Our New Green Health Plan – Test and Assess

At Chalkland Vets, we are always moving with the times. As, such we are very proud to present our brand-new care plan: The Green Health Plan – Test and Assess. While we have always tried to tailor our treatment to each individual patient, this plan takes things even further.

We’re going to explain our new health care plan and why it could be important for not only your pet but the environment too.

What’s different about the Green Health Plan?

Our new plan features all the same great things that our gold plan does but with a few key differences:

Titre testing for dogs and cats

Following your pet’s primary puppy or kitten vaccinations and first-year booster, we will offer titre testing in year two.

This is because some animals will form a longer-lasting immunity to some diseases, meaning that their next injection may not actually be necessary. Dogs can form a longer-lasting immunity to distemper virus, parvovirus (parvo) and infectious hepatitis which are found in the DHP vaccination. For cats, we can test for a response to panleukopenia (enteritis), herpesvirus, and calicivirus (cat flu) which are found in the full three-part combination vaccination.

A sample of blood will be taken from your pet by our trained team. This will be analysed, and we will determine the levels of antibodies that are present in your pet’s blood. This tells us if your pet has enough immunity in their system to protect them against these viral infections in the future.

A very low result indicates that your pet is not adequately protected and will require a booster vaccination. A moderate level may indicate that we need to repeat titre testing again in a year’s time to see what’s happening at that point. But a high level indicates that your pet is protected, and we won’t need to titre test them again for another two to three years.

Our team will talk you through the results and explain what they mean for your cat or dog.

There are currently no reliable titre tests for leptospirosis and kennel cough vaccination, and the evidence is that these require annual vaccinations. So, your dog will still need to come in and have an annual booster vaccination for these diseases. Our vets will also discuss feline leukaemia virus with cat owners as this is also not currently titre tested. If feline leukaemia vaccination is required, this will be covered by your health plan.

Annual Lepto vaccination for dogs

Leptospirosis (‘Lepto’) is a serious bacterial disease. It is commonly spread in the urine of infected rodents and other wildlife, and most mammals can catch it, including humans. Dogs can catch this disease by encountering infected urine on the ground, in the soil or in stagnant or slow-moving water sources like ponds, streams and canals. Leptospirosis can enter the body through the mouth, nose or open wounds.

Symptoms may be vague initially, but vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy and jaundice (yellowing of the skin) can develop. Infected dogs may die of organ failure within a couple of days of showing symptoms. Some dogs show no symptoms at all but still spread the disease, infecting and causing harm to others.

Titre tests for Leptospirosis (Lepto) are currently too unreliable, so vaccination is still recommended for this disease as per the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) guidelines.

Studies have shown that immunity to Leptospirosis starts to fall around a year after your dog has been vaccinated. This is why annual injections are needed, even if your pet is showing immunity on titre tests to other preventable diseases like distemper and parvovirus.

Our care plan covers this annual leptospirosis vaccination, protecting not only your pet but also potentially saving the lives of others.

Worm and flea treatment as required

For environmental reasons, many vet practices are moving away from the one-size-fits-all approach to parasite treatment. All of the different pets that come through our doors have different parasite risk profiles. For example, a cat that predominantly lives outdoors and hunts rodents will have a very different level of risk than an indoor-only cat, who only leaves the house to visit the cattery once a year.

While year-round protection is very safe for both cats and dogs, we must consider the environmental impact of this. Not only from the packaging and manufacturing of these products, but also from the active ingredients themselves.

Evidence has shown that increased levels of anti-parasite drugs are occurring in our rivers. Studies prove that fipronil and imidacloprid concentrations are increasing downstream of waterworks. Both chemicals are likely to have entered our waterways due to:

· Treated animals being bathed at home (washed-off products ending up down the drain)

· Owners washing their hands after applying a topical product

· Possible incorrect disposal of leftover products

These chemicals are insecticidal, which is great for treating parasites but also means that they could kill other insects too. This could have a huge impact on British wildlife. Insect populations which rely on our waterways, like mayfly and dragonfly larvae, could become seriously affected, which will in turn have a negative impact on the fish, birds and mammals that rely on these insects for food.

This is why we will have conversations with you about your pet’s lifestyle to see what they actually need. You can also rest assured that all of our recommendations will be covered by your healthcare plan. Our 3 monthly worm egg counts will also help us to treat your pet more appropriately.

3 monthly worm egg counts

Worm egg counts are a simple approach and a useful component in determining whether your pet is carrying any worms. This helps vets to accurately decide what parasite treatment is required for them.

A sample of your pet’s faeces will be looked at once every 3 months on our Green Health Plan. We will then contact you with the results and make recommendations on anti-parasite treatment if required.

Lifestyle may impact how often repeat worming is required. Some pets will have worm eggs found in their faeces quite regularly, for example, if they spend a lot of time outdoors. These pets could require more regular de-worming. Whereas a sedate, elderly dog who only goes for walks around the block may hardly ever catch worms.

By performing 3 monthly worm egg counts, we can keep an eye on things and make sure that your pet’s treatment protocol is right for them.

We appreciate that faecal testing may not be achievable for outdoor cats, so this part of the plan will be aimed at assessing indoor cats. Cats with outdoor access will continue to receive regular deworming treatment based on discussions with your vet.

Interested in the Green Health Plan – Test and Assess?

Here are some more details for you on everything our Green Health Plan has to offer –

Benefits

· Unlimited FREE at-clinic and video vet consults – as many as are needed per year

· Unlimited FREE at-clinic and video nurse consults – as many as needed per use.

· Quarterly faecal egg worm counts (include nematodes, coccidia, lipids and lungworms).

· Unlimited flea checks with a nurse.

· Parasite control as/when is required (dictated by test results)

· Primary vaccination course for puppy/kitten and first-year booster vaccine.

· From year 2 TITRE TESTING for Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus in Dogs, Cat flu and Enteritis in Cats

· Annual routine health check with the vet

· Leptospirosis annual vaccination in dogs.

· 6 monthly health check with the nurse

· Nail clips and anal gland expression – unlimited

· 10% off Chronic medications

· 10% off Neutering

· 10% discount on food

· 20% off Dental descale and polish, as often as you need.

· 10% off Rabies vaccination

· FREE microchipping

· 10% off routine in-house blood tests

· Annual blood and urine testing for dogs and cats over 7 years old

· Annual blood pressure check for cats over 7 years old

Fees

£32 per month for ALL species

£15 surcharge if a vaccination course is needed (2 or more injections for puppies/kittens/adult restart)

For patients 7 years old and over there is a £5 monthly supplement to cover the additional annual diagnostic checks.

£23 joining fee for new health plan members. Existing health plan members can upgrade with no joining fee.

A note on the annual senior health check

Our annual senior health screen will include a full blood test (chem 10 biochemistry/haematology), blood pressure check (for cats) and full in-house urinalysis which can aid in early detection of kidney and liver disease, diabetes and other age-related diseases. We consider this an essential part of senior care that allows us to pick up on problems early, therefore keeping your pet happy and healthy for as long as possible.

Summary

At Chalklands Vets we are constantly listening to feedback from pet owners, as well as the latest scientific updates. Our new Green Health Plan represents our commitment to tailored preventive treatments, while still offering your pets the same great affordable care.

We hope this blog answers many of the questions you might have but please don’t hesitate to contact us for more information.

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