If you know that your dog will be excitable when meeting other dogs in the waiting room it would be helpful to let the receptionist know when making an appointment.

Cats should always be brought to the surgery in a suitable carrying box and dogs should be kept on a lead.

Unvaccinated puppies should be held or transported in a pet carrier. We also request they are kept off the floor in the surgery in order to avoid unnecessary exposure to new bugs and other animals.

If your dog has a cough or diarrhoea which has come on suddenly we would be very grateful if you could let the receptionist know when making the appointment and on arrival. Such dogs may be infectious to our other patients and may be better waiting outside until the veterinary surgeon is ready.

After telephoning the surgery please allow 2 working days for your prescription to be ordered and stored at reception. It is vital from a clinical (and legal) perspective that we monitor patients on long term medication regularly, even if the condition appears stable and well controlled. 6 months is the maximum interval allowed by law and in many cases it is desirable to make more frequent checks (every 3 months). Prescriptions are available from any of our practices to obtain medicines for your animal elsewhere. You may ask for a prescription for animals being treated by the veterinary surgeon only. You may obtain Prescription Only Medicines Veterinary, (POM-Vs) from your veterinary surgeon at Old Stone Vets OR ask for a prescription and obtain these medicines from another veterinary surgeon or a pharmacy. You will be informed, on request, of the price of any medicine that may be dispensed for your animal. The general policy of this practice is to re-assess an animal requiring repeat prescriptions every 3 – 6 months, but this may vary with individual circumstances. The standard charge for a re-examination is £25.00. Further information on the prices of medicines is available on request.

Never hesitate to ask any vet for an estimate of cost in advance of treatment. For routine procedures (neutering, vaccinations etc.) a firm estimate can always be given.

Nurses can often help with straightforward estimates but will refer to a veterinary surgeon when asked about a more complex procedure. In these cases it is better to deal with a veterinary surgeon you have already consulted with. Alternatively if you have not yet consulted with a veterinarian it may be wise to do so, and to have the vet explain your quote.

For more complicated procedures we rarely know at the outset exactly what will be required but we are more than happy to discuss with you the possibilities and how much each eventuality might cost. We do our best to explain the full cost but it should always be established between vet and client exactly what is included in a given quote. Antibiotics, painkillers, an initial consultation and VAT will accompany most operations.

We are happy to perform house visits where necessary, especially to vaccinate large numbers of animals. However, it is always worth bearing in mind that on a visit the vet will only have a handful of drugs at his/her disposal and will probably not be able to carry out any further tests.

Most animals which are ill would be best treated at the surgery where nurses, equipment and a wide variety of treatments are available.

Where transport is a problem, we can recommend taxis that will carry animals (and which will almost certainly prove cheaper than a vet call-out).

If you decide that a visit is really the only alternative then please ring early in the day if possible.

INSURANCE INFORMATION FOR YOU “OUR CLIENT”

At Old Stone Vets we do not do “Direct Claims” for your pet’s treatment costs. This means we require you “our client” to settle your treatment costs in full at the time of treatment, and we will assist you in completing your insurance company’s claim form so you get re-imbursed directly. This is called an indirect claim.

An indirect claim is when your insurance company reimburses you personally.

What we need from you:

• A claim form with all owners’ sections fully completed – Please ensure you details are correct and match the details we have for you on our computer system, with policy number included and the policy holders’ signature to state to pay yourselves. Failure to do so will result in a delay in processing your claim.
• Full payment of your account is required to us before we can process the insurance claim. Any outstanding payments will prevent your claim from being processed and will delay payment.
• A claim form must be provided for each treatment you wish to claim for, if treatment is ongoing, we are happy to accept a claim every 3 months for continuation claims.
• We will request payment of the insurance administration charge of £11 at the time of handing the form into reception.
  Please Note – this fee covers the completion and time it takes our administrator to collect clinical notes, print the invoices, processing and posting the insurance claim. It will also cover costs of communications between us, yourselves and the insurance company when dealing with queries or complications once the form is submitted to the insurance company.
• Following receipt of the claim form, your insurance company will pay you directly.

What we will do:

• We will complete the veterinary section of your claim form and process it within 2 weeks, providing you have completed your sections and paid your account in full as described above.
• We will have your insurance form signed by an authorised member of staff.
• We will send all invoice(s) for the condition(s) you wish to claim for together with our medical notes and any other information requested by your insurance company.

Types of Policies

There are many types of cover to suit your circumstances and your pet. We always recommend reading through all the terms and conditions of each policy before making a decision.

Pet owners can choose from three main types of cover:

• Lifetime Policy
  Lifetime pet insurance will cover your animal for illness/injury occurring throughout the lifetime of your pet. Most lifetime insurance will provide a broad range of cover and is designed to cover long-term, chronic or recurring illness.
• 12-month policy
  It will pay vets’ fees for accidents and illnesses, but only for a maximum of 12 months from when the problem was first noted. So, if/when the bill goes over 12 months, you will have to start paying and this condition will not be covered again. Be aware sometimes the trigger is renewal date rather than 12 months of treatment.
• Accident Cover
  This is a basic cover that only covers a pet if they need treatment after an accident, but will not cover any illness.

Please Note – Pet owners often have to select a maximum level of coverage, this is the total monetary amount the policy will cover. Check in the small print if this amount is per year, per condition or policy. It is always worth insuring your pet for the highest amount possible to cover the more expensive treatments e.g. a broken leg in a large dog could result in approx. £7000/£8000 in surgical costs especially if you need to attend a referral centre.

Policy Excess

For all types of pet insurance owners must pay an excess which is a monetary amount towards a claim submitted to the insurance company. This amount is usually a flat-rate excess. The amount and frequency in which you have to pay an excess can vary depending on the policy you hold. The majority of insurance covers require an excess, per condition, per policy year. For example if your pet becomes ill in January, the renewal date on your policy is February and treatment continues until March, you may have to pay two excesses

Co-payment

Some policies also charge a co-payment excess on every claim submitted this is normally a percentage of the invoice submitted that the policy holder will be required to pay in addition to the excess. A co-payment differs depending on the insurance policy you hold.

Pre-existing medical conditions

A pre-existing condition is any injury, illness, or irregularity noticed by you or your vet before the insurance has been taken out or during your waiting period set out by your insurance company. This waiting period differs per policy and insurance company. The “waiting period” is the term generally used for the time between the start of the policy and when your cover actually starts. It is normally a period of 14 days from the start of policy and exists to prevent fraud. However, any illness that occurs during this waiting period will be not be covered under your insurance.

Please Note – Pre-existing conditions can also occur due to clients swapping insurance companies or switching to a different plan within the same company (this can even be upgrading the policy). When you change companies or change your policy, any conditions prior to this change/move will be deemed pre-existing. Example: 9-year-old Labrador has arthritis and has claimed under the insurance company for 6 years. When you switch to a different company or upgrade your plan, this arthritis may now be not claimable as it is pre-existing the new insurance policy.

“We do not always have the answer!”. There you have it, in black and white. We are human and occasionally cases are outside of our expertise, abilities or outside our range of equipment. In such cases we may refer your animal to a “Referral Centre” or “Referral Veterinary Surgeon” who we believe will be in a better position to treat your individual case than us. We will ensure that you are made aware of the level of expertise of appropriate and reasonably available referral veterinary surgeons, for example, whether they are veterinary specialists or advanced practitioners. We will ensure you are put in direct contact with the Referral Centre or Referral Surgeon and that the clinical history of your pet is transferred to the referral surgeon so they have full details relating to the individual case. The Referral centre will keep us informed of treatments carried out and usually hand back responsibility of care of the referred patient when they deem appropriate.

A second opinion is when you decide you would like another (non-referral) veterinary surgeon to give an opinion on your particular pets case or condition. This is completely within your rights to do at any time. We will happily provide clinical details of your pets condition to another MRCVS qualified veterinary surgeon should you wish a second opinion from them.

Referral Centres we use at Old Stone Vets are:

Wear Referrals
Kentdale Orthopaedics
Veterinary Vision
Bearl Equine
Scott Mitchell & Assocs Equine

Consultation are available by appointment at the following times:

Alston

Morning
Monday – Saturday 9.00am – 11.00am
Evening
Monday – Friday 3.00pm – 6.00pm

Stanhope

Morning
Monday – Friday 9.00am – 11.30am
Saturday 12.00pm – 2.00pm

Evening
Monday – Friday 3.00pm – 6.00pm

Allendale

Evening Appointments only

Monday – Friday 3.00pm – 6.00pm

Other Times

A vet is always available for emergencies, at the surgery during working hours or on emergency number at other times.

Consultations are normally 15 minutes long and are available both for standard healthcare such as vaccination, identi-chipping, health checks, weighing etc, or if your pet is unwell or has had an accident.

Neutering is routine surgical procedure conferring very definite health and behavioural benefits. Female cats, dogs and rabbits are spayed, a routine operation involving the surgical removal of the ovaries, uterus (womb) and part of the cervix, technically known as an ovariohysterectomy (or OHE). Castration for males involves the surgical removal of both testicles. Advantages and disadvantages of neutering are listed below.

Risks associated with neutering – All animals
All cat and dog general anaesthetics carry a very small risk, in the order of 0.01% for young health animals – very much less than the likelihood of serious preventable disease for entire animals in later life. Rabbit anaesthesia is slightly more risky, but in most cases the benefits still far outweigh the risks.

Some animals especially bitches have a tendency to weight gain after neutering. Attention to exercise and a good, sensible diet are important.

A small proportion of spayed bitches may develop urinary incontinence in later life, but then so do some unspayed bitches – this is not a serious problem and can be easily rectified on a daily low dose of medication.

In all species and sexes neutering is a simple, routine operation that can be done on any weekday. All health and behavioural advantages are greater when animals are neutered around 6 months of age. There is no advantage in waiting for a season in the bitch or allowing a cat to have a litter. Please ring the surgery for advice on booking in your pet. Our pre-operative procedure will be explained to you. A general health check will be performed to ensure the animal is fit and well for surgery.

Signs of dental disease include:

• Obviously overgrown incisors
• A hungry animal unable to eat
• This will progress to weight loss
• Saliva dribbles down chin and onto chest
• Food may drop from side of mouth during eating
• General signs of pain – hiding, tooth grinding, character changes
• Incisors can normally be burred short without sedation in all but the most nervous rabbits. Attention to molar spurs normally requires general anaesthesia. In severe case incisor extraction may be an option but does carry certain risks.
• Chinchillas can be prone to similar conditions.
• Rats, hamsters, gerbils, mice and guinea pigs can all suffer from overgrown incisors, this is a common cause of failure to eat.

An ‘identichip‘ is a tiny microchip, about the size of a grain of rice, designed to be injected under the skin of an animal. Each chip carries a unique identification code which can be scanned using a small hand-held device. Vets, dog wardens, rescue charities and other organisations dealing with lost pets are equipped with these scanners.

At implantation (a straightforward injection) owner’s details and identichip code are registered for life at a central database. When a chip is scanned in a lost pet the owner’s details can easily be found. Cats and dogs are regularly ‘identichipped’, however nearly any species can have a chip implanted.

If you have your pet ‘identichipped’ at the same time as their vaccination, there is a reduced fee.

All of our clients are important to us but we like to pay particular care and attention to our oldest pets in their vulnerable later years, therefore we provide an “old faithful’s booster clinic”. Your cat or dog has to > 8 years old to be eligible for this package which consists of:

• Full clinical examination – heart and chest assessment
• Annual “booster” vaccination
• In house blood & biochemistry test
• Urinalysis
• Diet and exercise advise
• Worming and flea treatment advise
• Discussion of blood and urine results
• Discuss any medical treatment

This appointment is designed to check your pet is not only healthy outside – but is also healthy on the inside. The blood test ensures we check the function of internal organs such as kidneys, liver and tests for diabetes. Early diagnosis can lead to effective treatment and prevention of serious and debilitating disease.

A reminder will be sent in the post once your pet is eligible for the clinic and you can easily make an appointment with the receptionist at any or our practices.

ANIMAL HEALTH CERTIFICATES (AHC’s)
for pet travel outside of Great Britain.

We have OV (Official Veterinarian) qualified vets at Old Stone Vets who can look after your pet travel needs.

Disclaimer: all details are correct at the time of writing. Owners are responsible for checking the most recent  Government advice  before attempting to travel with pets.

If you are a pet owner, you may be interested in looking for ways to take your pet on your travels to the European Union. However, in order to do so, you need to acquire an Animal Health Certificate. In this article, we will hopefully explain exactly what an Animal Health Certificate is, and everything you need to know so that you can take your pet on holiday with you.

So, do I need an Animal Health Certificate? 
You need to acquire an Animal Health Certificate for your pet if you are travelling from Great Britain to the EU. An Animal Health Certificate is required by law to ensure that diseases such as rabies do not spread. For countries outside of the EU, you would need an Export Health Certificate.

What is an Animal Health Certificate?
An Animal Health Certificate is a document that is required if you wish to take your dog, cat or ferret to a country within the EU or Northern Ireland. The Animal Health Certificate must be completed and certified by a veterinarian that has been approved by the APHA  (Animal and Plant Health Agency), within 10 days of travel outside of Great Britain.

Why is an animal health certificate required?
In 2021 the law was changed in Great Britain, detailing that Pet Passports issued in Great Britain are no longer valid documentation for taking your dog, cat or ferret abroad. Instead, an Animal Health Certificate is required to prove your pet is appropriately vaccinated. The Animal Health Certificate is required when travelling to an EU country to ensure that diseases such as rabies are not spread.

Do I need an AHC for travel to all countries?
An Animal Health Certificate is required for travel with your dog, cat or ferret from Great Britain to an EU Country or Northern Ireland. However, for countries outside of the EU, the Animal Health Certificate is not valid and, instead, you will need to acquire an Export Health Certificate.

An Export Health Certificate is a form of documentation used to check whether your pet meets the specific health requirements of the country you are travelling to. It is important to note that each country outside the EU will have a different Export Health Certificate application process, and, as such, requires different
information. To determine the relevant documentation for the country that you are travelling to, click here.

Is an AHC the same as a pet passport?
The Animal Health Certificate is not the same as the Pet Passport. The main difference between the two is the length of time that they remain valid for. Pet Passports are valid for as long as you keep them up to date with relevant vaccinations. However, an Animal Health Certificate is only valid for one trip to the EU, therefore you would need a new certificate each time you travel. Whilst the Animal Health Certificate is valid for travel inside of the EU for 4 months, a new AHC would be required if you exit the EU at any point during your trip.

How Long is an Animal Health Certificate Valid For?
Animal health certificates are valid for entry to the EU within 10 days of the date of issue and can be used for travel inside of the EU, as well as your return trip to the UK, for 4 months. As soon as you wish to cross back over the border, and out of the EU, the certificate will no longer be valid and you will be required to apply for a new Animal Health Certificate.

How Often Do I Need to Get an AHC?
You are required to acquire a new Animal Health Certificate each time you plan to travel to the EU from Great Britain. Animal Health Certificates are valid for one trip across the EU boundary, and for your return to Great Britain. However, if you exit the EU during your trip, a new AHC would be required to return to the EU.

How Long Does it Take to Get an AHC?
We require at least 4 weeks notice at Old Stone Vets in order to prepare completely for an Animal Health Certificate appointment so plan early., AHC paperwork is partially completed in advance of your appointment, with the remainder completed during the appointment. It is essential the person who completes the pre-appointment AHC form attends this appointment otherwise the paperwork will not be valid.

This is why it is so important to be organised with the correct information and documentation submitted prior to the appointment. Once that is done, the process is fairly straightforward and, before you know it, your pet will be able to travel.

How Long Before Travelling Do I Need to Obtain an AHC?
You should book your Animal Health Certificate appointment within 10 days of travel. Please factor in additional time to complete the online form and for your pet’s paperwork to be processed. This way, you will leave enough time to ensure that any issues can be rectified before you are due to travel. Please ensure that you have the correct dates and information before booking your appointment.

How Old Must a Pet Be to Get an AHC?
In order to qualify for an Animal Health Certificate and travel to the EU from Great Britain, your pet is required to be a minimum of 12 weeks old. This is because 12 weeks is the earliest that your pet can be vaccinated against rabies, a compulsory requirement of the Animal Health Certificate.

You will also be required to wait at least 21 days after your pet has been vaccinated for rabies before you can book an Animal Health Certificate appointment. Please bear this in mind before you book your appointment.

What vaccinations does my pet need for an Animal Health Certificate?
All pets intending to travel to EU must have completed a rabies vaccination a minimum of 21days prior to travel. Up to date rabies vaccines will be sufficient if within manufacturers guidelines. The vet will check this at the time of you appointment. ID/Microchip will also be checked at each stage of the process to ensure it’s present and working correctly.

How much does an AHC cost?
The current price for an AHC at Old Stone Vets is £132. This does not include rabies vaccine or ID chip costs. A single AHC can be used for more than one pet travelling the same journey.

Keep your cat somewhere warm overnight until he is fully recovered from the anaesthetic.

A light meal may be offered tonight e.g. Hills Feline i/d. Water should be available on arrival home. There is no need to worry if your cat refuses food tonight but his appetite should be back within 24 hours, so feed as normal tomorrow.

Take care to keep your cat inside tonight as his reactions will have been slowed down considerably by the drugs administered today. It would be unwise for a cat to go onto roads within 48hrs of an anaesthetic.

Wound care
Your cat has not got external stitches so suture removal is not required.

A long-acting antibiotic and a painkiller have already been given so there is no medication to be given either.

It is possible that a small amount of bloody fluid may ooze from the site of the operation during the first few hours your cat is at home. It would unwise to let him sleep on white sheets, furniture or carpets until this period has passed.

If you are at all unhappy about the wound or your cat is licking or worrying at it, please phone the surgery for advice.

Please do not apply anything to the wound or give any medication if not instructed to do so.

You should not need to have your cat checked again but if you are at all concerned about him, contact us at the surgery. We have a full 24 Hour Emergency Service.

Keep your cat somewhere warm overnight until she is fully recovered from the anaesthetic.

A light meal may be offered tonight e.g. Hills Feline i/d. Water should be available on arrival home. There is no need to worry if your cat refuses food tonight but the appetite will be back within 24 hours, so feed as normal tomorrow.

Take care to keep your cat inside tonight as her reactions will have been slowed down considerably by the drugs administered today. It would be unwise for a cat to go onto roads within 48hrs of an anaesthetic.

Wound Care

Your cat’s stitches are internal and dissolvable so do not need to be taken out.

A long-acting antibiotic and a painkiller will have already been given so there is no further medication necessary.

It is possible that a small amount of bloody fluid may ooze from the site of the operation during the first few hours your cat is at home. It would unwise to let her sleep on white sheets, furniture or carpets until this period has passed.

It is not unheard of for cats to remove their own sutures – this may be nothing to worry about but please contact us for advice at the earliest opportunity.

Care should be taken to check the wound daily for pain, swelling or signs of possible infection. If you are unhappy about the wound or your cat is licking or worrying at it, please phone the surgery for advice.

Please do not apply anything to the wound or give any medication if not instructed to do so.

You should not need to have your cat checked again but if you are at all concerned about her, contact us at the surgery. We have a full 24 Hour Emergency Service.

Keep your dog somewhere warm and quiet overnight until he is fully recovered from the anaesthetic. He may be more sleepy than usual for 12-24 hours but should be able to stand and walk when stimulated. If he is unable to stand then you should contact the surgery.

A light meal may be offered tonight e.g. Hills Canine i/d. Water should be available on arrival home. There is no need to worry if your dog refuses food tonight but the appetite should be back within 24 hours, so feed as normal tomorrow.

Exercise

Your dog’s stitches are internal and dissolvable so will not need to be taken out.

For the first 48 hours you should take extra care to ensure that the stitched wound is not strained. For example, your dog should be lifted in and out of cars and up and down stairs.

On the first evening he can go out briefly on a lead to relieve himself.

Over the next 2 days he can go for short walks on a lead. After we have checked him on day 5 the amount of lead walking can be gradually stepped up but he should stay on a lead at all times until day 10 post-op.

Please avoid muddy areas to keep the wound as clean as possible.

Wound Care
It is not unusual for a few drops of blood to leak from the wound during the first 24 hours, especially when starting to move around after a period of rest. If this is more than a few drops there is not necessarily a serious problem but please contact us for advice as soon as possible.

A long-acting antibiotic and a painkiller have already been given so there is no medication to be given.

Care should be taken to check the wound daily for pain, swelling or discharge. If you are unhappy about the wound or your dog is licking or worrying at it, please phone the surgery for advice. It is quite common for the scrotum to become swollen in the days following surgery. The swelling should be non-painful, and not inflamed or hot. This swelling will resolve in 10-14 days.

Please do not apply anything to the wound or give any medication if not instructed to do so.

If you are at all concerned about your dog contact us at the surgery. We have a full 24 Hour Emergency Service.

Keep your dog somewhere warm and quiet overnight until she is fully recovered from the anaesthetic. She may be more sleepy than usual for 12-24 hours but should be able to stand and walk when stimulated. If she is unable to stand then you should contact the surgery.

A light meal may be offered tonight e.g. Hills Canine i/d. Water should be available on arrival home. There is no need to worry if your dog refuses food tonight but the appetite should be back within 24 hours, so feed as normal tomorrow.

Exercise
Your dog’s stitches are internal and dissolvable so will not need to be taken out.

For the first 48 hours you should take extra care to ensure that the stitched wound is not strained. For example, your dog should be lifted in and out of cars and up and down stairs.

On the first evening she can go out briefly on a lead to relieve herself.

Over the next 2 days she can go for short walks on a lead. After we have checked her on day 5 the amount of lead walking can be gradually stepped up. She can be allowed off the lead at day 10 post-op.

Please avoid muddy areas to keep the wound as clean as possible.

Wound Care
It is not unusual for a few drops of blood to leak from the wound during the first 24 hours, especially when starting to move around after a period of rest. If this is more than a few drops there is not necessarily a serious problem but please contact us for advice as soon as possible.

A long-acting antibiotic and a painkiller have already been given so there is no medication to be given.

Care should be taken to check the wound daily for pain, swelling or discharge. If you are unhappy about the wound or your dog is licking or worrying at it, please phone the surgery for advice.

Please do not apply anything to the wound or give any medication if not instructed to do so.

If you are at all concerned about your dog contact us at the surgery. We have a full 24 Hour Emergency Service.

As a rule rabbits tend to recover more slowly than cats and dogs from general anaesthesia and require extra TLC. We sometimes keep rabbits overnight in the hospital as a precaution so don’t be concerned if we ask to do this.

If we are happy to discharge your rabbit the same day, keep it somewhere warm overnight until fully recovered from the anaesthetic.

Offer food as normal. Your rabbit should be eating within 12 hours or so, if not please phone the surgery for advice.

Wound care
We usually use internal dissolvable stitches which do not need to be taken out, however in some cases external sutures may be used. We will let you know if these are present as they will need to be removed 7-10 days post-op.

An antibiotic and a painkiller injection have already been given – you may be asked at discharge to administer further antibiotics.

Please keep the rabbit in a dry area on newspaper until stitches out. Shavings, sawdust, mud or wet grass can all have adverse effects on the surgical wound.

Please do not apply anything to the wound or give any medication if not instructed to do so.

It is not unusual for a few drops of blood to leak from the wound during the first 24 hours, especially when starting to move around after a period of rest. If this is more than a few drops there is not necessarily a serious problem but please contact us for advice as soon as possible.

In the warmer months of the year attention to fly control is vital – flies will lay eggs in the wound which will develop into maggots. Use fly repellents around the hutch, monitor carefully for flies and clean out the hutch and inspect the wound twice daily. It may be worth keeping the rabbit indoors.