Veterinary Care
Tuggeranong Veterinary Hospital has served our community for over thirty years. Together, our professional and caring team continue to offer an extensive range of quality veterinary services to cater for all your pet’s needs.
We can help you take a proactive approach to maximise your pet’s quality of life and to ensure any issues are caught and treated early.
Our Services
Tuggeranong Veterinary Hospital offers consultations by appointment, please refer to our hours of operation.
TVH is closed for consultations on Sunday, but we have Veterinarians and Nurses on duty to care for inpatients and outpatients.
Tuggeranong Veterinary Hospital offers three types of consultations to meet the needs of our patients.
A Standard Consultation is available for pet owners to raise specific concerns about their pet’s health with their Veterinarian and includes a general health check.
TVH also offers an Annual Health Check which includes general health check and advice on preventative health care measures.
Progress Examinations are provided at a reduced fee basis with a focus on the ongoing care of a specific problem.
At Tuggeranong Veterinary Hospital, we work in partnership with our clients. We understand the importance of listening to our clients in order to achieve the best outcomes for their pets. Let us know what you need.
Pets can experience pain when suffering with poor oral hygiene. There are two main reasons for a Veterinarian to recommend a dental procedure.
One of those reasons is Periodontal Disease. Bacteria accumulates at the junction of the gum and tooth. Over time plaque, tartar and gingivitis erode the tooth ligaments and can cause tooth loss. Common signs include bad breath, loose teeth and gum recession. Under anesthesia the Veterinarian can scale the plaque and tartar (including the tartar under the gum line) and polish the tooth.
Another reason is tooth extraction. This may be necessary due to severe periodontal disease, broken tooth, tooth root abscessation, retained milk teeth and poorly positioned teeth. Cats can suffer from a painful condition known as “resorptive lesions”.
Tuggeranong Veterinary Hospital uses the same methods and machines as they use for people, the main difference being that the procedure is always performed under a general anesthetic. Dental procedures in pets involve ultrasonic scaling, subgingival manual scaling, tooth removal if necessary and polishing. At TVH we use a combination of pain relief techniques including local anesthesia.
Mouth x-rays are a standard with human dentistry however it is even more important with animals as they cannot tell us where it hurts. Often major unknown issues are discovered through the use of dental radiology.
If you have concerns about your pet’s oral hygiene, talk to one of our Veterinarians.
For further information please refer to our article Dental care for your pet.
Tuggeranong Veterinary Hospital offers castration and spaying for dogs, cats and pocket pets. Castration involves removing the testicles and spaying removes the ovaries and uterus.
It is a requirement in the ACT that by the age of six months both cats and dogs have been surgically sterilised.
Your Veterinarian will discuss desexing with you at a puppy / kitten vaccination.
For more information about anesthesia and pain management please refer to Surgery listed under Veterinary Care.
All x-rays at Tuggeranong Veterinary Hospital are fully digital. Digital x-rays provide high quality images for accurate diagnosis with less radiation exposure.
Increased dynamic range enables multiple thickness to be inspected in one shot. Images can be analysed digitally after being taken to pick up on even smaller changes. Images can also be shared with specialists if necessary. By request TVH can email clients a copy of their pet’s images.
TVH also offers Ultrasound and Echocardiogram services. TVH has a Mindray M9Vet premium ultrasound, capable of performing high-end abdominal and echocardiographic (heart / cardiac) scans. Dr Ben also has extensive training in ultrasound with a Graduate Certificate in Small Animal Abdominal Ultrasound from the University of Melbourne. Dr Ben uses his experience to train TVH Veterinarians.
Ultrasound makes a huge difference in diagnosing hidden disease conditions which is so important as patients cannot say where it hurts. At TVH heart ultrasounds (called echocardiograms or echo’s) are a powerful tool to diagnose and monitor heart failure.
Endoscopy is used by TVH to investigate gastrointestinal complaints of the esophagus, stomach, duodenum and colon. TVH also has a rigid scope for nasal complaints.
At TVH we understand how heartbreaking it can be to lose a pet and the difficult decisions and discussion around humane end of life options.
If you are considering “whether it was time” for euthanasia please view this helpful link on constructing a “quality of life scale” (Original concept, Oncology Outlook, by Dr. Alice Villalobos). It looks at various aspects of pain, appetite, toileting habits, happiness, mobility and whether your pets still enjoys more good days than bad.
Euthanasia is a kind option that is painless and occurs quickly with an overdose of a powerful anesthetic agent so your pet doesn’t know what is happening.
You can remain with your pet if you wish, or we can come to the house by special arrangement.
Aftercare for cremation can be arranged by us or burial at home or transfer to the council for burial according to your wishes.
We will provide you with a special card with your pet’s paw and / or nose print plus a copy of The Pets Prayer.
When a new kitten has joined your household, be prepared to experience a whole range of emotions: joy, frustration, happiness, annoyance but most of all pleasure. There is nothing quite like sitting with a warm, sleeping body curled up in your arms or having a game with a curious newcomer.
Your new kitten will need to be vaccinated against a number of different diseases from an early age. These diseases can be easily prevented with a safe and effective vaccination- the F3.
Your kitten needs a vaccination at 6-8 weeks, at 12 weeks and finally at 16 weeks of age to maximise the effectiveness of the vaccination. Vaccinations need to be repeated annually for life to ensure continued coverage against infection.
Kittens are especially susceptible to a number of different intestinal worms. We recommend fortnightly worming up until 12 weeks of age.
Fleas are often a problem in multi-pet households, especially when one or more of the animals have access to outdoors. Flea prevention can be as easy as a once-monthly topical spot-on, applied to the back of your pet’s neck
Kittens have very particular nutritional requirements for the first 12 months of life. For more information see Your New Kitten in Pet Health.
Tuggeranong Veterinary Hospital provides onsite laboratory services including haematology, biochemistry, electrolytes, blood gases and SNAPshot hormone analyzers. Also included is on site microscopy for parasite screens, lump cancer check, ear swabs and urinalysis.
On site laboratory services make a huge difference to speeding up the diagnosis and monitoring of ongoing care.
TVH also refers to the expertise of external pathologists for an extensive list of tests with a 24-72 hour turn around.
Microchipping provides the ability for your pet to be identified and reunited with you should they go missing.
By law in the ACT, dogs and cats are required to have a microchip.
The procedure only takes seconds which will last the lifetime of your pet.
A microchip is about the size of a grain of rice and is injected under the skin by your Veterinarian.
The chip contains your pets registered details that can be traced by those registered to operate a microchip scanner i.e. Veterinary clinics, RSPCA and Domestic Animals Services.
Your details listed on the microchip remain private, they are not provided to the public.
Tuggeranong Veterinary Hospital recommends having your dog on prevention against paralysis ticks at least for the warmer months of the year, even if you are not planning to take your dog to the coast, or travel to the coast yourself. New long-acting chewable tablets provide the most reliable prevention. Prevention against ticks is much safer and cheaper than having to treat tick paralysis once signs appear.
Although fleas are less commonly seen in Canberra due to our cold winters and dry summers this really means they are just harder to find. Ask us for the best advice on flea prevention.
We can give you the best advice on preventing intestinal worms. Puppies and kittens require a more frequent worming schedule. Older dogs and cats should be wormed every 3 months. Spot on treatments are available for cats and chewables are available for hard to pill dogs.
Talk to your vet about preventative heartworm options including a yearly injection or monthly tablets, chews or spot ons.
Tuggeranong Veterinary Hospital has a fully stocked pharmacy to meet your pets’ medical needs. We also can specially order medications or provide prescriptions to compounding chemists for hard to come by medications or specially formulated for difficult to pill pets.
Prescription diets are specifically targeted for health problems. Tuggeranong Veterinary Hospital currently stocks Hills, Advance and Royal Canin. If an item is not in stock, we will happily order it for you.
A new puppy has joined your household. Be prepared to experience a whole range of emotions: joy, frustration, happiness, annoyance but most of all pleasure. There is nothing quite like sitting with a warm, sleeping body curled up in your arms or having a game with a curious newcomer.
Your puppy needs will include:
A vaccination at 6-8 weeks, at 12 weeks and finally at 16 weeks of age to maximise the effectiveness of the vaccination.
If your puppy is likely to go into boarding kennels, or to obedience training, it’s a good idea to consider upgrading to a C5 which includes coverage against parainfluenza virus and bordatella – both causes of Kennel Cough. This can be done at 12 weeks of age.
Puppies need to be wormed more regularly than adult dogs. We recommend fortnightly worming up until 12 weeks of age.
Puppies require heartworm prevention from 6 months of age with the SR-12 injection (lasts 9 months for the first injection, then 12 months for subsequent injections). Alternatively, a monthly heartworm tablet is available from 12 f age. We also offer products that combine protection against heartworm and intestinal worms in a monthly tablet or spot-on treatment.
Puppies have very particular nutritional requirements for the first 12 months of life. For more information please see Your New Puppy on our Health Page.
At Tuggeranong Veterinary Hospital we understand the importance of specialised care for the senior pet members of your household.
For older pets we focus on:
- Thorough physical examination
- Special blood screening
- Special consideration for surgery and general anesthesia
- Pain Management
- Palliative Care
- Please see Euthanasia and end of life decisions listed under Veterinary Care
We practice a high level of care with the goal of enhancing the wellbeing and maintaining quality of life.
At Tuggeranong Veterinary Hospital your pet’s safety while under anesthesia and pain relief is of paramount importance. Your pet will have an individualised anesthetic and pain management plan. All patients admitted to hospital are assessed for anxiety and receive calmative medication if necessary.
All surgery patients will receive pain relief medication upon hospital discharge. Tuggeranong Veterinary Hospital offers a comprehensive surgical list of over 50 different procedures undertaken on site. We will always discuss referral with you when specialist care is required. Our patients stay cozy and warm during and after anesthesia thanks to heated wards, snug fluffy blankets, heated surgery tables, a heated anesthetic circuit for long dentals and Darvell warm air blankets. A dedicated nurse stays with each anesthetised patient for close monitoring, detailed record keeping, fluid therapy, pain relief and postoperative snuggles.
Equipment available includes automated intravenous drip pumps, doppler blood pressure, oxygen saturation and heart rate monitors, capnography (expired end tidal carbon dioxide), apnoea alert and syringe drivers.
All vaccinations include a thorough history evaluation, full physical examination and discussion of preventative care. It’s a good time for us to listen to you and find out how your loved pet has fared over the last year.
We vaccinate dogs and cats according to the World Small Animal Veterinary Association Guidelines.
This means all adult dogs are covered for the 3 core diseases: Parvovirus, Infectious Hepatitis and Distemper at least every 3 years. Non-core vaccinations available are Kennel Cough (Bordetella and Parainfluenza) and Leptospirosis. Kennel Cough vaccinations are recommended for dogs with close contact to other dogs such as dog parks, doggie daycare, obedience clubs and boarding kennels. Leptospirosis is recommended only if you visit at-risk areas such as Sydney, dairy farms or such places where contamination by rat urine may have occurred.
Adult cats are recommended to be covered every year for the 3 core diseases: Panleukopenia, Calicivirus and Herpesvirus. Cats are especially at risk if they are boarded at a cattery.
An additional vaccination is available for Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. Cats are particularly at risk if they fight with other cats.
Please see Your New Puppy and Your New Kitten in our Health Pages to view their special vaccination schedule.
