Services We Provide
Consultations, Life Plan, Microchipping, Puppy Pre-School, Tips for Feline Fun, Routine Surgery In House, Pathology, Radiology, Endoscopy, Ultrasonography, Dentistry, Referral to Specialist, Hospitalisation, Laboratory Tests, Cat Boarding, Grooming and more.
Consultations
The first time we meet most of our new patients is in a consultation at their first vaccinations. We provide consultations for illness, routine health checks (see Life Plan below), vaccinations, geriatric care, behavior concerns alternative therapies and much more.
Life Plan
Life Plan is a program designed to tailor your pet’s yearly health check ups and vaccinations to their age and breed. Pets, like us, have a higher likelihood of certain illnesses at different ages. As your pet becomes older we will concentrate on different health issues with a strong emphasis on preventative health care.
When your pet is due for a health check, a reminder letter will be sent in the mail. This letter will contain a series of questions that may help us detect both behavioral and medical problems early. This will help us institute preventative health care programs before these conditions become severe. Certain tests, such as blood or urine tests, will be recommended for specific age groups.
As you pet gets older we will begin to monitor for kidney disease and diabetes by getting you to bring a urine sample with you for your check up, and in the twilight years, we will recommend further tests such as blood tests and thyroid function tests to detect any illness early in the course of the disease.
Questions on your pet’s behavior and the utilisation of specific tests will allow us to recognise any health problems much earlier. The early recognition of health problems will ensure that your pet’s health is optimised.
The major benefits of Life Plan, we hope, will include maximising the information that we can gain at each annual health check and minimising the impact of illnesses in your pet through early detection and implementation of preventative health strategies.
Our aim is “Healthier Pets for Life!”
Microchipping
Prahran Veterinary Hospital is an Accredited Microchip Centre. This requires us to follow strict protocols when implanting animals with microchips. You can then be assured your pet is chipped correctly and registered with the appropriate microchip authority. We use Central Animal Records for registering microchip details.
Routine Surgery
We perform routine elective surgery on Monday to Friday mornings. This includes neutering of cats, dog, rabbits and other small pets. We carry out a lot of soft tissue and orthapoedic surgery, including cruciate and patella surgery.
In House Pathology
We have a fully equipped laboratory. This is an VetScan III biochemistry machine and and VetScan III for haematology machine. This allows us to perform routine blood tests in house when appropriate. We also examine smears, swabs and needle aspirates using our microscope. We culture hair and skin to diagnose dermatophyte (Ringworm) infections.
Radiology
We are proud of our radiology equipment. We have an Innovet 300MA X-ray machine that is very capable of taking very good quality radiographs of almost all pets we see. Our new cassettes and fast speed screens minimise the exposure times. Our automatic film processor results in perfectly developed, dry films in 90 seconds. Dr Juliff and Dr Wallace have both done their Distance Education Year from the Post Graduate Foundation at the University of Sydney in Radiology.
Ultrasonography
We have a Diasonics Ultrasound machine with B-Mode, M-Mode, Doppler and Colour Doppler. Dr's Nicole Hoskin, Peter Juliff and Kay Wallace have done the Distance Education Year from the Post Graduate Foundation at the University of Sydney in Ultrasonography.
Endoscopy
We have a fibre optic endoscope that permits the visualisation of the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract in some animals. We can also take biopsies with this endoscope. In some cases this allows us to gain a lot of information without the need for major surgery. It is also an excellent tool for removing some gastrointestinal and upper respiratory foreign bodies.
Dentistry
Most pets will have some form of dental problem in their lifetime. Regular preventative care and examination at the time of vaccination will reduce the incidence of dental plaque, calculus and caries. Proper diet, bones and dental hygiene with special toothpaste and brush is necessary. Some diseases of teeth and gums will require most frequent check-ups. These recommendations are a guide only and may be modified by your veterinarian according to a particular need or situation.
Referral to Specialists
We consult with registered veterinary specialists on a regular basis. We commonly refer cases that require special diagnostic tests or a specialist opinion. We can refer eye, skin, behavior, medical, dental and surgical cases. If you think your pet requires a referral, please speak to your veterinarian.
Hospitalisation
Our aim is to take care of your pet as best we can according to your instructions and to keep you informed as to its progress.
All animals undergoing any form of anaesthesia will have a complete physical examination so that their health status may be determined. A pre-anaesthetic blood test may be carried out and intra-venous fluids may be administered. With the proper use of safe, efficient and modern anaesthetic equipment and drugs, the possibility of an untoward anaesthetic reaction is extremely unlikely.
It is your responsibility to ensure that your pet is in the best of health before submitting it to elective anaesthesia and surgery. This means that its vaccination status must be correct, nutrition adequate and worms and fleas controlled. Remember that an obese patient may be an anaesthetic risk.
Do not offer food in any form for 12 hours before anaesthesia. This means no breakfast on the day of admission. We recommend that you keep your pet indoors the night before admission.
We urge you to elect one person to handle all communications regarding a hospitalised pet to eliminate unnecessary confusion and misunderstanding.
Laboratory Test
We use an external laboratory for some tests we can not perform in hospital or when we would like a pathologist to examine the red and white blood cells. Most routine blood results are available within 24 hours, except on weekends. We generally ask you to phone us the next day or we will contact you as soon as possible. Biopsy results may take several days to come back.
Boarding & Grooming
Boarding of cats available, all year round. Grooming of dogs and cats by appointment only.
Puppy Pre-school
We have a comprehensive puppy training and socialisation program that is run in the clinic. This school teaches you how to train your puppies to follow four basic obedience commands (Come, Sit, Stay, and Drop) and also covers many health and behavioural issues that are often problems in young puppies (such as mouthing, biting, barking and digging).
Classes are held once a week for four weeks and a graduation test is performed by each puppy member at the end of the classes.
Puppies learn that the vet is a great place to meet new friends and play with others. Our graduates are usually eager to come back into the clinic for their routine check ups and will drag their owners in the front door to say "hello" to the staff
Contact the clinic if you are interested in joining our next class, but be quick, spaces are limited.
Click here to view the most recent graduates.
Tips For Feline Fun Seminars
For our feline friends, Prahran Veterinary Hospital is proud to offer seminars to cat owners regarding feline behaviour. These seminars aim to teach cat owners about normal cat behaviour and how to prevent problems arising.
We talk about routine feline health issues and the local laws and regulations pertaining to cat ownership
Finally we discuss how to keep cats happy as indoor pets and how to teach them to do tricks for rewards (Yes, it is possible to train at cat!).
A seminar is held once every two months. If you are interested in joining us, please contact the clinic for more details.
