. As he travels further he will be at risk from traffic when crossing busy roads, also fight injuries acquired during territorial battles with other cats.
Many male cats wander a bit too far and cannot find their way home. They then become one of the uk's 2,500,000 strays that struggle to survive on the streets.
A large proportion of cats picked up as strays and taken to re-homing centres are un-neutered males, once a much loved family pet.

Un-neutered males are very territorial and aggressive towards other cats. They will fight, quite fiercely, inflicting terrible injuries on other cats, neutered or not. Many of the injuries need veterinary treatment, and if your cat has wandered too far, this treatment will be delayed, or not treated at all!!!

Fighting un-neutered male cats are most at risk of contracting F.I.V. (feline immunodeficiency virus – the human equivalent to H.I.V.) The virus is transmitted between cats through deep bites incurred during fights. F.I.V. is widespread amongst un-neutered male cats and can eventually develop into full-blown disease. There is no vaccine against F.I.V. Neutered cats are much less aggressive to one another, therefore by neutering your male cat, he is much less likely to be involved in fights and less likely to contract F.I.V.
N.B. F.I.V. cannot be transmitted to humans, dogs or other pets.

Un-neutered male cats spray very strong foul-smelling urine to mark their territory. They will spray in and around your home or your neighbours. Neutering can prevent this.

An un-neutered male cat will make itself very unpopular spraying and fighting with other cats in the area . A large proportion of reports to animal welfare organisations are from people annoyed with un-neutered male cats attacking their cat(s) and spraying in and around their homes.

Rescue centres are full of battered, stray un-neutered male cats, that have roamed too far. The numbers needing homes are so great that many are doomed to join the thousands of unwanted cats that are destroyed each day in the uk. Many of which having health problems, which makes them unlikely to be re-homed. If only they had been neutered then these statistics could be very different. Male cats can be neutered from five to six months old. However they are NEVER too old.