Core Services

We want to care for your pets as if they were our own, and we firmly believe that preventative healthcare is the best approach for keeping our pets happy and healthy.

If there is a problem we encourage you to bring your pet to see us early, so we can prevent small issues from becoming big problems, keeping your pet healthy.

We offer flexible appointment times to suit every client's requirements, including weekend and after work availability. To make an appointment please contact your local surgery, book online or via PetsApp. 

Members of our Lifetime Care Club Unlimited get all of their appointments included in their plan! Don't pay more than you have to. Find out more and join online today.

We believe that keeping up to date with vaccinations is very important, not only for the health of your pet but also to help keep infectious diseases at bay. We regularly review vaccination guidelines to ensure our policies are kept up to date. However, we will also take into account your pet’s lifestyle and individual circumstances and only recommend what is necessary for them.

Puppy vaccinations:
8 weeks - DHP & L4
12 weeks - DHP & L4 +/- kennel cough*
16 weeks Parvo C
* kennel cough is an optional vaccine

To enable earlier socialisation puppies can have their first vaccination at 8 weeks (DHP & L4), their second DHP vaccine at 10 weeks and their final L4 vaccine at 12 weeks. Puppies can attend our puppy socialisation classes as soon as they have had their second DHP vaccine.

Kitten vaccinations:

2 vaccinations 3-4 weeks apart from 9 weeks - Tricat +/- FeLV*
*FeLV is recommended for any cats with outdoor access.

Adult dogs and cats: We recommend bringing your pets in for an annual health check where we can discuss which vaccinations are needed to give them optimal protection.

 If you are a member of our Lifetime Care Club your annual vaccinations and kennel cough vaccinations are included within the plan. Find out more and join online today.

We believe in only using as much parasiticide as your pet needs to suit their lifestyle and to keep both you and them happy and healthy.

All members of our Lifetime Care Club get a bespoke, risk-based parasite control plan for your pet, using the latest diagnostic advances and tailored by our decades of experience of living and working in this unique and beautiful location of North Yorkshire.

Find out more and join online today.

Microchipping is the easiest and most cost effective way to ensure that your pet is returned to you if they ever get lost or are stolen.

It is now a legal requirement for all dogs and cats to be microchipped by the ages of eight and 20 weeks old respectively.

Microchipping can be carried out by our vets or nurses. Microchips do not store personal information, but have a unique code which corresponds to the details you have registered on the national database.

If your pet is found, the chip can be scanned and the database contacted so that your pet can be reunited with you as quickly as possible.

Microchips are included for all members of our Lifetime Care Club. Find out more and join online today.  

Neutering is the surgical removal of a pet’s sexual organs, known as spaying in females and castration in males.

Neutering pets prevents unwanted breeding and can have a range of health benefits depending on the species and breed, which is why we always give tailored advice for your pet.

We generally recommend neutering cats at four months and rabbits at five months, while our advice for dogs is more varied dependent on breed.

We recommend laparoscopic spays for most dog breeds as it is safer and less painful.

To explore all the options available when neutering your pet, we recommend booking an appointment with a member of our team who will guide you through the best choices for your pet's individual needs.

For more information follow this link to our resources section.

Members of our Lifetime Care Club Unlimited get 20% off the cost of neutering. Find out more and join online today.

We have a team of experienced and dedicated nurses who can offer a wealth of support for you and your pets. They can provide the following:

Weight checks and dietary advice
Dental checks and dental home care advice
Administering of medication
Post operative checks and suture removal
Microchipping
Nail clipping
Anal gland expression
Blood pressure checks
Blood sampling
Dressing changes
Puppy and kitten weight checks and advice
6 month health checks

Unlimited nurse consultations are included if you are a member of our Lifetime Care Club Essentials or Unlimited plans. Find out more and join online today.

As our pets age they experience aches pains and age-related diseases as we do. Unlike humans however, our pets' life spans are shorter and they can't always tell us what is wrong. On average, a cat is classed as senior at 11 years old and a dog is classed as senior at 8 (although this can be younger depending on the breed).

That's why we've developed our Lifetime Care Club Unlimited Senior plan, which includes a comprehensive annual health examination with a full blood profile and urine analysis as well as unlimited consultations. Find out more and join online today.

What are Senior Health Checks?

Senior health checks are a comprehensive medical MOT for your cat or dog that can detect health issues and help to give you peace of mind about your pet’s health and well-being. The appointment will take approximately 45-minutes and will be carried out by one of our Practice Nurses.

Prior to the appointment …

• We will ask you to complete a comprehensive senior health check questionnaire.
• Fresh urine and faecal samples should be brought to the appointment in a clean, dry container. (Collection pots for dogs and special cat litter are available from Dispensary before your appointment). For advice on collecting urine samples, please contact the surgery.
• The person bringing your pet to the appointment should be familiar with their health status, habits, and routines.

At the appointment your pet will receive a detailed health examination by one of our Practice Nurses which will include:

• Physical examination
• Clinical history
• Weight / body condition score
• Blood test
• Urine testing
• Blood pressure measurement

We are screening for:

• Kidney disease
• Liver disease
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Overactive thyroid (cats only)
• Thyroid disease

Following your appointment...

You will receive your results within 10-days of the screening. If all is well, you will receive a PetsApp message or email from one of the team. If there are any abnormal results, the vet will be in touch to discuss the next steps. This may include a recommendation for a change of diet, medication or further investigations.

Why are Senior Health Checks recommended?

SHC’s are recommended in healthy adult cats and dogs to aid early detection of disease, detecting any changes early means that in many cases we can provide care straight away helping your pet to live a longer, healthier and happier life.

Is my pet suitable for a Senior Health Check?

SHC’s are suitable for healthy adult cats and dogs – if your pet is showing any signs or symptoms of disease, or any abnormal behaviour you should have a check-up with a vet first.

For more information please speak to one of the team.

 

 

If you want to travel abroad with your pets, we can give you advice on what is required and make sure the correct medical procedures are carried out before going away.

For more information please click on the following link https://www.gov.uk/taking-your-pet-abroad

We’re proud to offer comprehensive ultrasound services from both our Thirsk branch and our Ripon hospital.

Ultrasound is a non-invasive method of viewing internal organs such as the liver, spleen and intestines, to help identify issues such as inflammatory bowel disease or lumps and bumps.

Should we require extra support for your pet, we work closely with certificate holder imagers that visit on site to minimise travel and stress while maximising care for your pet.

More simple basic ultrasound is available at Northallerton to help diagnose pregnancy and conditions such as pyometra.

X-ray facilities are available from Northallerton, Thirsk and Ripon. X-rays are helpful in the diagnosis of common orthopaedic issues such as canine cruciate disease and fractures, and to examine chest cavities if your pet is coughing or showing signs of breathing difficulties.

You can learn more about our advanced diagnostic facilities such as our CT scanner here.

The benefit of having access to all of these imaging tools is that they allow us to cover all bases to form clear diagnoses and create comprehensive, tailored treatment plans.

We have a comprehensive in-house lab at our Ripon hospital, allowing us to run blood and urine tests in as little as 30 minutes.

We can also test thyroid function, cortisol levels, conduct ACTH stimulation tests – and receive the results on the same day.

Should your pet require more specialist services, we get a daily courier to ensure the quickest turn around.

We recognise that for some owners, coming to visit the practice may be difficult.

In these circumstances we may be able to offer a home visit, although please note that the scope of what we can provide away from the practice is more limited.

If you have any questions about what we can accommodate please contact us at our Ripon surgery on 01765 602396.

Saying goodbye to your pet

We're here to help

It is heartbreaking when a beloved pet has to be put down and the decision is never taken lightly.

But if a pet is in a lot of pain or has problems we can't overcome, it can be the kindest thing to do.

This is an emotional subject, but one that we deal with everyday - so don't be afraid to ask us any questions at all.

If euthanasia is a possibility for your pet, you'll speak to one of our vets about what options you have, if any to avoid it and what quality of life your pet could expect if we didn't take this step.

It is a hard thing to consider but we are more than happy to take the time required to discuss this process with you to make sure we get it right for you and your pet.

Find out more