Our Winter Opening Hours will take effect as of Tuesday 2nd April

Our Winter Hours are:

Monday to Friday 8am-6pm

Saturday 9am-5pm.

Appointments can be made by call 02 43928822

We will also be closed Wednesday 25th April ANZAC DAY.

For Emergencies during our closed periods, please call our friends at SASH at Tuggerah on 43111399

It's not only blood tests that give us an insight into the health of your pet. Testing your pet's urine is another essential part of good veterinary medicine.

Did you know that a small amount of urine can give us information about your pet's internal health, and rule out problems such as kidney disease and diabetes?

As part of a routine urine test, we usually test how concentrated your pets urine is. This gives us an idea of how well your pet's kidneys are working. We may also test for the presence of blood, look at pH, protein levels and glucose and even spin the urine down to form a sediment to look for bacteria and crystals. Sometimes it is necessary to send your pet's urine to an external laboratory for testing (such as for deciding what antibiotics are appropriate if a bacterial infection is present.)

Collecting urine at home can be a bit overwhelming and we will be able to advise you on the most suitable technique for your pet. If you don't succeed at home we routinely collect urine from pets using a very small needle (a painless and quick procedure.) This routine procedure is called a cystocentesis and is necessary if we need to collect urine without contamination.

We will advise you if your pet needs an urinary test but remember, if you think your pet's urination habits have changed it is best to phone us for advice.

Jackson the cat came in for a check up. He had been drinking copious amounts of water over the past month and even though he usually had an excellent appetite, he was looking 'a bit skinny.'

Examination revealed that Jackson was dehydrated and had lost nearly 20% of his body weight in just three months! A blood test indicated he had high blood sugar levels (glucose) and a urine test confirmed the presence of glucose in his urine. A diagnosis of diabetes was made.

The urine test also confirmed the presence of ketones, signalling that Jackson was in 'ketosis', a potentially life threatening condition that can occur when the body can no longer cope with the disease.

Diabetes is an 'endocrine' disease where the body fails to produce enough insulin to help move sugar from the blood stream in to the cells for energy. It is similar to type 1 diabetes in people as patients generally require the administration of insulin once or twice daily.

The four main signs to watch out for:

1. Increased appetite, but with ...
2. Weight loss
3. Increased thirst
4. Increased urination

Jackson was admitted to hospital for intensive care. He was placed on an intravenous drip and insulin therapy in the form of injections was commenced. Thankfully he responded quickly and started to improve overnight.

Management of diabetes is life-long and involves regular blood tests and monitoring. Some cats can go in to remission if diet and weight are managed correctly. Dogs usually require insulin treatment for life. Some patients do not respond as we would expect so further investigation in to other diseases sometimes needs to be considered.

If you notice any changes to your pet’s daily habits such as a change in appetite or thirst, it’s a good idea to arrange a check up with us as soon as possible as there are many endocrine diseases that can present with similar signs.