Wellness Services

Burmese kittens 8 weeks old

Puppy and Kitten Care

Northlands Animal Care Hospital wants to help welcome your new puppy or kitten into your home!

We are proud to offer a special welcome pack for your new puppy or kitten, filled with valuable healthcare information about your newest family member. This information helps you make informed decisions about the care and training of your new pet. Each pack also contains free samples, food vouchers and information on pet insurance!

The first few months are a critical period in your puppy or kitten’s development, and we can give you the support and tools necessary to help him or her grow into a well-mannered, healthy dog or cat, including information and advice on nutrition, training, behaviour, and socialization.

Schedule your puppy or kitten for his or her first exam as soon as possible. Until they have received a series of vaccines, he or she is susceptible to many serious but preventable diseases. See our vaccination protocol above.

Most puppies and kittens have roundworms, which are intestinal worms that can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, and other gastrointestinal signs (although pets can have worms without showing any symptoms). It is important for puppies and kittens to be treated for roundworms, not only to rid them of the infection but also to prevent you and the rest of your family from becoming infected. Roundworms are a zoonotic parasite, which means they can be transmitted from pets to people. By ensuring that your puppy or kitten is properly treated, you can keep your entire family safe from these and other parasites.

Getting an early start on dental care is also necessary. We can help you start a dental management routine for your pet that helps prevent periodontal disease and suggest a premium diet that meets 100% of their nutritional needs.

Puppy Preschool

Puppy Preschool classes are held at Northlands Animal Care Hospital weekly on a Wednesday night from 7.30 pm (the whole family is welcome)!
Anne Benson our qualified behaviour specialist runs these fun classes for 8-14 week old puppies with their first vaccination. These valuable classes allow new owners to learn basic commands, toilet training, stages of development, dog language, responsible ownership, nutrition, and much more… and the pups have a blast!

Adult Pet Wellness

Bringing your pet in for an annual diagnostic and wellness checkup can help reassure you that your dog or cat is healthy or help us detect hidden diseases or conditions early. Early detection can improve the prognosis of many diseases, keep medical costs down, and help your pet live longer. Many dogs and cats are good at hiding signs that something is wrong, so subtle changes in their health or behaviour might be easy to overlook. And, depending on the disease, some pets don’t show any symptoms.
Dogs and cats age far quicker than humans, so it is even more crucial for our companion animals to receive regular exams. In addition, the risks of arthritis, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, hormone disorders, and kidney and liver problems all increase with age.

During your pet’s wellness exam, we will perform a physical assessment, checking your dog or cat from nose to tail. We will also make sure your pet receives appropriate vaccinations and preventives. We will perform a diagnostic workup, which may include blood, faecal, and urine tests to check for parasites and underlying diseases. We may also recommend that your pet receive dental care. When your pet is nearing his or her senior years, we will recommend a baseline exam and diagnostic workup, so we’ll know what’s normal for your pet. This will enable us to keep track of any changes.

Because you spend the most time with your pet, you are your pet’s expert, as well as his or her greatest advocate. Please let us know if you’ve noticed any physical or behavioural changes in your pet, as well as any other concerns you might have.

Senior Pet Care

Your pet’s health care needs to change as he or she ages. Pets age faster than people, and your pet reaches his or her “senior years” by the age of seven. When it comes to older pets, prevention is the key. Often, symptoms of disease or chronic conditions may be misinterpreted as signs of “old age.” Regular wellness exams (at least once a year, though more frequent exams are encouraged), routine blood tests and diagnostic procedures can keep your senior pet healthy for years to come.

Before your dog or cat reaches senior status, we recommend that you bring your pet in for a baseline exam and diagnostic workup. This will give us a record of what’s normal for your pet so we can keep track of any changes. In most cases, we suggest this checkup for when your dog turns 7 years of age, or your cat turns 8 years of age. Thereafter, your senior pet will benefit from more frequent veterinary exams and diagnostic testing.

You are your older pet’s most important ally when it comes to health care. As your pet ages, he or she may develop diseases such as diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure and other chronic conditions. Watch for changes in your pet’s health and behaviour. If you notice any sudden changes, we urge you to schedule an appointment with us as soon as possible. Together, we can develop a healthcare plan that best fits the needs of your older pet. We understand the life-long bond you share with your faithful companion, and it is our goal to strengthen and preserve that bond.

As dogs and cats get older, they need more attention and particular care. We can treat many symptoms that are commonly attributed to age, including those associated with cognitive dysfunction syndrome (similar to Alzheimer’s in humans). We can also improve your pet’s quality of life in many ways: by identifying and preventing or reducing pain, recommending an appropriate nutrition and exercise plan, and suggesting environmental modifications to keep your pet comfortable.

Parasite Control

Keeping your pet free from fleas, worms, ticks and other parasites is a must! Parasites cause your pet pain and discomfort, and some parasites, such as fleas, ticks and hookworms, can affect your family as well. Controlling and preventing parasites is an important part of your pet’s health care. Northlands Animal Care Hospital offers a fantastic range of parasite prevention in-store.

Flea prevention is really important to continue all year round. This is because one flea can lay up to fifty eggs every single day, and eggs can remain in carpets and gardens for weeks to months. Therefore, one or two fleas can overtake your house in no time at all. We recommend constant flea control to prevent fleas from being able to breed, so if you happen to pick up a hitchhiker flea on your walk or a wander around the garden, and are on flea prevention, it will never be an infestation in your home.

Most dogs and cats are born with worms, acquired from their mother via their placenta or milk – and they are very easy to pick up from the environment! So even if your pet is showing no signs of worms, it’s important to keep on top of the treatment to continue breaking the life cycle and prevent an outbreak. Heavy worm burdens can cause weight loss, anaemia, vomiting and diarrhoea, coughing and dehydration, depending on the type of worm. Prevention is much easier than cure, so make sure to keep on top of it!

These products are available over the counter any time, without a consultation, so pop in if you have run out. Each time you purchase a flea or worm product, our system will automatically remind you when the next treatment is due! We know how easy it is to forget how long it has been since the last one.

Microchipping

Does your pet have a microchip? Each year, thousands of pets go missing and many don’t make it back home.

Microchipping your pet is a simple, effective way to prevent this tragedy. The chip about the size and shape of a grain of rice, and is implanted via a needle beneath your pet’s skin, usually between the shoulder blades. Microchips are encoded with you and your pet’s vital information.
Even the most responsible pet owners can’t always guarantee their pet won’t get lost. A leash could break or slip out of your hand, a pet could push through a screen door or window, or a contractor or friend might accidentally leave a door or gate open.

Vet clinics, SPCA, animal shelters, Christchurch City Council and Rangers across the country are equipped with special scanners capable of reading these microchips – if your pet is lost, then found, the microchip is scanned and the number read then this number is checked on the national database for your details to reunite you back with your pet.

We recommend that you use a microchip, along with a collar and ID tag, to identify your pet. An ID tag is still a reliable identification method. Pets that have tags with current contact information are more likely to not end up in shelters and tend to get home faster than those without tags. However, collars and ID tags aren’t permanent and can be removed (overnight or for grooming) and pets can also lose them. With a microchip, your pet will have a much better chance of being identified and returned to you. Pets without microchips that end up in shelters may be adopted out to another family or even euthanized.

Please contact us to schedule an appointment to microchip your pet. Although we hope your pet never becomes lost, we want you to be prepared. We can also suggest a plan to have in place so if your pet does go missing, you’ll be able to act quickly.

Microchipping can be done in a consultation, is required for dogs in Christchurch and is highly recommended for cats.

What if I don’t get my dog microchipped?

The Council will send you a letter requesting you to comply with this law, and if you still fail to comply, you will receive an infringement notice without further warning. This carries a hefty penalty.

Weight Management Program

Have you got a pet carrying a few extra pounds? Struggling to keep their weight down? Obesity can increase a pet’s risk for many things including diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and hypertension, among others.

If you aren’t sure how to start your pet on their weight loss journey, we have a brand new Weight Management Clinic run by our amazing nurse Courtney! This service comes with a weight loss, diet and exercise plan which is fully customised for your pet, with monthly check-ins to monitor their progress. If you think your pet could benefit from some extra special support, give us a call. You don’t need to see a vet; you can book a spot with Courtney straight away.

This clinic is also available for any pets that need to gain weight at a safe rate.

A nurse consult fee will cover the initial comprehensive nurse consult and customised weight management plan, and all revisits are free. Any comorbid or subsequent health issues noticed will need to be seen and managed by a vet, and costs will be subject to usual consulting and treatment fees.

Nutrition Advice

The basis of good health is a sound diet, optimum exercise and maintaining an ideal body weight and composition.

Our vets and nurses can determine your pet’s individual needs and design a diet suitable for their breed type, life stage and activity level. We only recommend quality premium diets made from the highest quality ingredients with the right blend of vitamins and minerals, antioxidants and omegas.

Plus:

• 100% money-back guarantee on all premium foods sold
• Loyalty card system for the premium foods

A quality diet will:

• Promote healthy immune system and help prevent disease with powerful antioxidants
• Promote a healthy skin and coat with added Omega 3 and 6 and fatty acids
• Ensure strong teeth and bones with ideal levels of calcium
• Provide energy and reduce stool volume with digestible fats and carbohydrates
• Promotes optimal sensory and mental health to minimise behavioural and health problems associated with stress
• Promotes oral health to clean and freshen breath and reduce tartar build-up

We stock a large range of food from Hills, Royal Canin, Eukanuba and Black Hawk

Prescription Diets

We have a large range of specially designed diets for animals with specific health conditions such as:

• Kidney, liver or renal disease
• Heart disease
• Weight loss and joint problems
• Teeth and gum cleaning
• Urinary tract (struvite crystals, cystitis, oxalates)
• Brain
• Skin and coat
• Allergies
• Digestive upsets (sensitive stomachs, vomiting and diarrhoea).
• Arthritis
• Thyroid disease
• Diabetes

Giant Breeds

Giant breeds such as Great Danes, Irish wolfhounds, and giant schnauzers have unique dietary requirements. Very few commercial puppy foods offer the ideal mix of calcium, energy, and protein levels that these breeds need. We can provide you with feeding recommendations that will encourage your dog’s maximum growth potential without causing developmental problems. For added convenience, we also stock veterinary-approved diets for giant breeds.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any concerns regarding your dog’s nutrition or if you would simply like to discuss this topic with us.

Puppies/Kittens

It’s easy to get confused or overwhelmed by all the pet foods on the market. We can help you weed through the choices and find a puppy or kitten food that will meet your growing pet’s specific nutritional needs. We even carry many nutritionally balanced, veterinary-approved brands in our clinic.
Feel free to ask us for a food recommendation or to contact us with any nutrition questions or concerns you might have. We’re happy to help!

Behavioural Counselling

If you’re concerned about or bothered by an aspect of your pet’s behaviour, we can help. Our vets can work with you and your pet to stop or change the behaviour. Many aggressive, fearful, or inappropriate behaviours in dogs and cats can be modified through a combination of desensitization and counterconditioning. These techniques can have dramatic results when applied properly. In some cases, medication can also help.

We also work closely with amazing trainers such as Lavinia Tan who we can refer your pet to for specialist advice tailored to your pet’s needs.

Reproduction

We can provide the following services to your pet:

• Pregnancy monitoring
• Pregnancy ultrasound
• Emergency cesarean sections
• Follow-up nursing care and advice
• Nutrition for all mothers and neonates