FAQ

Yes, our veterinary team generally consult on an appointment basis in order to ensure you & your pet are not kept waiting for too long when you arrive. To make an appointment call us on 9497 1547, or book online here.

However, we understand that emergencies do happen, and an appointment is not required if your pet requires emergency attention. In this situation, please come straight down to the hospital with your pet and, if possible, please call the hospital when you are on your way in order to allow us to be prepared for you & your pet’s arrival.

Yes! We have a large well equipped grooming area to ensure your pets are groomed to perfection by our experienced groomers. We also have a fully equipped hydrobath and commercial dryers to keep your pet’s skin healthy and their coat shiny and clean. We can also treat for fleas and specific skin conditions and use fresh warm water for each bath to ensure no cross infections.

Our friendly and experienced dog groomers are available Monday to Friday, as well as some Saturdays. Please call us on 9497 1547 today to book your grooming appointment!

Yes! Here at Railway Avenue Veterinary Hospital we offer both short and longer term cat boarding at our dedicated in hospital facility.

We have a modern, luxurious, air-conditioned indoor boarding facility for cats with individual three level units providing space and comfort for your pet whilst you are away. We also have the option of a two-cat unit for cats that are happier staying together. We understand the anxiety you may feel leaving your pet behind whilst you are on holiday so we make sure your pet’s stay with us is as relaxing and enjoyable as can be, with plenty of attention and cuddles from our experienced veterinary nurses.

Prior to boarding with us, we require your cat to be up to date with their vaccinations & flea treatment, which we can provide for you at the time of boarding.

Please call us on 9497 1547 today to either book your friendly feline in for their next stay with us, or to discuss any further queries you may have regarding our cat boarding services.

Your puppy will require a course of 3 vaccinations, 3 – 4 weeks apart, followed by a yearly booster vaccination and health check for the life of your pet.

1. First Vaccination: 6 – 8 weeks of age
2. Second Vaccination: 10 – 12 weeks of age

Third Vaccination: 14 – 16 weeks of age

These vaccinations help to prevent against several diseases, including canine parvovirus, canine distemper virus, canine hepatitis, and canine cough (commonly called kennel cough), along with allowing us to provide a full and thorough physical examination & health check of your puppy.

Your kitten will require a course of 3 vaccinations, 3 – 4 weeks apart, with an additional vaccine if your cat requires the FIV vaccination.

1. First Vaccination: 8 weeks of age
2. Second Vaccination: 10 – 12 weeks of age
3. Third Vaccination: 14 – 16 weeks of age

Following the initial kitten vaccination course, your cat will require a yearly booster vaccination and health check for the life of your pet.

Your kitten will be vaccinated against a variety of diseases, including Feline enteritis virus (Panleucopenia virus), 3 different causes of ‘cat flu’ (feline herpesvirus, feline calicivirus, and Chlamydophila felis), Feline leukaemia virus and Feline Immunodeficiency virus.

Whether you have an indoor or outdoor cat, our veterinarians will be able to discuss with you the best course of vaccinations necessary to suit your cat’s needs.

As a general rule, your puppy can go out into public 10 days after completing their full puppy vaccination course. We recommend puppy pre-school classes, which your puppy can attend following its first vaccination.

Roundworm, hookworm, whipworm and tapeworm are the most common intestinal worms that affect dogs in Australia. Intestinal worm infestations can result in a loss of appetite, weight loss, vomiting, diarrhoea, and in severe infestations, can be life threatening.

As puppies are more prone to picking up intestinal worms, we recommend that they are wormed with an all-wormer at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks of age, then every month until 6 months of age and then every 3 months ongoing.

Some of the monthly flea and heartworm preventatives, such as Nexgard Spectra and Advocate also treat for intestinal worms. If your dog is on one of these products then this should be continued monthly.

Fleas are a very common parasite in both dogs and cats. If there are fleas in your pet’s environment they will find a way to get onto their coat, with dogs and cats able to be infected with each other’s fleas. Flea burdens can cause severe irritation and dermatitis to your pet’s skin, can transmit a species of tapeworm, and cases of severe flea burdens can cause anaemia. Fortunately, fleas can be easily prevented, with many available monthly topical or oral preventatives.

We highly recommend ongoing monthly flea prevention. Please feel free to contact us on 9497 1547 to discuss any of your parasiticide queries or concerns with one of our friendly and experienced team members today.

Heartworm is a parasite that lives within the arteries of the lungs as well as the chambers of a pet’s heart. The juvenile stages of heartworm, called microfilariae, live in the blood of an infected animal, and are transmitted by mosquitoes. As the effects of heartworm infection can be life threatening, we recommend ongoing heartworm prevention for the life of your pet. This can be done by either using a monthly topical or oral product, many of which also prevent fleas and gastrointestinal worms, or by using the yearly heartworm injection Proheart.

Please call us today on 9497 1547 to discuss the best option for your pet!

A microchip is a permanent form of identification that helps us to reunite you with your pet if they ever go missing. The microchip itself is about the size of a grain of rice, and is injected under your pet’s skin and contains a code that is unique to your pet. This code is then entered & stored into a nationwide secure internet database.

Should your pet ever go missing and be brought to a veterinary hospital or pound facility they will then be scanned for a microchip and your pet’s details searched for in the database. This then means that we will be able to identify your pet, contact the owner, and you & your pet can be reunited!

We recommend that all puppies are microchipped at one of their puppy vaccinations. We can however microchip your pet at any time that’s convenient to you.

Current local dog laws require all dogs to be microchipped by 12 weeks of age, and all cats to be microchipped and desexed by 6 months of age.

Desexing prevents unwanted pregnancies as well as having many health benefits. We recommend desexing at 6 months of age.

Aside from preventing unwanted pregnancies, other known health benefits of desexing are:
Benefits of desexing males:

• Reduces the risk of prostate infections
• Prevents testicular cancer
• Can assist in reducing territorial aggression, marking, and roaming behaviours

Benefits of desexing females:

• Reduces the risk of breast cancer, especially if performed before the 1st heat/season
• Prevents ovarian and uterine cancer
• Prevents uterine infections (pyometra), which can be life threatening
• Can help reduce roaming behaviours