Identichip Month!

£10 Micro-chipping!

All throughout July we will be charging the reduced price of £10 to identichip your pet!

This is to encourage owners to realise the importance of identichipping their animals. Everyday unidentified pets are humanely destroyed throughout the UK. If they had been identified then many of them could have been reunited with their worried owners.

All animals at one stage in their life will go missing, for whatever reason . . . doors or windows left open, garden gates not shut properly or just decided to chase after a cat!

Whatever the reason you can't be sure that their collar or tags will remain on them.

What is a Identichip?

Identichip is a tiny microchip with a unique code. The microchip is implanted into the scruff of the neck by a needle in a similar way to an injection, by a vet or nurse. This microchip is now permanent and will stay with the animal for the rest of its life. The microchip is unique to the animal so if you have more than one pet they will each need to be microchipped individually.

How does the identichip work?

When your pet is found a scanner is used to detect the identichip and will read a number similar to the way barcodes are read in supermarkets. The number is then checked against a large secure database which is accessible 24hours a day and the registered owner is contacted.

To take advantage of this offer before it runs out on the 1st of August 2010 then simply contact one of our branches to make an appointment with vet or a nurse to get your pet microchipped.

Parasites - Fleas, Worms and Ticks!

We recommend regular preventative treatment for your pet from parasites every 3-6 months

All throughout the year your pet is at risk from parasites. Even indoor pets. Parasites can be brought into the home through humans carrying them on their clothes and shoes. Parasites are categorised in two groups - Internal and External.

Internal Parasites: Roundworm, Tapeworm, Lungworm, Hookworm and Heartworm

These parasites can pose a serious risk to not only your pet but your family too. Pets can be exposed to worms which may exist in your garden or local park.
Symptoms -Symptoms are rarely seen until your pet has a high infestation. Diarrhoea, vomiting, coughing or worm eggs may be seen in the animals faeces which look like grains of rice.
Treatment- There is no preventative treatment available to stop your pet from getting worms. The only way to keep your pet healthy is by regularly treating your pet every 3-4 months which will flush any worms from your pets body.

External Parasites: Fleas, Ticks, Lice and Mites

Fleas are very common. Your cat or dog are likely to have an infestation of fleas at one stage of their life.
Symptoms - There may be none but your pet may show signs of itching, biting or scratching. The best way to check your pet for fleas is to put a flea comb through your pets fur over a piece of white paper. If any dark specs fall off, place a damp piece of cotton wool onto the specs and squeeze them between the cotton wool. Flea dirt will have a faint red/brown ring around them. Fleas can also carry diseases and tapeworms.
Treatment - It is important to tackle the whole problem, not just the visible fleas on your pets coat. Treat the animal with a reputable flea treatment. Spot-on pipettes are usually the easiest. Beware of buying cheaper brands or flea collars from supermarkets and pet shops as they may not be as effective and can sometimes cause reactions. Which will cost you more in the long run.
Then treat the home - Hoover all bedding and carpets. This will bring the flea eggs to the surface and encourage them to bite your pet which they will then die from the flea treatment. In cases of high infestation a household spray can be used to kill any lying in the carpets and curtains. Preventative regular flea treatment is the best cure regardless of visible infestation.

Ticks - Ticks transfer saliva into their host and remove blood. Ticks can transmit many diseases e.g. Lyme disease.
Symptoms- Owners often notice an attached, single engorged tick as a grey nodule. Many ticks may be attached across the body. Ticks are embedded in the hosts skin by their mouth.
Treatment - Preventative topical treatments from the vet. Removal of the tick, it is important that the tick is removed by using a tick-remover and not tweezers! This is to prevent the head being left behind which will cause irritation and infection if not completely removed. These can be bought at the vets or a pet shop. Just ask a nurse or vet to demonstrate how to use them correctly.