Veterinary Nursing Care

Our Services

Complete care, tailored to your pet

As recipients of the highest ‘RCVS Recognised Specialists’ qualification in the UK, a Veterinary Specialist is similar to a consultant. Recognised by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, a referral to a member of our expert team gives you the peace of mind that your pet is in the very best hands.

All our specialists and clinicians are experts in their fields and provide consultations in most disciplines. We offer a full range of clinical services and take a truly multi-disciplinary approach to patient care. We pull together team members from our different services to create a team around every patient. Our aim is to ensure your pet has access to the right care for their individual needs.

Below you can find profiles of all of our clinical services, plus the role our Client Care team plays in ensuring your referral journey runs smoothly.

Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging
On-site advanced imaging and diagnostic testing including x-ray, ultrasound, MRI and CT scanning
During the diagnostic process your pet may need an x-ray or scan. We’re proud to have one of the country’s leading Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging departments, which provides a broad base of expertise in all aspects of this discipline. We also offer a radiographic reporting service for other veterinary practices, which provides a 24-hour turnaround time. This service is a great way for us to link with practices that refer to us and enables us to provide expert opinions before seeing your pet.

Our advanced imaging equipment allows us to investigate any area of the body, ranging from simple chest X-rays to detailed analysis of the brain and spinal cord using our MRI and CT scanners. With ultrasound, we can monitor the way blood flows through the heart and are able to view the internal structure of abdominal organs. This also allows us to take samples of abnormal looking tissue, helping us to reach the right diagnosis as promptly as possible.

Our facilities include:

- Two digital X-ray suites with Wireless D-EVO II detectors

- Two fluoroscopic (moving/real-time X-ray) units (one with digital subtraction for vascular studies)

- Two ultrasound (including colour-flow Doppler) units

- MRI and CT scanners

- Off-site access to nuclear medicine is also available.

Dermatology
Treatment and medicine for your pet’s skin, nails and fur
Your pet may be referred to our dermatology service to investigate and manage a number of skin-related issues including:

- Allergic dermatitis

- Chronic ear disease (including otitis media)

- Polyp management

- Resistant bacterial infections

- Autoimmune and immune-mediated diseases

- Claw disease

- Keratinisation disorders

- Alopecia (hair loss)

- Endocrinopathies (hormonal abnormalities)

- Neoplastic and paraneoplastic skin diseases

If your pet is a Dermatology patient it’s important to remember that the skin may not be the only organ affected by the disease. That’s why other disciplines, such as internal medicine, oncology, ophthalmology, soft tissue or neurology, may be consulted. This mutual investigatory and management plan achieves the best outcome for the patient.

As primary skin and ear diseases are easily accessible, our team are able to fully examine the skin and take surface samples on the day of your pet’s appointment. In many cases a probable diagnosis can be formulated within the consultation which means you and your pet may be able to leave the hospital on the same day, too.

As most skin conditions are of a chronic nature, re-examinations are common. These are usually performed on an outpatient basis, so your pet might be admitted to the hospital for the day, undergo the procedure and leave the hospital later that day. Such specific investigations might include:

- Advanced diagnostic imaging of the external ear canal and middle ears (CT, MRI scan)

- Ear lavage including video-otoscopy

- Myringotomy, investigating middle ear disease including sampling

- Skin allergy tests (intradermal testing)

- Skin biopsies

We are available to your referring vet to discuss cases via phone or email but are unfortunately unable to provide advice direct to owners prior to a first appointment.

Nursing
Our care makes all the difference
At Davies Veterinary Specialists, our philosophy is quite simple: we believe that a strong, passionate, dedicated nursing team should be at the heart of any successful practice.

That’s why we give every single one of our Registered Veterinary Nurses (RVNs) the opportunity to take real responsibility for case management – and create a truly supportive environment, where our nurses always feel empowered to show initiative and perform to their very best.

Our nurses are caring and compassionate, they act as excellent advocates for patients and owners – making sure all our patients receive the highest standard of care, and their recovery is comfortable and smooth.

Our nursing team are a part of every step of your pet’s journey with us, view an example of what ‘Your Pet’s Journey at Davies’ may look like.

Therapy Services
A unique therapy service dedicated to rehabilitating small animals

We launched our therapy service in 2011 and our vision then was simple: to create a unique veterinary rehabilitation service with excellence and quality at its heart… and to be recognised as one of the leading providers of veterinary rehabilitation services in the UK.

Today, nothing has changed – and we remain as passionate and dedicated as ever. Our mission is to treat each and every pet (and their owner) with the utmost care and compassion throughout the entire veterinary process. What else do we focus on: minimising pain, and restoring the animals we treat to their maximum physical and mental wellbeing.

Every member of our team is committed and motivated to working together. To that end, we encourage excellent levels of communication and create a working environment which allows each team member to contribute to their full potential.

We opened our brand new Therapy and Fitness Centre in January 2016, where we are able to offer the following services:

- Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation

- Hydrotherapy

- Splinting Supports and Orthotics

- Pain Management and Acupuncture

We welcome direct referrals from your own vet or you may be referred by a clinical specialist here at Davies Veterinary Specialists.

Visit our Therapy and Fitness Centre website to find out more.

 
Soft Tissue Surgery
Surgical management of parts of the body other than the nervous and musculoskeletal system.

We’re very proud of our highly skilled veterinary Soft Tissue Surgery team. They are extensively trained and experienced in all aspects of their specialised field.

Your pet may be referred directly to the Soft Tissue Surgery team by your general practice vet, or they may be transferred after initial consultation with another specialist team here at the hospital. Following an initial consultation, pets are usually admitted for treatment, although in some cases investigations may be scheduled for admission at a future date.

Soft Tissue Surgery is a varied discipline and includes the majority of surgical procedures that do not fall under the remit of Orthopaedic Surgery. Areas covered include ear, nose and throat, cardiothoracic, hepatic, gastrointestinal, urogenital, skin reconstructive and oncological surgeries.

After any diagnostic or surgical procedures, your pet will stay here at the hospital until our clinicians are fully satisfied with their recovery.

Vet Professionals

Call us on: 01582 883950 or 01582 853878

Email us at: info@vetspecialists.co.uk

Davies Veterinary Specialists, Manor Farm Business Park, Higham Gobion, Herts SG5 3HR

Out of hours emergency number for Referring Vets: 07870 560596