Companion Animal | Levin and Horowhenua Veterinary Centre

Emergency Service

In the event of an emergency during our normal clinic hours, please phone 06 368 2891, or head straight to the clinic. In the event of an emergency after-hours, please phone MUPEC on 0800 738 363.

14 Animal Emergencies that require immediate attention

Any concern about your pet's health warrants, at minimum, a call to your veterinary clinic.

Specialist Referral

We are fortunate to have Massey University Veterinary Teaching Hospital so close to us in Palmerston North, and access to veterinary specialists in a number of fields, including, but not limited to surgery, medicine, critical care, imaging and dentistry. Dermatology, ophthalmic and feline medicine specialists are available at clinics in Palmerston North or Wellington, and a radiologist is able to come to our clinic for specialist ultrasound and echocardiogram. The specialist's expertise complements that of your veterinarian. You may be referred to a veterinary specialist if diagnosing or treating your pet's health problem requires specialized equipment and/or expertise.

X-Ray

With our high quality digital x-ray we are able to take x-rays of your pet to check for many diseases and conditions, including fractures, lung, cardiac and gastrointestinal issues, pregnancy confirmation and more. Most patients will be sedated or anaesthetised in order to get the best quality x-ray possible, with little stress to them. Except in the case of emergency, most x-rays will be scheduled following a veterinary consultation. We can also take digital dental x-rays for a more thorough dental examination of your pet.

Dentals

We have a purpose built dental room, with a wet table, ultrasonic scalar and modern drill, water and air flush, and polishing machine. We can also take digital dental x-rays for a more thorough dental examination of your pet. Most patients will receive local anaesthetic injections when teeth need to be removed - just like you do at the dentist - and go home with antibiotics and pain-relief for several days. Poor dental health is one of the most common problems we see. Our pets can’t brush their own teeth, and they often don’t let us know they are experiencing problems or pain until their dental disease is advanced. That’s why it’s so important to have your pets teeth checked regularly. When we do need to intervene, due to tartar build up, gingivitis or broken teeth for example, it’s not a simple matter. Because animals can’t just open wide, they need to be fully anaesthetised for their dental procedure, placed on IV fluids to support them during the procedure, and just like our surgery patients, they may need to stay the night.

Hospitalisation

We have inside and outside dog kennels, a separate cat room, an isolation ward, and cages in our treatment room for any animals requiring intensive monitoring. We have heated floors, air conditioning, lots of comfy bedding, and everything else needed to make your pet feel as safe and comfortable as possible whilst in the hospital, whether for the day, overnight, or longer. Our experience, qualified and dedicated nurses are at the clinic from first thing in the morning until last thing at night to ensure all patients have a comfortable stay. Critical patients will be checked by the on-duty vet through the night. We welcome owners to visit their pets staying at the clinic. Talk to us about the most suitable time.

Vet Consultations

Keeping good health is all about preventing disease and looking for early signs, so any necessary changes or treatment can be more successful - saving you time, money and stress later on. Did you know that one year in a pet’s life is equivalent to approximately 5-7 human years? A lot can change for your pet in that time. We have three veterinarians consulting from 8am to 5pm Monday to Friday, and two on Saturday mornings. Our veterinarians are available for annual checks, vaccinations, and microchipping, and for any new health or behaviour problem or concern you have about your pet. Our veterinarians are also available for house-calls when appropriate. Please call to make an appointment for a veterinary consult.

Nurse Consultations

The nurses have their own consultation room to ensure your pet is attended to as soon as possible. Free clinics include weight checks, dental checks, flea checks, training advice, dietary advice, suture removal, bereavement support, post-operative checks and advice. Clinics that will incur a fee include microchipping, nail clipping, ear cleaning, dressing changes, sample taking and medication administration. Nurses are available for house-calls when appropriate. Please call to make an appointment for your nurse consultation.

Puppy Preschool

Proper socialisation, combined with positive reinforcement-based training in the context of a group puppy class helps puppies grow into well-adjusted pets. Classes provide critical socialisation time with a variety of people and other puppies. Studies have shown that when owners attend training classes, they are much more likely to keep their pets. Puppy Preschool can help owners develop a stronger bond with their pets, establish realistic expectations of their pets' behaviour, and learn proper techniques to continue training. And it's fun!

Find Out More

Rabbit Vaccinations

Did you know you should vaccinate your rabbit against Rabbit Haemorrhagic Viral Disease (RHVD), otherwise known as Rabbit Calicivirus Disease (RCD) every 12 months? The RHVD virus is highly infectious and usually fatal, affecting wild and domestic rabbits in NZ. This disease can be prevented through vaccination. Rabbits in good health can be vaccinated from ten weeks of age, followed by annual boosters.

Rabbit Vaccination Programme

We can vaccinate your rabbit with Filavac, a vaccine that covers all three strains of RHVD found in NZ. If you join our Rabbit Vaccination Programme, we will ensure your rabbits are vaccinated on time, every year.

Export Certificates

Are you exporting your pet to Australia?

Levin & Horowhenua Vets is approved by MPI to certify dogs and cats being exported to Australia. See our Exporting Your Pet to Australia brochure, and visit the MPI website for more information.

Repeat Prescriptions

Image courtesy of voraorn @ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Please note that we require 24hours notice for repeat prescription requests. We need to make sure that the prescription is always appropriate for your pet, no matter how long they've been on the medication or how many repeats have been authorised previously. We need to know that your pet is responding to their medication how we expect them to, and we care about their welfare. Things may change and we need to know. In order to do that we will ask you a few questions about the medication and your pet before forwarding on the request. It takes time to review the information you have given us, as well as your pet's history and the instructions from the authorising vet. Please allow 24hours for a repeat prescription to be dispensed. In some cases it will not be possible or in your pet's best interest to dispense the medication until your vet has talked to you, or we have seen your pet again.

Surgery

We do a wide range of surgeries, Monday to Friday, including speys and castrations, lump removals, orthopaedic surgeries and many more. Most surgeries are scheduled following a consultation with a veterinarian, although speys and castrates can be booked directly by the client.

Euthanasia

When it's time to say goodbye

There sometimes comes a time in a pet's life where you as their owner have to make the heart-wrenching decision to say goodbye and elect for euthanasia. It may be due to accident, behaviour or an age-related disease. Vets are able to give advice but ultimately it is up to you, as the pet’s caregiver, to make the decision to end their life humanely. Some age related diseases give us time, but in other circumstances an urgent decision is required to prevent further suffering. Your pet’s quality of life is most important, but how do we measure that?

Keep Reading

We know our own pets better than anyone, but it can be difficult to be objective about their quality of life when there is any sort of question around it. Here are some signs that may indicate your pet is suffering or no longer enjoying a good quality of life: Chronic pain that cannot be controlled with medication (your veterinarian can help you determine if your pet is in pain).

No longer eating or will only eat if you force feed them.
Frequent vomiting or diarrhoea causing dehydration and/or significant weight loss.
Incontinence to the degree that they frequently soil themselves.
Loss of interest in all or most of their favourite activities - walks, playing with toys or other pets, eating treats.
Withdrawing from family.
Unable to stand on their own or falls down when trying to walk.
Chronic laboured breathing or coughing.

If you recognise any of these signs in your pet, it is certainly time to have the discussion with your vet. What happens once the decision to euthanase is made? You can arrange for the vet to come to your home or you can bring your pet into the clinic. Most people want to stay with their pet, sometimes with friends or family to support them, but you may want to leave your pet with the vet and remember them the way they were. We try to make the process as calm and stress-free as possible. Your pet may be sedated, and we will place a catheter in their leg. We will inject an anaesthetic drug. Your pet goes unconscious immediately, and very often the heart has stopped before all of the drug has been given. Usually when pets die, their bladder relaxes and they may defecate. They may give some gasps. This is a bodily reflex, but if you’re not prepared it may be unnerving. Dogs and cats do not close their eyes when they die; they stay open even once passed away. You can choose to bury your pet at home, or have them cremated with their ashes returned to you in a cardboard or wooden box. There are many memorial options available, and it may be helpful to create one of your own. Alternatively your clinic can arrange for the ashes to be disposed of. As difficult as it is, it pays to think about these things before you are called on the make the final decision. Discussing options with other family members may also be a good idea.

Microchipping

Levin & Horowhenua Vets strongly recommend that all pets are microchipped. This will significantly increase the chances of your lost pet getting home. A microchip can not fall off, it has no battery to go flat, and it can not be easily removed if your pet has been stolen. In NZ, dogs are required by law, unless they meet exemption criteria, to be microchipped. There is currently no requirement for cats. You can book your pet in for microchipping with a nurse, vet, or during their surgical procedure. There is a reduced fee for microchipping at time of surgery. Please ask us for details. All pets details will be added to the LHVC database. Dogs will be issued with a certificate to be presented to local council as evidence of microchipping. Dogs will be on the local council dog register. We highly recommend registering your pet, especially cats, with the New Zealand Companion Animal Register. This is a national database that can be checked 24/7. Used by over 750 organisations and with over 400,000 NZ pets registered, the (NZCAR) is the largest New Zealand based database for microchipped companion animals. Every day the NZCAR is helping lost pets get home.