Other Services

Microchipping and Registration

In NSW, cats and dogs must be microchipped by 12 weeks of age or before being sold or given away, whichever happens first. The only exemptions to this requirement is for cats born before 1^st July 1999, working dogs used for tending stock on a rural property or a greyhound currently registered under the Greyhound Racing Act 2009. The microchip is implanted under the skin and is approximately the size of a grain of rice. There is no personal information stored on the chip, only the unique identification number. If your pet becomes lost an authorised identifier can scan your pet’s microchip and access the NSW Companion Animal Register in order to re-unite you with your pet. Therefore it is essential to keep your contact details up to date.

Unless a cat or dog is exempted from registration it must be registered by six months of age. The registration fee is a once-only payment as long as the cat or dog continues to reside in NSW. To encourage owners to desex their cat or dog the registration fee is lower for animals desexed prior to registration. Annual permits are now required for owners of non-desexed cats, restricted dog breeds and dogs declared to be dangerous. For more information about registering your cat or dog in NSW please see Microchipping and Registration - Office of Local Government NSW

Grooming

Dogs

Our groomer, Renee, currently operates on Tuesdays and Thursdays and grooms four to five dogs on each of those days. We require a minimum of a current kennel cough vaccination to admit a dog for grooming. Ideally this vaccination is done prior to the appointment to allow time to generate an adequate immune response.

There are many breeds that require regular grooming for optimal skin and coat health. Renee is able to wash your dog in medicated shampoo and conditioner where appropriate or where a specialty product is not required, Renee uses professional-grade pet shampoo and conditioner. Our grooming service involves a bath, using shampoo and conditioner, blow drying, brushing, clipping of fur and clipping of nails. Our groomer can also perform a general ear-clean/pluck and express anal glands by request. If your pet requires a veterinary examination or treatment, this can be done on the same day, but please be aware that some procedures require clipping that may detract from your dog’s groom. For example, blood collection requires close clipping of the fur over the neck or leg.

We request that dogs for grooming are dropped off between 8:30-9:00am. Please confirm at drop-off the type of groom, best contact number for the day and the requested collection time. Renee does not groom the dogs one at a time but rather washes all the dogs and by the time the last dog is washed, the first dog is dry enough to be clipped. Where dogs are very excitable or nervous, we would recommend the use of calming or relaxing medication prior to the appointment. Medication given during the groom is much less likely to be adequate to allow complete grooming.

Cats

We are also able to groom cats. This is usually done by the nursing staff and depending on the coat and temperament of the cat, may or may not require sedation or an anaesthetic to be performed. It is best to call to discuss with a nurse or vet what may be required to groom your cat.

Boarding

Cats

We have facility to board up to 14 cats. We offer two standards of accommodation. The premium accommodation consists of six custom-made and installed feline habitats. These each have a separate toilet, bedroom and living room area. There is a scratching mat installed in the wall and there is an extraction fan so that good airflow is maintained to each unit. If your pet has a favourite toy there is even a lanyard to hook it up to so they can play while they stay. The eight standard boarding units consist of three open plan levels that your cat can move freely up and down. There is also a door that connects to the adjacent unit which allows two cats from the same household to share space, or during times of low patronage, extra space for your cat. We have a covered outside run that looks over our backyard where your cat can relax while their accommodation is being cleaned and refreshed. We use a Feliway diffusor to minimise any stress your cat may experience in boarding.

We require your cat to be current with their F3 vaccination for the entire duration of their stay. Ideally if they are due just prior to, or during their stay, it is best to have the vaccination done 2 weeks prior to admission to allow time for a full immune response and the best protection during their stay. We also require that cats are current with flea and worming prevention. Please advise on admission if this is required. If there is evidence of flea or flea dirt (flea faeces) on your cat during their stay, then a flea treatment will be applied and added to your invoice. We are able to medicate your boarding cat for an additional fee and geriatric cats may be kept in the hospital ward rather than the boarding ward to allow for closer monitoring. We request that you complete a boarding admission form on arrival and bring evidence of vaccination if done elsewhere. Please check what products you are using for flea and worm prevention and when this was last applied so this can be noted. We request that you provide a contact name and number for your cat’s stay and instructions for any veterinary care that might be required during your pet’s stay. If your cat has particular dietary requirements, you can bring this food with you or purchase a supply from the hospital. The cats are otherwise fed Science Diet dry food and Whiskas tinned food during their stay. Your cat will be weighed on admission and any specific bedding, toys or food provided noted. Boarding is billed per night and there are no additional fees for boarding over public holiday periods.

Dogs

We are currently unable to board dogs due to space and council restrictions. We are a pick-up location for Meadowmist Boarding Kennels and Cattery. We can only accommodate a limited number of dogs in the hospital so we are only able to offer the collection service to existing clients. You can contact Meadowmist to make a booking. If you require a collection from the clinic, please call us so we can note your dog’s details on our schedule and confirm your dog’s vaccination status. Please drop your dog off by 9am and allow a few minutes to complete the Meadowmist paperwork. For more information about dog boarding see the Meadowmist website.

We are also able to provide contact details for local boarding facilities in the area that our clients have used and recommended. Please feel free to contact the reception to discuss your dog’s requirements and we can provide suitable options for you to consider and contact.