Pennine Vets
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
About Pennine Vets
- Where is Pennine Vets?
- We are located just north of Bury in the village of
Tottington. We are on the main road, just down the hill from
the village centre, directly next to the mini-roundabout.
Bury is within easy driving distance of Manchester, Bolton, Blackburn, Rochdale, Wigan & Oldham.See our Maps section of the website for directions. - Who are Pennine Vets?
- Pennine Vets was started in January 2004 by husband-and-wife
vets, Ian & Gillian Mostyn. We are a friendly, family run
practice providing the highest standards of care for all
pets and exotic animals.
We have an extra interest in exotic animals (birds, reptiles & fish) and both our vets have spent time working in zoos around the world. Ian currently has his Certificate in Zoological Medicine, only one of 35 in the UK. Gillian is also working towards this qualification now that she has returned from maternity leave. - What is unique about Pennine Vets?
- Here at Pennine Vets, we strongly believe in three things
- Quality of service
- Quality of life for your pet
- Quality treatment but with value for money
We try to treat every animal as if they were own pet and give you honest advice. Being a family run practice, we pride ourselves on our friendly staff and personal service. Being an central part of village life is important to us and we want to be involved with the community.
Vaccinations
Rabbits can also be vaccinated against Myxomatosis and Viral Haemorrhagic Disease. Further information is available in our rabbit section of the website.
Our chosen vaccine manufacturer, Intervet, continues to spend a lot of time & money on research into the duration of immunity from a vaccination. This has extended the protection for a single Kennel Cough vaccine from 3 months to 12 months and allows us to reduce the number of individual vaccine componants given each year. This ensures that animals are protected but without Pennine Vets strongly recommend that you vaccinate your cat, dog or rabbit and we vaccinate all of our own pets. Further information leaflets are available from the surgery.
Flea & Worm Treatments
- My pet has fleas, how should I treat them?
- As 95% of all fleas are present in your carpet rather than on your pet, a coordinated approach is needed. Pennine Vets advises that you use a product such as Acclaim or Norshield on your carpets and wooden floors. It is important to vacuum the carpets thoroughly before use and wash any bedding if possible. For use to kill any fleas on your pet, we recommend Frontline. Available in a variety of sizes for cats, small, medium, large and giant sized dogs and in packs of 3, 6 or as a spray. This is the flea treatment used by our vets on their own pets. Please ask us at the surgery for more information and prices.
- How often should I treat my pets for fleas?
- You should reapply Frontline drops on your dog every 2 months and reapply every 1 month for a cat. If you are taking your dog into a high tick area (eg Lake District or Yorkshire Dales), you should use Frontline every month to ensure the ticks are killed off before they can cause any illness.
- How often should I treat my pet for worms?
- Current guidelines for worming your cat or dog are based on risk. The risk that your pet will pick up worms and the risk that your pet will pass the worms on to a human. Dogs that scavenge and cats that hunt are at most risk, as are multi-pet households. Roundworms (and to a lesser extent tapeworms) are capable of causing disease in humans, particularly children and pregnant women. As worm eggs can stick to your pets coat, they can easily be transfered by your hands to your mouth unless basic hygiene standards (washing your hands before eating) are followed. This is harder for small children to remember every time.
For high risk pets, we advise that you worm your cat or dog every month. This is because the lifecycle of the worm is 5 weeks long and monthly treatment will kill off the worm before it has a chance to lay its eggs. For lower risk pets, worming should be done at least every two months. If you walk your dog by playgrounds or playing fields you should worm your dog every month to prevent any child catching worms from your dog's faeces, even if you clean up after your dog every time. - What options are available for the wormer? Is it just tablets?
- Modern tablets are now smaller than ever before and most pets will only need one tablet to treat all worms. Only dogs over 25Kg will need two tablets. For most people, this is the best option and is very cost effective. If you have trouble with tablets, we have a few options. For cats, we now have a Spot-on treatment, similar to the many flea drops available. This can be used every month. For both cats & dogs, we have chewy, meat or fish flavoured treats and granules that can be given with food. We can even order in a liquid or flavoured paste to give to your pet. Not being able to give a tablet is no longer an excuse as we can find a worming solution to suit you and your pet. We can even show you how to give a tablet using a tablet giver. Just visit us at the surgery to discuss the best way to worm your pet.
- Cat - Male (Castration)
- Uncastrated male cats have a strong pungent smelling urine and will spread this throughout your house. They are also larger, more aggressive and will often get into fights. Uncastrated males are more likely to wander and be involved in road traffic accidents.A castrated male cat is often the friendliest cat to own. The operation can be done from 6 months old.
- Cat - Female (Spay)
- Female cats mature at about 6 - 8 months old and will come onto heat every 3 weeks. During this they will "call", a very load and distinctive mating cry that will happen all through the day and night for about 5 days. Your cat will also try to escape out of the house and if she finds a male, will usually become pregnant. A single female cat can breed so quickly that she can be responsible for up to 1 million other cats during her lifetime. There are too many unwanted kittens abandoned each year and many stray cats needing a home. The operation can be done from 6 months old.
- Dog - Male (Castration)
- Castrating a male dog is not cruel, they do not need to feel a "whole dog" and they do not need to mate once in their lifetime. An uncastrated, entire male dog is at a high risk of developing prostate problems in later life, will be more aggressive, more difficult to handle and bigger. He is also more likely to escape from your garden and wander the streets. If you are wanting a friendly, easy to handle family pet, our advice is to castrate your dog before one year old, although it is advised at any age. The operation can be done from 6 months old.
- Dog - Female (Bitch Spay)
- A female dog (bitch) does not need to be mated and have one litter of pups. This is an old wives tale. There are too many unwanted puppies in the UK and many thousands are killed each year as they cannot find a home. There are also very good medical reasons. If you spay your dog before she has had 2 seasons, you will vastly reduce the chance of her developing mammary (breast) cancer in later life. Spaying at any age will also stop the dog from having seasons and prevent the bleeding, smell and attractiveness to males that happens during a season. An unspayed dog is also at risk of a pyometra, an often fatal infection of the uterus (womb) that requires expensive, emergency surgery to cure. If your dog has had a phantom (false) pregnancy during her life, the risk of a pyometra is increased and spaying is always recommended. The operation can be done from 6 months old (before the first season) or at any age, two to four months after the last season has finished. This is to make the surgery as safe as possible.
- Rabbit - Female (Spay)
- A female rabbit can be quite aggressive & destructive, particularly in spring. This can turn a docile children's pet into a difficult animal to look after. Rabbits also breed very quickly and can have several litters during a year with 6 - 8 in most litters. Spaying will prevent both of these problems. The other major reason to spay a rabbit is by age 5, approx. 85% of female rabbits develop cancer of the uterus (womb) and this is often fatal despite treatment. Most old rabbits that we see are male for this reason. Spaying at any age will prevent this but is best done from 5 months old.
- Rabbit - Male (Castration)
- A castrated male rabbit is generally a friendly rabbit to own and castrated males usually live happily together. When kept in mixed groups, and to avoid owning a lot more rabbits, it is best to neuter the female for medical reasons. However, if cost is a problem, it is cheaper to castrate the male first and then spay the female at a later date.
- What animals do we treat?
- We see all dogs & cats as first opinion cases for all routine health checks, vaccinations, preventative disease and for your ill or injured cat or dog. We also see all rabbits, ferrets, rodents, birds, reptiles and fish, both as first opinion and referral cases from other veterinary practices. We do not see horses or farm animals but can provide a list of nearby practices that do treat these large animals if needed.
- What do I do if my animal needs treatment in an emergency?
- If the emergency happens during working hours, simply ring the surgery and in a genuine emergency, we will arrange for your pet to be seen straight away. In urgent but non-emergency cases, we will fit you in an appointment as soon as possible to ensure that your pet gets the treatment needed.
For emergencies and urgent cases out of normal working hours, simply call our normal number and listen to the answerphone message. This will give you the mobile number of one of our vets who is on call. We do our own emergency service and you will be seen up at the surgery by one of our own vets. We do not use an outside emergency service as we feel that an emergency is a time of stress for both you and your pet and you will want to see a familiar face in a familiar place. - When do I have to pay for treatment?
- Payment for our services should be made at the end of a consulation or when you collect your pet after surgery or hospitalisation. We do not have accounts except for registered charities. If your pet is insured with certain insurance companies such as Pet Plan or Tesco Insurance, we can claim the money directly from your insurance company. All that we ask is that you bring us in a completed claim form and pay your full excess. This does not apply to all insurance companies as each has its own rules. Ask the vet for more information.
- Payment Methods
- Payment is accepted by cash, cheque (with cheque guarantee card), maestro (formerly switch), solo, visa, mastercard, electron and visa debit. An itemised receipt is always offered
- What if I have problems paying my bill?
- Unfortunately, there is no NHS for pets. However, we realise that their are times when money is tight or an unexpected bill causes problems with the family finanaces. The RSPCA, PDSA & Cats Protection all provide help for people on certain benefits and can help pay towards treatment costs. We accept vouchers from the RSPCA, PDSA PetAid, Cats Protection, Leigh Destitute Animal Shelter & Pets in Need but unfortunately we do not accept vouchers from the Dog's Trust. In a genuine emergency, if you cannot afford the bill, please speak to the vet in confidence before treatment is started.
- Do you give a discount for pensioners / income support?
- We aim to provide a value for money service for all our customers and do not give discounts to any specific group of people. This would be unfair and cause higher prices for everyone else regardless of their family income. We do work closely with a number of charities who supply vouchers towards treatment costs for people on means tested benefits. If you have a specific budget that you need to stick to, please discuss this with your vet before treatment and we will attempt to look after your pet's welfare within your budget.
- Pet Insurance
- Pennine Vets strongly suggests that our clients get their pet's insured to help cover the cost of vets fees. Modern veterinary medicine is very advanced and we can now perform a lot of treatments that were impossible 10 to 15 years ago. Skin problems, arthritis, heart & kidney disease are all long term problems that can cost many hundreds of pounds per year to treat and manage. There are also a number of accidents or serious sudden illnesses that can be very difficult and expensive to treat.
Example Prices of Accidents and Emergencies
- Dog kicked by horse - £1060
- Dog with Leukaemia - £600 to 1200 per year
- Road Traffic Accident - 2 broken bones needing referral - £1000 - 1500
- Large wound needing stitches - £250
These prices are examples of recent cases that have been seen at Pennine Vets in 2005. Pet insurance allows you to pay a few pounds each month and budget for the emergencies and chronic cases. We can then concentrate on providing the best care for your pet without worrying about the cost.
There are 2 types of pet insurance; regular cover and lifetime cover. Here at Pennine Vets we recommend our clients take out a policy that offers lifetime protection against a particular illness. Some policies will place an exclusion on claims starting 12 months after the initial problem. Whilst this is OK for accidents, long term problems such as arthritis, diabetes, skin or heart disease will need treatment for the rest of your pet's life. Companies offering lifetime cover include:
Other companies are available that offer lifetime protection. Due to a change in the law from January 14th 2005, regulation of pet insurance is now done by the Financial Services Authority. This means that we are only able to give detailed advice about Pet Plan policies and only general advice about other company's policies. We are now able to start a Pet Plan pet insurance instantly for your cat, dog or rabbit. If your pet is having a health check, either as a special visit or as part of a vaccination programme, your insurance cover can start instantly without the usual 2 week wait. Pet Plan is also offering 2 months free cover for policies taken out in this way. Ask us at the surgery for more details or to take out a policy instantly.
Neutering
Why should you neuter your pet?
Pennine Vets recommends that you neuter your cat, dog or rabbit for a number of reasons dependent on the species and sex of your pet. Please contact the surgery for more information or see our price list.