Free nursing consultations

Small Friends Veterinary Hospital is now offering free nursing consultations.

Our friendly nurses Kristine and Tara will be available for free dental checks on weekdays during our morning consultation period (8:30am – 11:00am). If your small friend has bad breath, discoloured teeth or perhaps is showing signs of discomfort whilst eating, a free dental check would be a great first course of action.

Kristine and Tara are also available during our morning consultation period for free weight clinics. Like humans, our small friends can put on some unwanted weight at times and being overweight can lead to a wide range of preventable medical problems. It is important to recognise any weight gain as early as possible and start on the right road to a healthy weight.  During the weight clinic our nurses will work with you to determine what your small friend's ideal weight is, how to achieve this weight sensibly and successfully, and how to maintain a healthy weight for life.

To ensure Small Friends Veterinary Hospital continues to offer our high standard of veterinary care it is essential that all small friends wishing to attend a free weight clinic with our nurses, first be seen in a veterinary consultation with one of our vets, Dr Matt or Dr Hao. This will ensure there are no medical reasons for weight gain which need to be addressed before commencing the weight clinic.

Our very first weight clinic small friends were Humphrey Roscoe and Fergie Marron. Humphrey and Fergie's human friends Penny and Marie have written about their experiences at the Small Friends Veterinary Hospital Weight Clinic.

When and how did you realise Humphrey had a weight issue?
Humphrey has had a few operations on his back legs and we realised Humphrey had a weight issue when we walked him and he would then often limp for days afterwards.  He also seemed to not be able to go on walks with out frothing and lots of saliva at the mouth and his snoring was getting louder. This was at its worst about December 08

How did you find out about Small Friends Veterinary Hospital's Weight Clinic?
When Humphrey went for his annual vaccinations in December 08, Dr Matt told me about the Weight Clinic.

What did Humphrey think of the weight clinic visits?
Humphrey liked going to the weight clinic because it was a chance to see new people and animals and receive lots of pats

What did you think of the weight clinic visits?
Very informative and helpful.

Was the advice given in the weight clinic visits easy to implement at home?
The advice given was clear and concise.  However it was difficult at first to implement at home, only giving him the small amounts of food, I felt guilty.  However after a couple of weeks he became accustomed to the amounts he was allowed to have and now it’s just routine for him.

What was Humphrey's starting weight?
14.5kg, 64cm Thoracic Circumference & 56.5cm Abdominal Circumference.

What is Humphrey's current weight?
12.5kg, 57cm Thoracic Circumference & 45cm Abdominal Circumference.
(Note from Editor: That is a whopping 14% weight loss!)

How has Humphrey's life changed since losing weight?
Humphrey has more energy, we can walk him everyday and he doesn’t limp afterwards. Although he stills snores it’s not nearly as loud as it used to be.

How has your relationship with Humphrey changed since his weight loss?
Humphrey and my relationship is the same, very loving and lots of cuddles.  Although the weight loss has benefited both of us as we can walk quicker and a lot further. 

Any other comments?
Thank you for starting this clinic.  Humphrey is like a new dog and we hope will be with us a lot longer now that he is slim and trim.  I recommend it to anyone whose dog or cat is overweight.

When and how did you realise Fergie had a weight issue?
On her visit to see Dr Hao.

How did you find out about Small Friends Veterinary Hospital's Weight Clinic?
We were advised of the clinic at the time of our visit to Dr Hao.

What did Fergie think of the weight clinic visits?
She enjoyed her visits.

What did you think of the weight clinic visits?
Very good advice given to get Fergie's weight down.

Was the advice given in the weight clinic visits easy to implement at home?
The advice was very easy to implement.

What was Fergie's starting weight?
8.3kg

What is Fergie's current weight?
7.1kg
(Editor's Note: That is also an impressive 14% weight loss!)

How has Fergie's life changed since losing weight?
She has more energy.

How has your relationship with Fergie changed since her weight loss?
It hasn’t changed except she doesn't get the treats. 

Any other comments?
Very good program.

Well done to both Humphrey and Penny and Fergie and Marie.