As Fife’s only Veterinary Hospital I am sure you expect the highest standard of care for your loved one(s) each time you visit us. Now we want to take that concept a little further by trying to reduce the chance of them becoming ill in the first place! For instance, we would prefer to supply you with the most effective flea treatment available, rather than treat your pet with a painful skin complaint. So here is a brief list of some of the things you can do for your pet.

Did you know that only half the dogs in Britain, and even fewer cats, are vaccinated? Sometimes it’s for financial reasons, but more often thought to be because of health scares in the NHS with children’s vaccination, or simple embarrassment at forgetting it for so long. As per recommendation, we vaccinate our clients pets yearly, but alternate certain components of it so that their immunity is only stimulated as many times as is necessary. And just because your pet is older, don’t think that it doesn’t need cover - this is the very time that their immunity is waning.

Drontal Plus for dogs and Drontal Cat for cats is almost universally accepted as the best current treatment available for round & tapeworms. It alone treats all species of worm and is cheaper than many lesser products. The British Veterinary Association recommend worming cats and dogs every 3 months, a frequency endorsed by many councils for public hygiene reasons alone. After collecting your next course, we promise to remind you from then on.

We see a large number of pets with quite severe skin problems, many of them at least aggravated by fleas. An increasing number of animals are now developing allergies to their saliva, so that regular treatment now may prevent future life long medical treatment. At best, fleas still cause considerable discomfort.

Any pet that is ever within about six feet of another, or has ever been where another infested animal has been, is at risk. A single flea can lay up to 2000 eggs and most drop off in your home! So if a pet is not treated regularly, it is not a question of if, but when will they suffer. They are no longer just a seasonal problem, and all year treatment is now recommended, with very safe, efficient products only available from your vet. ( The ordinary retail preparations can not always kill fleas fast enough to prevent viable flea eggs from being shed around the house).

Each time you collect them, say when you would like a reminder. And don’t forget a veterinary treatment is available to discourage fly strike in rabbits.

It is no surprise that pets need a good quality (the right nutrients in the right proportions), easily digestible diet like we do. Unfortunately, the regulation of pet food manufacturers is limited, and many are more concerned with the taste. They rely on the fact that if you see your pet tucking into it, then you will probably buy it again. But what do you prefer? A salad or a fish supper?! We all know that what tastes good & what’s good for you are usually very different!

As a practice we only recommend Hill's Science Plan for healthy pets. This company is well aware that palatability is important, and hence have been working hard to improve this - so if your loved one has turned their nose up in the past, try it again or ask for advice on introducing it. Because your pet won’t have to fight to get enough calories on this food (many are packed out with cheap fibre), they don’t eat as much, so that daily costs are very reasonable for dogs and positively cheap for cats (about 20p/day)! Hill's dry Science Plan is so convenient and doesn’t go off. Expensive meat titbits are not recommended as they just unbalance the diet.

For our part, we have developed a loyalty discount scheme, that now constantly offers it at a lower cost than the shops, with no short term supermarket gimmicks to catch your eye.

If your pet has a medical condition, there is usually a ‘prescription’ food that will help. If these are going to make a real difference then the balance of various nutrients often has to be significantly manipulated, and hence these foods can only be sold by a vet. Be aware of the claims of some other companies.

Did you know that bitches that are spayed before their second season rarely get mammary gland tumours (breast cancer) or pyometras (womb infection) - both often fatal? They will live two years longer on average, and as they age one year for every two months of our life, that means an extra twelve years in our terms!

If done early enough in male dogs, it can prevent aggression, and stop testicular & prostatic cancer.

These can be injected under your loved one’s skin in the consulting room, to give a permanent method of identification. Most organisations now scan pets that are lost, or they may be injured and taken to a vet. They reveal a code number that allows the control centre to alert you of your loved one’s location. More valuable perhaps is that it may tell a vet treating them of the need for special medical treatment or care. It could be the best investment you ever made, and it’s relatively cheap considering it guarantees somebody at the end of the head office telephone line for the rest of your pet’s life. To encourage you, we often have promotions.

The number of companies offering pet insurance is now approaching one hundred, yet all are NOT equal. Many will try and tempt you with a low premium (the monthly cost to you), and/or a low excess (the first amount that you must pay), but there are other considerations, e.g.…

Are medical conditions covered for LIFE, or just for one year or until a certain amount of money runs out?

Will they pay your vet directly, to save you the inconvenience of paying, possibly a large sum up front ,and then having to wait to reclaim it?

Do they list their charges for different policies in black and white, so that you can consider the best one for you?

Besides cats and dogs, insurance is available for rabbits and exotic pets.

Statistically you are more likely to claim on your pet insurance than your house or car policies. You wouldn’t dream of leaving these uninsured, yet which is more valuable to you? At present we only recommend Petplan, and have been given authorisation to offer you the first 1-2 months FREE if you qualify. Our gain is that we can provide the very best care for your family member without having to warn you of the costs at each stage. This can cause both parties embarrassment. All the leaflets are in the waiting room, but if you don’t like filling in forms, ask a nurse to do it for you.

Did you know that about 86% of dogs and 73% of cats need dental treatment? Yet instinctively animals don’t usually show discomfort until it’s quite severe, a sign of weakness in the wild. Open your pet’s mouth and ask yourself if you would walk around like it. If you’re not sure, please phone for a FREE dental assessment with a nurse. Today very few pets are at risk of an anaesthetic, even if quite old.

Rabbits also often need dental treatment. The correct diet can help prevent problems.

On the question of discomfort and whether pets show it, how many of us need medication or at least supplements for sore joints. Medication is available that can be collected at the counter with only an assessment of your pet being necessary every six months (by law), and supplements that are licensed for veterinary use and thus safe.

At the request of clients, we set up a standing order system some years ago, where you pay into your account to build a credit and hopefully avoid the surprise of that large bill, usually at the wrong time! It was not developed as a credit facility, but by demonstrating their commitment to us and the welfare of their pet, we have come to special arrangements with some clients on this scheme in the past. If you know your pet’s weight and have an idea of the products and services you require, we can give you an idea of the cost. And because it’s by standing order, you can increase or decrease the amount at will.

If you receive council tax or housing benefit, and live in KY1, 2,3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8, then you can and should register with us NOW to join the PDSA PetAid scheme. That means for just £3 you get FREE veterinary treatment for the next six or twelve months if your pet subsequently becomes ill, and registration can be continually renewed. If you are on one of these benefits and haven’t remembered to register in advance of your pet becoming ill, we still may be able to help, even if you don’t live in one of the right areas.

Besides puppy parties to help socialise the pups, Kim VN, has a certificate in animal behaviour and is there to help you with problems. For instance, think about the dreaded firework season now and prepare to prevent your loved one unnecessary stress next time. It may reduce or prevent the need for medication altogether.

Collection and Delivery Service

EquiPet Veterinary Hospital now offers a collection and delivery service. We can collect your pet (and one accompanying adult) in our ambulance and bring you to the hospital in time for your appointment. If you wish we will be happy to take your pet home again afterwards (and the accompanying adult as well!). This service will run for appointments between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday. Payment for this service will be due in full at the time of the appointment and will not be covered on pet insurance. The costs are as follows:

Area 1: Kirkcaldy and Kinghorn - £4 each way

Area 2: Burntisland, Dysart, Cardenden - £6 each way

Area 3: Aberdour, Inverkeithing, Dalgety Bay, Glenrothes, Methil, Leven, Dunfermline -           £8 each way

We are also happy to deliver any food or prescriptions you may need at other times. Deliveries will be made between 9am and 5pm and the items must be paid for in full at the time of ordering (with the exception of prescriptions covered on pet insurance or PDSA PetAid). The costs to deliver to addresses in area 1 is £2.50 per delivery (not per item), and in areas 2 and 3 the cost is £5.00 per delivery (not per item). These costs will not be covered on pet insurance.

Well, I have already written more than I wanted to and obviously there are many other products & services available, but ponder this. I wrote this page because of the poor uptake of preventative products & services from veterinary practices across the UK, currently…

Yet only vets/veterinary nurses have the knowledge, and very often are the only ones with the right, to supply the best products for a particular problem. Because these products are in a different legal category to others, they are more thoroughly tested and thus usually safer than their equivalents in pet shops and supermarkets. They are often no more expensive & always better value for money. So why is the uptake across the UK so poor? I can think of only two reasons, namely because it is more convenient for an owner to collect products when shopping, and more convenient for us po faced professionals not to risk being accused of selling anything. If we both truly want to do the very best for our family members then surely neither is an acceptable reason.