We're a Potton vet practice providing high-quality, affordable vet services

Vet Practice Services

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Laparoscopic Spay
Laparoscopic Surgery
Soft Tissue
Endoscopy

Surgery

Laparoscopic Spay

Less pain, less trauma and quick recovery time.

A Laparoscopic spay removes the ovaries, preventing unwanted pregnancies, unwanted seasons and prevents womb infections in later life. If done early enough it also reduces the incidence of mammary tumours.

We focus on pain relief before, during and after the operation with the added benefit of every patient receiving K-Laser treatment to help reduce ongoing pain and aid speedy recovery.

Laparascopic Surgery

Less pain, less trauma and quick recovery time.

Quicker recovery times, safer surgery, less pain and minimal scarring
Also know as keyhole surgery – Laparoscopic surgery uses a laparoscope, a long and thin rigid tube that has a light source and a camera. With a small incision in the abdomen the organs and tissues can be clearly viewed inside.

This method allows us to neuter female dogs (ovariectomy), perform gastropexies or to take a biopsy of e.g. the liver, pancreas, kidney, spleen.

Soft Tissue

At Potton Vets we are in the very fortunate position to be exceptionally well equipped to deal with just about any soft tissue surgery.

We routinely investigate, diagnosis and treat a wide range of surgical conditions.

Soft tissue surgery includes removal of cancers from skin, the abdomen (stomach, intestines, uterus, pancreas, bladder, kidneys, liver). We obviously also do all the routine operations you can think of including neutering, abscess treatment, abdominal surgery, wound repairs, biopsies.

We have moved on from the old fashioned way of doing abdominal surgery and now use key-hole surgery (laparoscopic surgery) routinely. We now perform most of our spays this way. Biopsies of organs e.g pancreas, liver, spleen are also done by key hole surgery. This is a far less painful way of doing abdominal surgery – ask anyone who has had abdominal surgery whether they would prefer key-hole surgery over traditional surgery.

Key-hole surgery is a well recognised way of performing a combined spay and gastropexy in large breed dogs, for example Great Danes.

Endoscopy

Endoscopy is part of our fully integrated diagnostic service.

Our vets have additional experience, expertise and training in endoscopy and we have an advanced spectrum of endoscopic equipment providing the highest level of care for your pet. Endoscopy is often a part of an investigation alongside other tests. Animals have an endoscopic procedure under a carefully monitored general anaesthetic. Anaesthesia eliminates any stress and discomfort to the patient and also enables us to get good samples and reach a swift and accurate diagnosis. We have several different kinds of endoscopes that we use to find out what is wrong with our patients. We use a flexible endoscope to look inside the lungs, stomach, colon and upper parts of the small intestine. We use a smaller flexible endoscope to see the airway and into the lungs of pets as small as cats.

Sometimes if we see something abnormal, we can remove it, or take a sample. We can use special tools through the endoscope to remove tiny foreign bodies such as grass seeds. We also have a rigid endoscope that has several different applications but is most commonly used to examine and investigate problems in the nasal cavity, such as nosebleeds and swellings. Samples can usually be examined in-house under a microscope

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K Laser
Cancer
Heart
Skin
Internal Medicine

Medical Services

K-Laser

Drug-free pain relief

K-Laser Therapy can relieve your pet’s pain, reduce swelling and increase their range of movement.

Using wavelengths of laser light, K-Laser penetrates the tissue to increase the oxygen supply in the affected area. This stimulates your pet’s cells and promotes faster healing. Nerve cells are also changed during the treatment which results in an ongoing lower perception of pain. For some conditions it may even remove the need for medication.

No anaesthetic needed
Pain-free procedure
Speeds up the healing process

Conditions which would benefit from K-Laser therapy:

Wound healing
Osteoarthritis and joint pain
Hip Dysplasia
Burns
Post Surgical Pain
Soft tissue injury
Westie Lung

Cancer

Lumps and Bumps

Oncology (cancer diagnosis and treatment) is a busy service at Potton Vets. The most important part of managing any form of cancer is early diagnosis. We routinely take samples of skin masses in the consulting room, which is often all that is needed to provide us with enough information to predict a probable outcome and treatment plan.

We are also able to perform further diagnostics, which gives us critical information in formulating a treatment plan (ultrasound, x-rays, blood testing and biopsies are most commonly used).

We can then treat cancers or lumps and bumps appropriately. This usually involves surgery or chemotherapy (medical treatment).

Heart

We have excellent facilities for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac (heart) disease in dogs and cats.

Radiography, electrocardiography (ECG), blood pressure measurement and colour flow Doppler echocardiography (ultrasound) provide the mainstay of a cardiology investigation in dogs and cats.

We can diagnose and treat common heart related conditions in dogs and cats such as:

Mitral valve disease,
Cardiomyopathy (enlarged heart) in dogs.
Hypertrophic/restrictive and mixed cardiomyopathies in cats,
Hypertension.

There are some common early signs of heart disease to look out for; such as heart murmurs or an irregular pulse. Common signs of heart failure are tiring more easily, lethargy (lying about) or appetite changes. Please contact us if you are at all concerned about the cardiac health of your pet.

Skin

Dermatology is the treatment of conditions of the skin. We are happy to see all types of dermatology cases and have particular interests in allergic skin diseases, bacterial skin diseases and otitis (ear disease). We offer comprehensive skin allergy testing, and where appropriate, will supply and instruct on the use of allergen specific immunotherapy (ASIT).

Our clinics are run on an out-patient basis and rarely do we need to hospitalise our patients overnight. We have facilities to give accurate and rapid diagnoses and treatments. Almost all of our otitis (ear disease) cases will be managed successfully through medical treatment. Managed properly, it is hardly ever necessary to resort to invasive ear surgery.

Internal Medicine

The Internal Medicine service will see a wide range of cases including gastroenterology (stomach and intestinal disease), nephrology (kidney disease) and urinary tract (bladder) disease, endocrinology (hormonal).

We have a special interest in gastroenterology (vomiting/diarrhoea/abdominal pain), hepatopathies (liver disease) and pancreatic disease.

Dental Services

Since pets can’t tell us when they have dental or oral disease, regular oral examinations are recommended. Dental disease can lead to infections, discomfort or pain, decreased quality of life, and difficulty controlling concurrent diseases like diabetes.

What dentistry do we perform?

Scale and polish
Dental X-rays
Extractions
Surgical extractions
Deciduous cannines (Baby tooth problems)
Growths foreign bodies and other problems

Prophylactic scale and polish:

This is where tartar is removed from the teeth in the early stages of periodontal disease, it is the same as going to the dentist and having your teeth scaled to remove tartar. The aim is to remove tartar and plaque from the teeth and so that regular dental home can be effectively performed (dental brushing, mouth washes and dental foods). To perform an effective scale an anaesthetic is required.

Dental X-Rays:

At the time of the dental treatment we examine all the teeth and treat any problems that we may find as needed. It is the only time we get to look at the teeth properly as it is generally impossible to do in a conscious pet. We use a dental x-ray machine when we find abnormalities as it is the only way we can evaluate the roots and structures beneath the gum line. Dental X-rays are considered an essential part of dental treatment.

Extractions:

Extractions are only done where necessary. Reasons for extraction may be advanced periodontal disease, loose teeth, exposed root canals and mal-alignments which cause pain or discomfort.

Cats have an unusual condition where they develop holes in their teeth called “neck lesion”. These are not treatable and the teeth require extraction as they are extremely painful and do not respond to fillings. X-rays of these teeth before extraction are essential for planning the correct type of extraction. If the roots are bound to the bone, we can remove the crowns and leave the roots in place. On the other hand if they are not bound the roots do need to be removed. The best (and only) way to decide which is the correct extraction technique, is to x-ray the tooth roots. The correct term for neck lesions is feline odontoclastic resorptive lesions of FORL’s for short.

Surgical extractions:

This is usually done where teeth have very long roots, or if a root fragment remains. The gum is cut and lifted from the underlying bone. The bone overlying the root is removed, the root is then removed with very little trauma. Once this is done the gum is sutured back in place. Although this sounds complicated it is actually far less traumatic to the pet than trying to lever the root out.

Growths, foreign bodies and other problems:

Dogs and cats do get tumours growing in their mouths, they get sticks, string, grass seeds and a long list of odd events in their mouths.

Deciduous canines (baby tooth problems):

Most puppy and kitten baby teeth fall out by 6 months of age. In a minority of cases the canines (the big, sharp teeth in the front of the mouth) do not fall out in time. If they don’t fall out when they should, they can make the permanent teeth come out crooked and create mal-alignments. In these cases it is very important to remove these deciduous teeth to allow the permanent teeth to grow straight early on. It is a very delicate procedure as it is important to not damage the root of the permanent tooth which is often in contact with the baby tooth.

Concerned about your pet's dental health?

Book a dental health check by calling the practice on 01767 260007

Save 10% on preventative dental treatments

Members of the Pet Health Club save 10% on dental treatment costs, and also receive a wide range of other benefits and savings

Find out more

Pain Management

As animals live longer and as our ability to treat diseases and conditions expands, we pay more attention to the management of pain.

Correct pain management in animals is difficult because they cannot communicate their pain verbally. Untreated chronic pain causes suffering, and a decreased quality of life.

Pain can be caused by an injury, surgery or chronic disease like arthritis. They all require different approaches. Cats, dogs and other species often require different medications.

An obvious symptom of pain is lameness, but pain may be seen as behavioural changes or changes in sleeping patterns.

Chronic pain is often difficult to identify and treat and may develop gradually, as in the case of osteoarthritis and as chronic pain signs are subtle, they can be missed or the animal assumed to be ‘just getting old’.

Common treatments may involve anti-inflammatories, the fantastic K-Laser, weight control, joint protective treatments and supplements. We strongly believe that managing chronic pain is truly a team effort between veterinary surgeons and pet owners.

Home Visits

The Potton Vets ‘vet home visit’ service is the same great service, just in the comfort of your home…

If you have lots of pets it may be easier and less stressful for us to come to you.

If your pet doesn’t travel very well or becomes very stressed coming to the surgery a home visit may be a good solution. Animals with ongoing health problems are sometimes more comfortable being looked after at home.

Our vet will come to your home at a mutually convenient time. We can perform consultations, vaccinations and many minor procedures in your home.

Home visit appointments are available to book:

01767 260007 Monday to Friday, 10am and 4.30pm

Euthanasia Services

We gently euthanise cats and dogs in the comfort of your own home. Our vet will come to your home at a mutually convenient time.

We will talk with you and explain exactly what will happen during the time we are with you and make this the gentlest procedure possible for your pet.

If a more complicated investigation or treatment is needed, we can take your pet to our full-service RCVS registered surgery, complete the necessary diagnostics and treatment and return your pet to you.

Pet euthanasia and home visits are available:

Monday to Friday, 10 am and 4.30 pm. Call: 01767 260007