We sell premium quality dog and cat food . We stock Hills, Royal Canin, Vet’s Choice, Iams and Eukanuba, Orijen and Acana.
We also sell pet toys, treats, beds, leads, collars and harnesses and many other pet accessories.
Online shopping is available via www.ePETstore.co.za, using the store code DUR3.
You may have a new kitten or puppy and want to make sure that all is OK, or have an old dog or cat that needs a senior health check. If your pet is unwell then the starting point is also here – the health check or clinical examination. This entails a hands-on examination where the veterinarian listens to the heart and lungs, checks the temperature, palpates the abdomen and the lymph nodes (glands), checks the colour of the gums and the ocular mucous membranes. The vet also checks the condition of the teeth and inspects the eyes and ears for signs of disease. The limbs and joints are assessed by looking for gait abnormalities and by palpating joints and limbs. The body condition is also evaluated to determine if the patient is underweight or overweight. The pet owner plays a pivotal role as he or she has to supply a history – the veterinarian will ask questions about appetite, water intake, symptoms and behaviour changes. We are often asked the question: “How do vets figure out what is going on with sick animals when our patients can’t tell us what is wrong?” The answer is that the pet owner or carer is the voice – much information about an animal’s health can be obtained from a good history. This is then combined with the findings of the clinical examination to come up with a diagnosis, or a shortlist of possible diagnoses.
Obesity in our pets is extremely common and is reaching epidemic proportions in pet animals. Obesity is a major health risk which leads to reduced quality of life and a shorter lifespan. In the vast majority of cases the obesity is due to excessive feeding.
For pet owners who are prepared to take responsibility for this we can help by advising on the correct food and quantities. We use the Hills Pet Slimmer program to work out a weight loss regime for your pet and can support and guide you through the process with free weigh-ins and body condition assessments as the weight loss progresses. Try it – you’ll have a much happier, healthier pet.
We can perform most surgeries on site. This could range from spaying and neutering, to simple removal of skin tumours, to abdominal surgery such as bladder stone removal or removal of an intestinal foreign body, to orthopaedic surgery such as repairing a broken bone or surgery to stabilise a torn cruciate ligament in a knee.
Note that there will be some surgeries that would require referral to a specialist surgeon – we will advise on the best course of action on a case by case basis.
Our operating theatre has two Isoflurane gas anaesthetic machines and oxygen is supplied by either an oxygen concentrator or by an oxygen cylinder, so we always have a back-up. We also have a back-up generator so we can continue operating during power cuts – without compromising patient safety.
Patients are normally admitted between 07h30 and 08h30 in the morning and are discharged between 16h00 and 18h00. Food and water have to be withheld from 22h00 the previous night. Note that surgery is done from Monday to Friday and not on weekends or public holidays. Surgical procedures have to be pre-booked via reception.
Dental disease is extremely common in our pet dogs and cats. We routinely perform dental scaling and polishing to remove tartar and plaque as preventative maintenance. This requires a short, safe general anaesthetic. Unfortunately our patients won’t open their mouths and say ‘Ahh’!
We also frequently have to perform more complex and lengthy dentals involving extractions of decayed and broken teeth. This is usually done in older patients where tooth decay is at an end stage and the tooth or teeth are beyond saving. This could be prevented by early dental care –such as regular brushing ( yes, we know it’s not easy! ) and having preventative scaling and polishing done when tartar starts to build up.
Vaccination to prevent infectious diseases is the cornerstone of good health in our pets. Serious and often fatal contagious diseases can be prevented by vaccination. In dogs these are diseases such as rabies, parvovirus, canine distemper and infectious canine hepatitis. In cats we vaccinate against rabies, feline panleukopenia virus, feline leukemia virus and feline respiratory disease.
Vaccination against rabies is VITAL and required by law as the disease is prevalent in Kwa Zulu- Natal. It is a major risk to human health. Rabies is 100% fatal in humans and animals but can be effectively prevented through vaccination.
Spaying is the term used to describe sterilisation of female animals, while neutering is a term used to describe sterilisation of a male or female animal although it is often used to describe the procedure only in males. The male-specific term is actually castration. In our pet animals, sterilisation involves a general anaesthetic and removal of the ovaries and uterus in females and the testicles in males. There are various reasons for doing this. In females, it stops unwanted pregnancies, and reduces the risk of mammary cancer and pyometra (a life threatening uterine infection). In the case of on-heat female dogs, there can be copious vaginal bleeding with resultant mess on floors and furniture. Spaying will prevent this. In males, it reduces roaming, aggression and territory marking and reduces the risk of prostate disease.
Dogs and cats undergoing sterilisation are admitted for their surgeries in the morning between 07h30 and 08h30 and are discharged on the same day between 16h00 and 18h00. Recovery is usually quick and pain is minimal and controlled with pain killers. Most dogs and cats are back to normal within a day or two of surgery.
Any time from 5 or 6 months of age onwards. Females do NOT need to have a heat cycle first. In large breed dogs there may be some benefit in delaying until 10 to 12 months of age –please speak to one of the veterinarians about this.
YES is the answer in most cases.
Yes. For bitches the surgery may cost more as the surgery could take longer due to more bleeding during surgery. If a bitch is large and overweight we would advise waiting for the heat to finish in order to reduce the amount of bleeding during surgery.
We can board cats for short or long stays at any time of year. Small dogs can be boarded too but only on weeknights – not over weekends. Any dog or cat coming in for boarding is required to have up to date vaccinations.
We have an Idexx blood chemistry analyser, microscope and centrifuge. We are able to run most routine diagnostic tests on site and have the results on the same day. Tests which cannot be done in house are sent away to the appropriate laboratory.
We have our own X-ray machine on site so can take X-rays to diagnose conditions such as fractures and other bone pathology, bladder and kidney stones, foreign bodies, lung conditions and so forth.
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