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Vet services and information for pet and small animal owners
We provide a full range of vet services for pets and small animals across Norfolk and Suffolk. Please use the links below to learn more about veterinary services and our facilities in your area.
Contact us for more information about vet services in your area or register your pets with a practice online.
The Pet Travel Scheme (PETS) allows dogs and cats to enter the UK from certain countries without having to spend 6 months in quarantine, provided that certain requirements have been met.
NB: The rules for pet passports have changed. The new rules which started on 1st January 2012 are outlined below…
Microchip
Firstly your pet must have a microchip fitted.
A small microchip is injected into the pet in much the same way as your vet would administer a vaccination. This must be done before the rabies vaccination.
Rabies Vaccination
Your pet is then vaccinated against Rabies.
The Issue of the Pet Passport
The passport will be issued at the time of rabies vaccination, however your pet cannot travel to and from the UK until 21 days after the rabies vaccine. Your passport can be renewed by administering a rabies booster vaccine before the expiry date on the passport or if the vaccine date has expired having a single dose of vaccine at least 21 days before travelling.
Planning Your Holiday
Lucy has been running Puppy Classes at the Beccles Practice on Tuesday evenings since 2006.
The classes aim to provide a relaxed and friendly environment for puppies and their owners to mix and learn.
It is very important for puppies to start socializing with people and other dogs at a young age so we allow puppies to start the classes a week after their first vaccination. There is an upper age limit of 14 weeks to ensure that young ones are not overwhelmed by bigger older puppies. We also restrict numbers to enable everyone to receive individual attention.
Over the course of four lessons we:
Our pets, like us, can suffer from dental disease and tooth ache.
At Three Rivers we try to ensure that your pet’s teeth receive the care needed to keep them free of disease.
Free dental checks are performed by our nurses at their Dental clinics. They can give you advice on the best ways to clean your pet’s teeth and special diets to help keep them clean. If your pet has a more severe dental problem they will suggest a referral for you to see a veterinary surgeon. Should you wish to make an appointment to see a nurse to discuss your pet’s teeth please ring reception to arrange one.
We perform routine dental procedures on most species including dogs, cats, rabbits and small furries’ such as guinea pigs and chinchillas at all our surgeries.
We strongly recommend the use of microchips to identify cats and dogs if they get lost.
An identichip is a tiny microchip with an identification code unique to you and your pet. It is injected under the skin in the same way that the vet regularly vaccinates against disease.
A widely available scanner is used to detect the identichip and read the unique code. All your details are recorded on a computer database which is available 24 hours per day.
Scanners are routinely used by rescue kennels, vets and dog wardens all over the country.
If you would like your pet to have an idchip please contact the surgery to make an appointment.
Hip dysplasia is a genetically transmitted condition which can affect the hips of many pedigree breeds of dogs causing them to have mal formed hips which can lead to arthritis later in life.
The BVA and KC have organised a scheme whereby radiographs (x-rays) of dogs are assessed (scored) for anatomical and pathological changes to the hips. The score for a pair of hips may range from 0 (very good) to 106 (very bad). This score in association with the Breed Mean Score (the average hip score for that particular breed) is intended to help breeders in choosing their breeding stock.
The hip score of parents can also be an aid in the purchase of a puppy, as puppies which are bred from parents with low hip scores are more likely to have good hips. It must however be remembered that there are factors affecting hip scores other than the genetics of the parents and the parents’ hip score should only be used as a guide and does not necessarily mean that a puppy will have good hips if their scores are good.
Elbow dysplasia is a common multi factorial condition resulting in a variety of developmental disorders of the canine elbow leading to lameness and arthritis of the elbow joint. There is a strong genetic component to this condition so radiographic grading of the changes can help breeders to choose the most suitable dogs to use as parents.
Again as with hip dysplasia the examination is conducted by evaluation of radiographs of the elbow joint for any anatomical or pathological changes associated with this condition. The appearance of the elbow joint is graded from 0 (good) to 3 (bad). It must be remembered that lameness is often a poor indicator of elbow dysplasia as many dogs can have radiographic changes associated with this condition but are clinically sound.
Should you require your dog’s hips and or elbows to be scored please contact our Beccles Surgery for advice and relevant charges. Your dog must be a minimum of 1 year of age, you will need to present us with the following documents, the KC Registration Certificate if it is registered with the KC and any related transfer or change of name certificate. At admission you will be asked to complete and sign the first section of the certificate (Owners Declaration) to verify that the details given in that section relate to the dog being submitted.
Once we have an x-ray of your dogs hips/elbows we will submit it along with the certificate that you filled in to the BVA for a panel of experts to Score. As the panel only meet once a fortnight it can take up to 3 weeks for us to receive the results for your dog, so please don’t panic if you are waiting for them, we are too.
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