When pets need vets

The veterinary surgery is a health centre for your pet. Most surgeries are able to:

• check over your pet
• dispense medication
• take blood samples
• take x-rays
• carry out operations
• clean or remove teeth
• give advice on pet care and behaviour

 

When should we take our pet to the vet?

Prevention
Animals don’t enjoy being ill, and it is both kinder and cheaper to keep your pet healthy than trying to treat it once it is ill.

Puppies and kittens need to visit the vet to get their vaccinations. These vital injections help to stop them catching diseases that can kill them. Cats and dogs will then need a booster vaccination each year to keep up their immunity. Your vet will give your pet a thorough check up then as well.

Vets can also give worming tablets to kill off worms that live inside dogs and cats. Flea treatment will kill fleas and stop your pet getting itchy. Special toothpaste will keep their teeth clean and healthy.

Illness
Animals can’t speak to us to tell us when they feel unwell. As owners we need to get to know our pets so that we can tell when they are sick. You may notice signs such as:

• not eating
• quieter than usual
• diarrhoea
• vomiting
• sore or bald patches
• runny eyes or nose
• coughing, wheezing or choking
• lumps in their skin
• rash or spots on skin

• stiffness or limping – even if your pet is old, this may be treatable

If you notice any of these symptoms you need to take your pet to see the vet.

Injury
You may see your pet suffer an injury or it may get hurt when it is on its own – which may be more difficult for you to spot. Signs of injury can be:

• Limping or moving slowly
• Not wanting to move around or do anything
• It can’t use its leg or its tail doesn’t work properly
• Blood on the fur – on dark fur it may look wet or feel sticky
• Ripped claws
• Painful lumps or bumps
• Dogs may whimper and cats may cry
• Panting when it has not been running around

If you notice any of these signs you will need to take your pet to see the vet straight away. Do not offer your pet anything to eat or drink in case he or she needs to have an anaesthetic.

 

Be careful:
If your pet is in pain it may scratch or bite to stop you touching it. Always ask an adult to check over your pet.

Why does is cost so much to see a vet?

When people visit their doctor or a hospital they don’t have to pay because the government will pay for the treatment. This money comes from the taxes that adults pay. These taxes do not pay for veterinary treatment. So when you pay the vet it will pay for the cost of the treatment, the wages of the staff and the upkeep of the surgery.

Pet insurance
You can pay for pet insurance each month. Then if your pet becomes ill or injured the insurance company will pay some of the costs of treatment so you don’t get a big bill that you cannot afford. Your parents need to research carefully, and it may be worth considering lifetime insurance as an option.

People who can’t afford to pay the vet
If your family doesn’t have enough money to pay for treatment then there are charities, like The Blue Cross, that may be able to help. Ask an adult to ring us on 01993 825500. It is important that your pet gets treated and does not suffer. You must take your pet to the vet as soon as you can so that it can be treated and to stop it suffering. It is not kind to leave it; waiting may slow down recovery and cost you more money. If you aren’t sure what to do, then ring your veterinary surgery and ask them.