Veterinary Services in Cardigan | Small Animals - Priory Vets Cardigan

Emergency 01239 612479

Cardigan Small Animal Surgery 01239 612479

Cardigan Farm & Equine Department 01239 612479

Preseli Surgery 01239 213103

Aberaeron Surgery 01545 571341

Book an Appointment

Our highly skilled team of dedicated veterinary surgeons and nurses work hard to provide the best possible care for all our small animals, 365 days a year, 24/7.

Our small animal surgery in the centre of Cardigan offers state of the art hospital facilities. We also have a surgery in Darkgate Street, Aberaeron and our newest surgery on the High Street in Crymych.

Consultations

We offer morning, afternoon and some evening surgeries during the week at our Cardigan and Preseli surgeries. Saturday morning appointments are also available at our Cardigan surgery. Please phone for an appointment; these can be made in advance, or on the day for genuine emergencies.

Our Aberaeron branch is open weekdays from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm (except Wednesdays 8:30am to 12:00pm). Consultations are available every weekday morning from 9:00am - 10:00am and on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 1:15pm and 2:15pm. Please phone for an appointment.

We have facilities to carry out many surgical procedures. We also offer diagnostic facilities including:

Ultrasound scanning
Endoscopy
Digital X-rays
ECG
Blood pressure monitoring

Laboratory Diagnostics

We have a dedicated in-house lab that enables us to analyse various types of samples and get results rapidly. In some cases however, we may need to send samples to an external laboratory for specialist advice. Our lab work includes the following:

Blood testing - we are able to analyse most blood samples in house, which can give us answers within half an hour. In some cases, we may need to also send of samples to external laboratories for specialist testing, which usually provide results within 36-48 hours.

Microscopy - This can be useful to assess the nature of a lump found on your animal, or to investigate ear disease, for example. This can be done in house, or occasionally we may send samples away for specialist advice.

Urinalysis - This type of test allows us to investigate suspected urinary or systemic disease or to monitor how your pet is responding to medication.

Hospitalisation

At our Cardigan and Preseli surgeries we provide separate kennelling and cattery facilities, so dogs and cats can be kept comfortable but away from one another. We are also able to accommodate other species such as rabbits, guinea pigs and various wildlife species. We can accommodate your pet for as long as is required. Overnight care will be provided by our on-call staff as necessary, the frequency of which will depend on the animal's condition.

Nurse Consultations

We are very proud of our team of qualified veterinary nurses. Your pets will be seen by our nurses for pre- and post-operation examinations as well as dental examinations, among other procedures They also run various specialist clinics for weight control, diabetes, behaviour, physiotherapy, senior pets, puppies, kittens, and rabbits.

Pet Behaviour

Our veterinary nurse Brenda Slade is a Kennel Club Accredited Instructor Scheme Member and has a wealth of knowledge and experience on pet behaviour problems. She runs weekly puppy and dog training classes at Unit 11, Parc Teifi, Cardigan.

Dog and Puppy classes are held every Thursday at Unit 11, Parc Teifi, Cardigan:

Puppies (Under 6 months) - 6:00pm - 6:45pm
Junior Puppies (6 months to a year) - 7:00pm - 7:45pm
Adults (12 months +) - 8:00pm - 8:45pm

All dogs should be fully vaccinated before attending. Please call us to book your place.

Brenda along with a number of our other nurses offer individual behaviour consultations at the surgery or at your home. Following the initial consultation, you will receive a report with an assessment of your pet’s behaviour and recommendations for a treatment plan. On-going telephone support is also offered and follow-up sessions if needed.

Referrals

In some instances we may advise referral for your animal. In these cases specialist expertise and facilities will be required to investigate and treat your animal's condition. We liaise closely with various referral centres and will keep in touch with them whilst they are treating your animal. We will then be able to provide the necessary follow-up care once your animal has been discharged.

Surgical Procedures

We are fully equipped to provide your pets with the best possible care if they have to undergo any surgical procedure. Our nurses are responsible for monitoring the anaesthesia and will be with your pet throughout the procedure and during recovery. They use various monitoring equipment to keep all animals as safe as possible under anaesthesia.

We carry out neutering, laparoscopic spaying (key hole spaying), small surgical procedures and dentistry daily. We also carry out more advanced soft tissue and orthopaedic operations at our Cardigan surgery.

Travelling Abroad With Your Pet

When travelling with your pet dog, cat or ferret abroad, the action you need to take will depend on where you’re travelling to. The general procedure for taking your pet on holiday within the EU (+ Norway and Northern Ireland) is set out below. Please note that Finland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Malta and Norway have slightly different requirements and these are also detailed below.

Travelling within the EU

EU-issued pet passports are still valid and can be used to travel within the EU (+ Norway and Northern Ireland), as long as the rabies vaccination is in date and the animals microchip is working correctly (we can check this in the surgery – book in a nurse consult). A rabies vaccination can be administered when your pet is 12 weeks’ of age of older and lasts for 3 years. If a rabies booster is required it must be given at least 21 days before you travel.

UK pet passports are no longer valid and your pet will need an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) instead to travel within the EU. They will also need an in-date rabies vaccination and working microchip. A rabies vaccination can be administered when your pet is 12 weeks’ of age of older and lasts for 3 years. If a rabies booster is required it must be given at least 21 days before you travel.

Animal Health Certificates must be completed by a vet within 10 days of travelling.

How to book an Animal Health Certificate

Please call or visit us and ask to book your animal in for a health check for an Animal Health Certificate. The consultation must be carried out by a vet within 10 days of travel but please be aware that these slots book up quickly and require a significant amount of vet time to complete the paperwork so we ask that you call us to book in the appointment well in advance of this date.

We will send or give you a form to fill in before your appointment.

The vet will need to see proof of your pet’s rabies vaccination – this can either be from a passport, or history from a previous vets. If your pet received their rabies vaccination at our practice we will already have this proof on our records.

Please do check that the rabies vaccination was given within the last 3 years (if we vaccinated your pet then you can ask us to check their records for you). You must do this well in advance of your travel date, to leave time for the rabies booster to take effect if needed. If a rabies booster is required it must be given at least 21 days before you travel.

Additional requirements for certain countries

There are certain countries that need tapeworm treatment to be administered by the vet within 5 days of travelling. This is a very specific time frame and will need to be done no more than 120 hours before travelling.

Countries requiring tapeworm treatment:

Finland
Ireland
Northern Ireland
Malta
Norway

Please let our reception team know if you are travelling to any of these countries so we can book you in for your AHC/additional tapeworm treatment at the appropriate time.

Travelling outside the EU

Please look online at APHA (Animal & Plant Health Agency) and find out the specific requirements for the country you are travelling to.