Services

Surgery

VetVan uses the latest surgical techniques, anaesthesia, and pain medication. VetVan provides a range of surgical services, including speys, castrations, dew claw removals, tumour removal, fight wound cleaning and repair, skin and lump biopsy and soft tissue surgery such as third eyelid prolapse surgery and skin fold surgery.

For all surgery cases VetVan can provide a range of pre-anaesthetic blood tests to screen your pet’s health before surgery. Each surgery case has a sterile kit, drapes, gloves and gowns and a dedicated theatre nurse who monitors your pet’s heart rate, respiratory rate and temperature during surgery. Soft dry beds and heating pads help keep your pet comfortable during recovery.

All surgery is performed on Friday (although more urgent cases can be attended to on other days) and most patients go home the same day. A pet pick up and drop home service is provided for all clients.

Preventative Care

VetVan helps you maintain the best health for your companion.

For all pets, VetVan recommends a comprehensive annual physical exam that includes examination of the mouth and teeth, eyes and eyesight, coat and skin, joints and muscles, heart, lungs and lymph nodes. VetVan will also recommend any vaccines that are required.

VetVan urges dog and cat owners to use heartworm preventives year-round. Mosquitoes can transmit heartworm disease with one bite. In South East Queensland, mosquitoes are active 12 months a year. Our veterinarian, Andrew Parker can prescribe heartworm preventives that also protect against intestinal parasites (very important if pet owners also have young children). Brisbane pets have a high incidence of tick paralysis and VetVan is happy to provide a range of prevention methods for this serious health problem for pets.

Fleas can cause itching, inflammation and infection in the skin. Our veterinarian can prescribe once monthly preventives that kill both ticks and fleas and provide ongoing protection. VetVan recommends year-round application.

Diagnostics

VetVan offers a full cytology service at the convenience of your home. As part of the diagnosis of lumps or skin and ear disease, samples can be taken from your pet, stained with special stains and viewed at 1000 times magnification using a high powered microscope in the VetVan. Results are immediate. VetVan also has access to sophisticated diagnostic equipment that is used to accurately assess your pet’s health. Based on your pet’s needs, diagnostic tests or procedures might be recommended. VetVan offers cytology, radiology (x-rays) and a full-service lab for testing blood, urine, and faecal samples as well as screening for heartworm disease, feline leukaemia and feline immunodeficiency virus.

Hospitalisation

Sometimes when we are very ill we need to visit a hospital for treatment, this is the same for our pets. If your pet is seriously ill, VetVan can provide a hospital service. Hospital care includes:

• twice daily complete health exams by the veterinarian, Andrew Parker
• numerous toilet walks
• litter changes whenever soiled
• coat brushing, grooming or cleaning as required during the stay
• regular daily monitoring of all bodily functions
• dry clean beds with heating pads or air conditioning
• formulation and application of all treatments

When a pet is hospitalised it is a stressful time for the pet and the owner. VetVan’s commitment is to monitor and treat hospitalised pets with care and gentleness and communicate with clients regularly about the daily assessments, treatments and progress. VetVan offers referrals to specialist veterinary hospitals that provide 24 hour care for pets that require constant supervision or specialist skills.

Dentistry

Poor oral health can cause pain, tooth loss and infection. Bacteria from dental infections enter the blood stream and over time cause disease of the liver, kidneys or heart. Bad breath, yellow tartar and red, swollen gums are signs that your pet needs dental care. VetVan’s services include a professional dental assessment and cleaning while your pet is under anaesthesia. A comprehensive oral examination includes: recording all problems on a dental chart, then hand scaling and ultrasonic scaling to clean above and below the gum line, high-speed polishing to smooth the tooth surface and if there are any damaged or diseased teeth that require extraction, pain relief and local anaesthesia are used to help with recovery.

Home Delivery Service

A huge range of pet care products are available from the supermarket and pet shops. Not all are effective and some are potentially dangerous. Our veterinarian has sorted through these products and has a list of safe, effective products for sale. VetVan stocks a range of the best flea control, tick control, heartworm and worming products as well as prescription food for your pet. Delivery of most items is free and prices are very competitive.