Service List

After Hours Veterinary Services Bathurst

Puppy & Kitten Health Programs

Taking care of a new puppy or kitten can be a daunting prospect. Our veterinarians and veterinary nurses are there to guide you through the process and to explain the various needs and health care requirements of puppies and kittens. Some components of the Puppy and Kitten Health Program are listed below.

Physical examination
Nutritional advice
Vaccination. There are a number of vaccination options available for both puppies and kittens. We will design a vaccination program suitable for your pet and its particular circumstances.
Internal parasite control. Roundworms, tapeworms, etc.
External parasite control. Fleas, ticks, mites, etc.
Heartworm protection.
Microchipping
Desexing decisions
Puppy preschool

If you have any questions or would like to book an appointment with Stewart Street Veterinary Hospital, get in touch with our friendly staff on 02 6331 1222.

Adult Dog and Cat Health Programs

The cornerstone of the Adult Health Program is the annual health check. Our pets age a lot faster than we do and an annual health check for our pets is equivalent to a “once in 7 years” health check for ourselves. Some components of the Annual Health Program are listed below.

Physical examination. Discussion of any changes, abnormalities and owner observations
Additional diagnostic tests. If indicated.
Vaccination and heartworm protection. Review.
Internal and external parasite control. Review.

Senior Health Programs – Dog & Cat

The Senior Health Program contains all the elements of the Adult Health Program, as well as a focus on the conditions that may start affecting pets as they enter their senior years. The timing of the transition into senior status varies from one individual to the next, and there is no exact age when they become a “senior”. Generally smaller dogs and cats have a longer lifespan than giant breed dogs. Giant breeds are considered “senior citizens” at age 5 or 6, while toy breed dogs and cats may be considered seniors from 9 years of age. Some of the additional components included in the Senior Health Program are listed below.

Urine tests. May detect early indicators of kidney disease and diabetes.
Blood tests. Establish base line values especially for kidney and liver function parameters and blood glucose levels. These are then monitored at 6 to 12 monthly intervals.
Thyroid hormone level. In cats if they display symptoms of hyperthyroidism.
Mobility assessment. May include x-rays if indicated where mobility appears to be impaired

After Hours Emergencies

When choosing a veterinary practice to take care of your pet family, it is important to ensure that they are available whenever you need them. Our pets don’t follow consulting hours and emergencies often occur after hours. At Stewart Street Veterinary Hospital we offer an after hours service for our clients.

Simply phone 02 6331 1222 and you will be provided with the mobile phone number of the veterinarian on duty.

Anaesthesia and Surgery

Our hospital is fully equipped to perform a wide range of soft tissue and orthopaedic surgical procedures. Facilities include a dedicated operating theatre and 3 additional operating tables, all with anaesthetic machines and anaesthetic monitoring equipment. Our in-house blood chemistry and haematology analysers allow us to do pre-anaesthetic blood tests to help identify surgical risks. Some of the procedures we perform are listed below.

Desexing of dogs, cats, rabbits and guinea pigs
Lump and tumour removal
Dental surgery as well as routine cleaning and polishing
Caesarian sections in dogs and cats
Orthopaedic surgery, including bone fracture repair and cruciate ligament surgery
Wound treatment and suturing
Anal gland removal
Exploratory laparotomies and intestinal foreign body removal
Bladder stone removals
Gastropexy for the prevention of gastric torsion
Surgical treatment of aural haematomas

Diagnostic Services

Pets cannot tell us what the problem is when they are not well. We therefore use a wide range of in-house diagnostic equipment and tests to assist us in finding out what the problem is.

In-house laboratory. Performs a wide range of blood tests and provides results within minutes. This is particularly useful for pre-anaesthetic blood tests and to assess vital parameters during emergencies. (Photo: Our in-house laboratory, a state of the art IDEXX Chemistry & Haematology Analyser).
Blood clotting times. Another in-house laboratory service, the VETSCAN VSpro analyser, uses a small amount of blood to measure blood clotting times. This is used to confirm poisoning with rat bait and is also useful in the confirmation of snake bite envenomation.
Digital X-ray. Images can be assessed in-house or transferred electronically to specialists.
Ultrasonography. Examination of internal organs and spaces as well as confirmation of pregnancy in dogs and cats.
Video endoscope.
Urinalysis. Analysis of a urine sample is useful for screening for a range of diseases including diabetes and kidney and bladder disease.
Faecal worm egg counts. These are used to assess the efficacy of intestinal worm control products and programs.
Microscopy. Microscopic examination of blood smears, skin scrapings, ear wax and fine needle aspirates from lumps and bumps is useful for the confirmation of conditions ranging from certain types of cancer and blood parasites to the presence of ear mites.
Progesterone level monitoring. Monitoring of progesterone levels is very important in canine reproductive work. Our Biomérieux VIDAS® System is a multiparametric immunoassay instrument which provides reliable, reference laboratory standard results in less than 1 hour.

Canine Reproduction & Progesterone Tests

Some of the canine reproduction services we offer are listed below. Please phone us or book in for a consultation if you need more information about any of these services.

Progesterone level monitoring. Our Biomérieux VIDAS® System is a multiparametric immunoassay instrument which provides reliable, reference laboratory standard results in less than 1 hour.
Artificial insemination. Trans cervical, surgical and vaginal.
Semen collection, evaluation, freezing and storage.
Ultrasound pregnancy diagnosis.
Radiography. At 1 week prior to the whelping date it is useful to confirm the litter size.

Ophthalmology

General conditions including most injuries and infections are treated at the hospital. An eye specialist visits the practice once per month for cases requiring specialist attention and where pet owners find it difficult to take their pets to the nearest specialist. Some of the procedures performed at the hospital are listed below.

Cherry eye surgery.
Intra-ocular pressure monitoring.
Treatment of corneal ulcers.
Removal of eyelid tumours.

Dentistry

Periodontal disease is the most frequently diagnosed health problem in our pets, and the most overlooked by owners. If your pet will allow it, open its mouth and take a look for the warning signs of dental disease – bad breath, red and swollen gums, yellow-brown coating on the teeth and pain or bleeding when you touch the gums. If any of these symptoms are present, your pet is suffering from dental disease and you need to book it in for a dental check.

Once your pet has periodontal disease, it requires treatment by a veterinarian. An ultrasonic scale followed by a polish is used to remove the calculus and plaque both on the tooth and below the gum line. This is performed under a general anaesthetic. If there is advanced periodontal disease, the extraction of teeth may be required. The longer periodontal disease is left untreated, the more teeth may need to be removed.

The most effective way to prevent or identify periodontal disease, in its early stages, is through regular dental cleaning under anaesthesia, where the pet’s mouth is thoroughly evaluated and cleaned.

House Calls

We do house calls in the Bathurst, Eglinton, Kelso and Raglan areas. Visits outside these areas attract standard travel fees. Please phone us to make an appointment and for more details.

Prescription Pet Foods

We stock the Hills Prescription Diet foods for dogs and cats. Other prescription foods can be ordered in upon request. The names of some of the Hills Prescription Diet foods appear below.

Dog

Bladder Health
Brain Aging Care
Dental Care
Digestive Care
Environmental Sensitivities
Joint Care
Kidney Care
Liver Care
Skin/Food Sensitivities
Urinary Care
Weight + Joint Care
Weight management.
Weight reduction

Cat

Dental Care
Digestive Care
Glucose / Weight Management
Kidney Care
Skin/Food Sensitivities
Thyroid Care
Urinary Care
Weight management
Weight reduction

Cat Adoption

Kittens and cats are available to adopt through our cat adoption program. All kittens and cats are in good health and have been temperament tested, and by adopting you are saving a life. The cost is $150 for one kitten or $250 for a pair. This money helps cover the cost of basic veterinary treatment (which would normally cost $250 to $400 per cat), including:

First vaccination
Health check
Microchipping
Worming
Flea treatment
Desexing

In addition, where possible all cats are fostered in a home environment to ensure their true personalities are known, address any health issues, and train out any unwanted behaviours.

We strongly encourage all pet owners to neuter their cats before six months of age to prevent unwanted litters. If you need to surrender a cat or cats, local no-kill shelters that may be able to help include:

The RSPCA – there are offices in Orange and Katoomba (www.rspcansw.org.au)
Hearts for Animals in Lithgow (heartsforanimalsinc.com)
The Cat Protection Society, which are currently expanding into the Central West region (catprotection.org.au)

Please check this page regularly to see who we have available for adoption. If you are looking for something in particular, please let us know so we can add you to our waiting list.