Veterinary nurses are very important members of our team at New Malden Vets. They are responsible for the day to day nursing care of hospitalized pets. They set up and monitor fluid therapy and take blood tests and blood pressures. They also assist the veterinary surgeons in the operating theatre and monitor anaesthetics.
In addition our Veterinary Nurses draw on their knowledge and experience to run a number of clinics to help clients with the care of their pets.
Most nurse clinics relate to preventative care and keeping your pet in the ideal condition. Nurse consultations can help your purse as well as your pet, as these clinics are either free of charge or have a reduced fee compared to that of an appointment with a veterinary surgeon!
Below, you can find further details on some of our nurse clinics:
Grooming, nails & anal glands
Nurses can assist with routine manicures of dogs, cats and small pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs. They can also empty anal glands in dogs if recommended by a vet. They can help with grooming issues in dogs and cats, and will advise if any knots and tangles have got to the point where it would be kinder to admit the pet to be sedated or anaesthetised for more major grooming.
Medication help
These clinics are free to attend, except for the cost of any medicine required. Some pets are less keen than others about having their medicines! Nurses can help with administering medications, for example giving worm pills to cats, applying flea spot-ons, and giving ear or eye drops.
'Weigh and worm' clinics
We recommend that growing puppies pop in to us once a month for the nurses to do a weight check and apply the routine advocate monthly dose, and dispense any worming necessary. Puppies who come for these check-ups become very familiar with the surgery and get to know the staff well – they also know who is likely to find them a tasty treat! They then find the whole experience of visiting the vet if they are poorly much less intimidating.
Post-op checks and suture removal (Free)
Many post-op checks are done by qualified nurses, who will check the wound, remove any sutures, and advise on on-going care. If they have any concerns they will ask a vet to take a look.
Nutrition clinics (Free)
Our nurses can advise on prescription diet foods, which range from those designed to help keep a patient’s teeth clean to diets for supporting kidney function or diabetes. They also run ‘weight watchers’ clinics to help those pets who are getting rather too heavy!
Senior Pets
At New Malden Vets, we promote regular health checks for our senior patients. This can be something as simple as a regular weight check, up to blood pressure assessments or blood tests. We may suggest regular fluid therapy using sub cutaneous fluids, which has significantly prolonged the wellbeing and longevity of many of our elderly feline patients.
Many of these procedures are carried out by our nurses, and they get to know our older patients and their owners very well.