Blackness Veterinary Surgery
82 Brook St, Dundee, DD1 5BP, tel. 01382 225422, fax 01382 322078
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Blackness Veterinary Surgery 82 Brook St, Dundee, DD1 5BP, tel. 01382 225422, fax 01382 322078
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PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE At Blackness Vets we believe that prevention of disease and promotion of well being is of utmost importance. We are here to guide you through every stage of your pet's life, from puppy/kittenhood through the teenage months to adult and through to the golden years. Our experienced team of vets, nurses and receptionists can offer practical advice, health check-ups geared to each life stage and medical attention where necessary. In this section you will find details on: Click on the section titles above to go to the relevant section. You can also follow the links at the top of the page to go to more in depth information about vaccination, details about our nurses' clinics including weight clinics and puppy parties, and read all about acupuncture. When you first take your new puppy or kitten home he or she may only be around 6 weeks old. The change of environment, food, possibly a long journey can all be very stressful for a little one. You may feel that you would prefer him to settle in your home before bringing him for his vaccinations. (In any case, kittens need to be at least 9 weeks old before starting vaccinations, although puppies can get them from 6 weeks of age, see vaccines for more information). Maybe you have collected your new pet and he has already had vaccinations with his breeder's vet. Even if he isn't due to receive a vaccination you may still wish to get an initial health check and discuss any concerns or general questions about the newest member of your family. These check ups with a vet are free of charge for any pet under 6 months of age that you have only just acquired and mean that you can start off your new relationship with peace of mind.
We would normally recommend that puppies and kittens are wormed every 2-3 weeks until they are 12 weeks old, for longer if you see any signs of worms being passed or if they came from a dubious background. We have a range of products from single tablets, to granules or liquid or even a spot-on, all of which would be dispensed after having an accurate weight for your pet to ensure that the product is suitable to its needs. After the puppy course of worming we would advise dosing at 6 months of age and then at least twice a year after that. An increased frequency would depend on the habits of your pet, for example a good mouser would need worming possibly even every 6-8 weeks with a product that controls tapeworms. Similarly a dog that scavenges a lot when he is out may need to be wormed every 12 weeks with an all-in-one product. We can offer a range of products designed to be easy to administer, highly effective and, most importantly, safe for your pet. With the advent of central heating and global warming we are finding that fleas are a year round problem. We offer a range of flea products, mostly spot-on formulations that are extremely safe for your pet but the eliminate fleas 100% during their recommended period of activity, usually between 4 and 12 weeks depending on the product. We can advise on the best product for your pet depending on its particular needs, whether ticks are also a problem or maybe you need something that will control ear mites as well. Some of these products are available over the counter but an accurate recent weight is usually advisable to enable the correct dose to be dispensed. Fleas multiply very quickly in carpets and other soft furnishings and in case of an infestation it is very important to eliminate the household as a source of infection. We can supply a very effective spray that will not only kill the live fleas in the house but stops any eggs hatching for up to a year. Please phone or ask at reception for information about any flea or worming products. See also www.wormfree.co.uk for more information about types of worms found in the UK and abroad We feel that the period between the last puppy vaccination at around 12 weeks and the first adult booster at 15 months is a very important one in terms of your dog's development. He will go from being a small puppy, through being a bouncy teenager to a mature adult and in many cases not need to see a vet at all for medical reasons. In this period feeding needs will change, joints will be bearing increased weight, sexual maturity will be reached and behaviour traits will be emerging. There will be lots of questions you will want to ask, ones you probably wouldn't have even thought about asking 3 months previously. This is why we have started offering free check ups at 6 months of age to puppies we have given their first course of vaccinations to. You will be able to discuss any concerns, schedule neutering if appropriate, get an accurate weight to monitor growth and discuss what worming or flea protocol would suit your dog best. We hope our clients will take full advantage of this service as we feel your dog will benefit from this extra check at this vital stage in his or her life.
A microchip is a small implant, about the size of a grain of rice, that can be placed under the skin and which carries a unique number. Placement requires only an injection that can be carried out in the course of a normal consultation and the chip is usually placed in the region over the shoulder blades. Microchips can also be placed while your pet is undergoing a surgical procedure such as neutering. They are read by a special scanner, rather like reading a barcode at the supermarket checkout. If your pet gets lost and is handed in to a rescue kennel, the Cats Protection or a veterinary surgery they will be able to find the chip with the scanner and phone a central database to get your contact details by quoting your pet's chip number. Other information such as a serious medical condition like diabetes or epilepsy can also be stored at the central database so if your pet can not be reunited with you straight away he will be given the appropriate treatment in the interim. Microchips are a vital part of the Pet Travel Scheme and also can help settle dispute of ownership as they will stay in your pets body indefinitely and no other pet will have the same number as yours. Please mention when you are booking an appointment or an operation if you would like a microchip implanted as well and then we can have all the necessary paperwork ready for you when you come in. We use idENTICHIP microchips, click for more information on this product
Behaviour advice. Although all of our vets and our nursing staff will be able to offer you some basic behaviour advice during a consultation by their very nature behaviour problems are usually not straightforward. We have 2 members of staff who have undergone further behavioural training and are able to offer specialist one-to-one behavioural work-ups. If you are one of our clients and after talking to one of our staff we decide a more in depth approach would be beneficial you will be given a questionnaire to fill in. Depending on the nature of the problem and whether a home visit would be most appropriate either Graeme Buchan one of our vets or Tracy, one of the nursing staff, will then contact you and make further arrangements. Annual Health Checks at
Vaccination. Most pets will be seen annually for vaccinations (see
separate page) and this gives us a good opportunity to give your pet a complete
health che Dental Check-ups. In the UK, 87% of dogs and 70% of cats over the age of three are affected by periodontal disease. Periodontal (or gum disease) is caused mainly in animals by a build up of plaque. This leads to infection of the gum, weakening of the tooth ligament which results in smelly breath, pain due to loose or decaying teeth and infection spreading to other parts of the body. Your pet's teeth will be checked at his annual vaccinations but if you suspect a problem in between times you can make an appointment for a dental check up. You may have noticed a problem eating, or a swelling over the face or a funny smell from the mouth area. A vet will examine your pets mouth and assess the degree of tartar build-up or gingivitis (gum infection). We may recommend simply a course of antibiotics if we feel it is mainly an infection problem or advise further dentistry. Our nursing staff is trained to give you help and advice about the how to introduce dental care from an early age and can discuss what is best for your pet. We are now also introducing DENTAGEN
Dentagen also comes as a wax which is designed to get applied immediately after a dental procedure (eg scale and polish) in the surgery. This provides protection immediately and levels of the anti-plaque compound are maintained with the use of the above home care products. If your pet has dental treatment at our surgery you will be offered the chance to have Dentagen applied and for follow up home treatment. We also stock a variety of toothbrushes and pastes for a more traditional approach to dental care and we can give help and advice on the best way to go about initiating a tooth brushing routine. You can follow our link to our dedicated pages on dentistry to find out what happens when your pet has a dental.
Elderly pet check-ups. As your
pet gets older we would advise health checks at least on a yearly basis. At your
pet's yearly booster he or she will receive a complete health check as detailed
above. However a year c
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ck by a vet. Your pet will usually get weighed, have his teeth, eyes,
ears looked at, have his heart and lungs listened to and be generally checked
for any lumps and bumps. The vet may ask questions about eating and drinking
habits, or there may be questions you wish to ask the vet. We can give advice on
worming and flea control at this time. We feel that even if your pet is healthy
it is a good idea to have an annual health check as this way problems can be
picked up before they develop too far and trends in weight can be noted. Even if
for whatever reason you feel you would prefer your pet not to have a vaccination
we would still advise him to be seen on a yearly basis especially as he or she
gets older. The cost of the check-up is included in the vaccination price,
otherwise it is just the cost of a normal consultation.
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Dentagen is a novel approach to dental plaque inhibition. It contains a natural
anti-plaque compound derived from plant extracts which prevents oral bacteria
from producing plaque. Dentagen is available in 2 formulations: 
an be a long time in an animal's life and your vet may
advise you to bring your pet in more frequently if we feel it is appropriate.
Trends in weight, appetite and thirst can be early indications of some
conditions commonly found in elderly pets such as kidney disease or an over
active thyroid. A vet may pick up subtle signs such as a heart murmur which may
explain a gradual slowing down that you may have just put down to "old age" or
may recommend taking