Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need an appointment?
Yes, appointments are preferred and take priority over walk-ins unless it’s an emergency.
What forms of payment do you accept?
We accept cash, Mastercard and Visa
Do you board pets?
We have the facility to board cats for bona-fide clients on a short-term basis, particularly for those requiring medication.
At what age can I have my pet spayed or neutered?
We recommend at 6 months. Any earlier they are more of an anaesthetic risk. Any later and the females could have their first “season” which significantly increases the risk of mammary tumours later in life.
Is heartworm something to worry about
Yes. Heartworm is endemic to South East Queensland. It is transmitted by mosquitos so all dogs can potentially be exposed. Prevention is as simple as a yearly injection (highly recommended as provides good compliance combined with a reminder from us when due again). Or, alternatively, a monthly tablet on-going.
I have an emergency....
During clinic hours, an emergency will always take priority.
Emergency after-hours
Please call the surgery on 54474569. The answering machine will provide available options.
- Dr Peter Rickford when available
- The Noosa after-hours emergency service
- An independent after-hours service open from 6 pm to 8 am weeknights and all weekends and public holidays. Vets and nurses are in attendance during these hours and all records are referred back to the regular vet. Phone 54306900.
Microchipping
About the size of a rice grain and injected under the skin, this can be done during puppy vaccination or at time of desexing. It’s not a tracking device as some people think. It’s a barcode which can be scanned and stored in a central registry and is linked to the owner’s contact details. Brilliant for relocating lost pets and combined with desexing significantly reduces council pet registration fees.
Do you offer discounts for bringing multiple pets to your clinic?
- We offer discounts for multiple pets
- We offer discounts on certain services for pensioners
- We offer desexing discounts for applicants who meet the requirements of the National Desexing Network (NDN) and other periodic desexing programmes.
I do not have the capability to bring my pet to your clinic, do you make house calls?
We can do house calls by prior arrangement.
We just found a stray pet, what do we do?
If you’ve found a dog or cat roaming, we can scan it for microchip ID and help you get it back to the owner.
Paralysis ticks
Endemic in coastal Queensland, particularly rife in any bush or long grass (bandicoots are the primary host). Released in 2015, there are two highly recommended preventatives with a 99% efficiency against paralysis ticks.
- Nexguard (which also does fleas) – monthly
- Bravecto (which also does fleas) – every three months
Early symptoms can include gagging, vomiting, with progression to difficulty walking and respiratory distress, and if untreated, often causes death.
If you are at all suspicious of your dog/cat’s behaviour, call us immediately.