Preventative Healthcare

Preventative healthcare in Darwin

08 8983 2838

At Litchfield Vet Hospital, our aim is to help your pet lead a longer, happier, more active and healthier life. We firmly believe that prevention is better than cure and that many problems can be avoided by regular health checks and early treatment.


We strongly recommend a health check with a Vet at least once a year throughout your pet’s life.

As well as giving your pet a thorough nose-to-tail examination and possibly a routine booster vaccination, our Vets can also advise you about other important preventative health care treatments. 


These can include parasite control, heartworm prevention, any special dietary requirements for your pet, weight management, skin care and dental care, all of which are vital to the long-term well-being of your pet. You can also use this opportunity to ask us about any concerns you may have about your pet’s health.

We are a locally owned and operated veterinary hospital

Vaccinations

At Litchfield Vet Hospital we routinely vaccinate Dogs for 6 common diseases - Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, Leptospirosis, Bordatella Bronchiseptica and Para-influenza – C5L Vaccination. Our Puppy Vaccination Course starts at 8 weeks of age and involves 3 vaccinations at 4 week intervals. It is important that puppies have their final vaccination at 16 weeks or older to ensure they develop good immunity. We recommend a 6 monthly Leptospirosis booster and Annual boosters of all the diseases. 

We routinely vaccinate Cats for Feline Herpes Virus, Feline Calici Virus and Feline Panleucopenia – F3 Vaccination. We can also vaccinate for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus – FIV Vaccination. Our Kitten Vaccination Course starts at 8 weeks and involves 3 vaccinations at 4 week intervals, usually of F3 and FIV. Cats then require Annual boosters.


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Pet Desexing Darwin

There are many advantages of getting your pet desexed. These range from avoiding unwanted pregnancies in females and reducing the occurrence of roaming and fighting in males through to helping reduce the risk of potentially fatal diseases, such as pyometra or testicular or prostatic cancer, later in life.


We recommend desexing both male and female dogs and cats at around 6 months of age. On the whole, this ensures the surgery is a routine procedure and minimises the risk of complications.


We recommend that all our patients are given intravenous fluid therapy throughout the desexing operation. 

They all receive an injection of pain relief included in the cost of desexing. For older animals, we may recommend a Pre-Anaesthetic Blood Test prior to surgery. The surgery is done as a day procedure on all weekdays.


Contact us on 8983 2838 to book an appointment for your pet. 


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Over the counter products & Advance Premium pet food

We stock a wide range of products for parasite control, shampoos and conditioners, home dental care plus a range of Australian-made Advance Premium quality pet foods and treats and a selection of accessories such as collars, leads, harnesses and toys.

Our qualified Veterinary Nurses together with well trained and experienced Reception staff are able to assist you with advice on internal and external parasite control, dietary needs, including weight control, feeding of younger and older pets, skin care, de-sexing and a myriad of other pet related problems. We welcome questions and our friendly staff are always happy to advise you.


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Dispensary and repeat prescriptions

We have a well-stocked on-site dispensary to provide most of the medications your pet might require. We can usually ensure any other drugs are available within 24 hours via express courier if they are required urgently.

If your pet requires a repeat prescription for a particular medication we ask that you contact us at least 24 hours prior to running out of your current medication.
This allows time for your request to be checked and authorised by one of our Vets and to ensure that we have it in stock. In order for us to re-prescribe medications, your pet must have been examined by a Vet within the last 6 months and all repeat prescriptions are at the discretion of the Vet.

Weight management program

Is your pet a little on the heavy side? Did you know that 41% of Australia’s household dogs and 32% of household cats are either overweight or obese! These numbers are staggering and are continuing to rise, so our dedicated team of Vets and Nurses is here to help your pets lose those extra kilos.
 
We use prescription foods as these are specially formulated to be lower in calories while supplying all other nutrients in the correct amount. Feeding regular foods but reducing the quantity can result in nutrient deficiencies. Many Veterinary diet foods are formulated to make your pets feel full longer, so that they do not beg or scavenge.

Our Nurses will calculate your pet’s required weight loss and then work out a feeding plan that will give safe and steady weight loss, using a prescription diet food.
The Nurse will offer you hints and tips on how to make the process as easy as possible for both you and your pet. We have weigh-ins every two weeks to monitor progress, reassess feeding and offer encouragement.

Your pets rely on you for everything in life and keeping them slim and healthy is one of the most important things that you do for them. If you are concerned about your pet after looking at its body condition score, please call us and make an appointment to see one of our helpful nurses.

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Senior pet program

As animals get older, they, like us, begin to develop illnesses associated with ageing such as kidney failure, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and cancer. These usually develop gradually so that very often our pets show no warning signs until the problem is well advanced. We consider dogs to be senior from the age of 7 and cats from the age of 10. We all want our pets to live happy, good quality lives in their later years.

You know your pet better than anyone else and can alert us to any changes before they become serious. Together we can help your pet. Early detection and intervention leads to a lifetime of good health. New knowledge and treatments mean that many age-related conditions can often be treated quite easily, as long as we notice them early on. This can help add years to your pet’s life, and importantly, give them the quality of life they deserve.

In order to gain greater insight into your pet’s health, we advise regular check-ups every 6 months which include a Geriatric Health Profile. This profile provides valuable information on the function of your pet’s kidneys, liver, diabetic status, as well as inflammatory processes and anaemia. We then have the opportunity to identify problems that may need medical treatment. In addition, it makes it safer to dispense medication that your pet may require as he/she ages, such as anti-inflammatory drugs to aid with the relief of pain from arthritis.


Pets that are coming in every 6 months on the Senior Pet Program will receive 20% discount on these check-ups. Call us on 8983 2838 to make an appointment.

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