As well as minimising the possibility of unwanted puppies or kittens, ‘desexing’ or surgical sterilisation may also significantly reduce the risk of health problems in your pet. At Diamond Valley Vets we recommend and provide desexing procedures for dogs, cats, rabbits and ferrets at our veterinary hospitals in Eltham Central and Montmorency.
Male animals are castrated or neutered, which is the removal of both testicles, whilst female animals are speyed, involving the removal of the ovaries and most of the uterus (an ovariohysterectomy).
Desexing is a day procedure. We recommend 7-10 days of rest and recovery time post operatively. Our nurses will provide you with post-operative instructions on the day of your pets procedure.
Please contact our knowledgeable Team at our Eltham Central and Montmorency Hospitals to discuss whether a desexing procedure is suitable for your pet, or click through the appropriate species for some frequently asked questions, or for further information see the relevant section on our”dog” and “cat” pages.
Our veterinarians expertise and our fully equipped surgical suites allow us to perform the majority of soft tissue surgical procedures and many orthopaedic procedures that your pet may require. We use only the most modern techniques, monitoring equipment and anaesthetic agents to ensure the highest level of safety is provided. Every animal having an anaesthetic or sedation procedure is monitored by both the veterinarian and our qualified veterinary nurses.
Orthopaedic surgery encompasses any surgery that is related to bones or joints. It includes procedures such as cruciate ligament repair, patella (knee cap) luxation repair, fracture (broken bone) repair and even amputations for severe injuries or bone cancer cases.
At Diamond Valley Veterinary Hospitals we offer a wide range of diagnostic facilities and modern in-house equipment that includes blood pathology, microscopy, radiology, ultrasound, ECG, blood pressure monitoring, and endoscopy.
No matter what diagnostics may be required, our Staff will thoroughly explain all recommended options to you to ensure you are comfortable with your pets health plan.
Our hospitals are fully equipped and licensed to take radiographs (x-rays) of your pet. Our veterinarians will discuss your pets case and conduct a thorough physical examination to determine if your pet requires radiographs. Radiographs are a very important tool to help us diagnose diseases in animals, particularly for conditions involving bones, the chest or abdomen. At both of our hospitals we offer modern digital (computerised) radiography. Generally an animal will require sedation or general anaesthesia to take safe and high quality radiographs.
We have several veterinarians on our team with a special interest in ultrasonography who have undertaken further professional training. With our ultrasound machine our veterinarians are able to offer a detailed form of imaging for soft tissue. This is a non invasive method of allowing us to gather more information regarding a diagnosis without the need for surgery. If a highly complex ultrasound is required, we can enlist the aid of a specialist ultrasonographer. In most situations an animal will be lightly sedated for an ultrasound.
Clinical Pathology involves the laboratory evaluation of blood, body fluids or body tissues to identify existing disease. Common laboratory tests include blood chemistries, complete blood counts, blood clotting times, urinalysis, faecal tests, fine needle aspiration, skin scrapings, cultures and infectious disease testing.
Our hospitals are equipped with an in-house laboratory that allows our veterinarians to quickly perform many of these diagnostic tests to achieve an accurate and rapid diagnosis. This is especially important in very ill animals and those requiring immediate or emergency treatment. Some more specialised tests may need to be performed by an external veterinary laboratory.
Our in-house laboratory equipment can provide results within minutes. Specialised external laboratory testing can take more time, depending on the nature of the test being performed. Your veterinarian will give you a more definite time to expect results.
Endoscopy is a procedure that involves an endoscope which is a camera attached to a light source that allows vets to see inside a dog or cat without the need for invasive surgery. Endoscopy can also be used to take small tissue samples for biopsies. An endoscopy is done under a general anaesthetic and can be performed by a vet or veterinary specialist. At Diamond Valley Vet Hospitals we offer flexible endoscopy to assist in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal disease.