Our Services
& Practice Info

If you are concerned or have any questions about anything on this page, please do get in touch with our team who will be happy to assist.

Call ScotVet Ballieston on: 0141 378 6293
Call our ScotVet Sandyhills on: 0141 778 8335

Email Us at info@scotvet.com

Book An Appointment

We Are Available 24/7

Dentistry

The gold standard in home dental care is tooth brushing with a bristle brush daily.

Certain diets and chews can also help. However, these do not get under the gum line the same way tooth brushing does and therefore should be used in conjunction with brushing.

If you are unsure if your brushing is being effective you can bring your pet along to one of our nurses clinics and we can apply a disclosing solution to show you the areas where plaque is starting to form. Please ring the surgery if you would like to make an appointment.

If your pet is suffering from dental disease they will benefit from a scale and polish and may even require some extractions. Dentals are done in our prep room under general anaesthetic.

We have a specialised dental x-ray machine which allows us to take detailed x-rays of your pets mouth. This gives us the information we need to make decisions as to whether to extract teeth or not

Diagnostics

We offer a full range of diagnostic facilities including digital radiography, ultrasound, ECG & in house laboratory testing. We also use external laboratories to give us access to more extensive tests.

Neutering

We recommend neutering all animals which are not going to be used for breeding.

The procedure is usually very straightforward and your pet can go home the same day.

The operation is done under a general anaesthetic so your pet will need to be starved from around 8.00pm the night before. They need to be dropped off at the surgery between 8.30am- 9.30am and we will ask you to sign a consent form for anaesthetic and surgical procedures. Your pet will have a health check prior to being anaesthetised and will be monitored constantly throughout their stay with us. They will receive painkiller by injection. You will be given a discharge form when you collect your pet detailing the procedures we have done and giving you all the post-operative instructions.

If you have any queries or are worried about your pet you can ring us anytime for help and advice.

A Mini Neutering FAQ :-

When can I neuter my pet?

Cats can be done anytime from 6 months of age, as can male dogs.
Bitches can also be done from 6 months of age but if they have had a season you need to wait for 3 months after this is finished.

Will it make my pet fat?

NO!! Animals only get fat from over eating. However, neutered animals need fewer calories and you should keep an eye on your pet’s weight following the operation. You can bring your pet in to the surgery for regular weight checks and one of our nurses will be happy to discuss their diet with you.

Will it change my pet's personality?

In female animals there will be virtually no change. If there are any changes in male animals these will be only for the better as your pet will become less aggressive and sexually driven.

Nurse Clinics

Our nurses run daily nurse clinics where they can offer advice on many aspects of pet care which doesn’t require an appointment with the vet. These cover such topics as weight management, pre & post op check ups, wound management, behavioural issues, advice on getting a new pet, feeding, nutrition and preventitive health care.

Parasite Control

Everything you need to know about protecting your pet against parasites.

If you are concerned about any kind of parasites, please dont hesitate to get in touch so we can organise an appointment.

Call our Ballieston Practice on: 0141 378 6293
Call our Sandyhills Practice on: 0141 778 8335

Book An Appointment

Roundworms

Nearly all puppies and kittens are born with roundworms which have been passed to them from their mother.

They appear like thin, white elastic bands and can be up to several inches long.

Tapeworms

Tapeworms are more commonly found in adult animals.They require an intermediate host to complete their lifecycle. This host is often the flea so any animal found to have tapeworm should also be treated for fleas.

Tapeworm segments are passed in the faeces and look like flattened grains of rice. They can often be seen stuck in the fur around the bottoms of infected animals.

Worming Treatment

Puppies and kittens should be wormed every 2 weeks until they are 12 weeks old. They should then be treated monthly until they are 6 months old. Thereafter they can go onto an adult regime of every 3 months.

Dogs and cats who hunt or are prone to scavenging can be treated more often. We have various preparations available for worming: tablets, liquid, granules and spot-on. Our staff can advise you on the best product for your pet’s needs.

Fleas

Fleas are a problem all year round. Warm, damp weather in the spring and summer is an ideal environment for fleas. Once the autumn comes round, on goes the central heating and out come the fleas!!

The best flea products have dual action on both your pet and the environment. Use a really effective and persistent product on all the dogs and cats you have, to kill adult fleas, as well as treating your home.

Cat and dog fleas are found in the coat, especially around the base of the tail.

Any pet with fleas is also likely to have tapeworm and should be treated for both.

Ticks

Ticks are oval shaped spider-like which attach to your pet’s skin in order to feed . They can resemble a wart-like lump so if you are unsure please bring your pet to the surgery to see one of our nurses.

Never pull a tick off, you may leave the head under the skin, causing infection.

The tick does not need to be killed before removal if a suitable device is used to remove it. Again, one of our nurses will be happy to do this for you. We have various products to protect against ticks and our staff can advise you on the best one for your pet.

Practice Facilities

We have a fully equipped operating theatre where we can carry out a range of procedures. This can vary from routine procedures such as neutering right through to emergency surgery & orthopaedics. Highly specialized procedures might be referred to a specialist centre but this would be fully discussed beforehand.

Small Furries

Rabbits

Did you know that rabbits are now the third most popular pet in the UK? Advances in veterinary medicine and an increased awareness of rabbit health and wellbeing mean our bunnies are living longer, healthier, happier lives.

Diet Information For Rabbits

One of the most important aspects of caring for our rabbits is to provide the correct diet. At least 75% of the diet should consist of roughage such as good quality hay. Rabbits are natural grazers and their digestive system is designed to accept a constant trickle of food. Also, high fibre diets help to wear down the teeth and nibbling hay reduces boredom. A selection of leafy greens and vegetables are important but avoid too much fruit as it contains a lot of sugar and may lead to obesity. Finally, pelleted food should be fed sparingly, approximately 2 tablespoons per day is enough for an average rabbit. Over feeding of pellets can also lead to obesity. Care should be taken if feeding a cereal mix diet as some rabbits may be selective about which bits they eat. An all in one pellet is better.

Dental Information For Rabbits

It is important that teeth are prevented from growing too long. This is due, in the most part, to lack of wear from their diet. Back teeth grind fibre in a side to side motion which can result in sharp edges. This causes pain and your rabbit may go off its food. It may also cause the jaw to drop slightly which causes misalignment of the front teeth. You should check your rabbits front teeth regularly. Back teeth are harder to visualise and if your rabbit is having problems we may need to give a sedative to allow us to examine them properly. Diet is the key to help prevent these problems which is why you need to feed a high percentage of hay.

Breeding & Neutering Information For Rabbits

Rabbits “breed like rabbits”!! They also enjoy living in pairs or groups but can be aggressive or territorial. Female rabbits can suffer from false pregnancy. Neutering can sort out all these problems. A neutered rabbit will be more laid back and affectionate towards other rabbits and their owners. They will be less destructive and won’t mark their territory with smelly urine. 60% of un-neutered female rabbits develop uterine cancer by the time they are 3 years old and they are also more prone to mammary tumours.

Vaccination Information For Rabbits

Vaccination is an important part of rabbit preventative healthcare. The 2 diseases we vaccinate against are Myxomatosis and Viral Haemorrhagic Disease (VHD). Both of these conditions are very serious and in un-vaccinated rabbits are usually fatal. Spread is by direct contact with an infected rabbit so if wild rabbits have access to your garden your rabbit will be at risk. The other method of spread is through insects, such as fleas and lice. This is particularly significant if you have cats or dogs that hunt wild rabbits and could bring infected fleas back to your house. VHD in particular can live for long periods of time in the environment, so we may inadvertently bring it into our homes on contaminated grass. This means that even if your rabbit lives indoors they could still be at risk. Vaccination against myxomatosis can be started from 6 weeks of age and we recommend boosters every 6 months. VHD can be vaccinated against from 10 weeks of age and requires a yearly booster. Myxomatosis and VHD vaccination should be done 2 weeks apart.

Parasite Information For Rabbits

Most people know that it is important to treat their dogs and cats against parasites but it is also important to treat your rabbit. Cat fleas can infect your rabbit as well as rabbit fleas and, as we mentioned above, can transfer diseases. There are spot on treatments available for these external parasites. Internal parasites such as roundworm, tapeworm and a single celled parasite called E.Cuniculi can be treated with a worming paste. We recommend doing this 2-4 times a year. The health of your rabbit cannot be taken for granted- no matter how well you look after them. If your rabbit becomes ill, providing the best care quickly without worrying about cost will be a priority. Taking out insurance gives you peace of mind as it covers the cost of veterinary treatment at times of accident or illness. There are various different companies who provide rabbit insurance.

Guinea Pigs

Guinea Pigs are very social animals and should be kept in same sex groups or in groups where the male has been neutered. People often keep them along with rabbits however, this is not always a good idea as they can be bullied and they require a different diet.

Diet Information For Guinea Pigs

A guinea pigs diet should be made up of 80% hay. Guinea pigs lack the enzyme to make vitamin C so they must have it in their diet every day. A commercial guinea pig pellet should be given along with a selection of vegetables and fruit. As fruit is high in sugar care should be taken that your guinea pig doesn’t get fat!

General Health Information For Guinea Pigs

Vitamin C deficiency leads to scurvy, weight loss, weakness and swollen joints so it is very important to provide the correct diet. Guinea Pig teeth grow continually and they wear down when they eat or gnaw. Lots of hay in the diet will help but you should also provide hard food, gnawing blocks or branches from fruit trees. Check your guinea pigs teeth regularly and bring them to the vet if you are worried.

Breed Varieties Information For Guinea Pigs

Guinea Pigs come in all different colours with various different types of hair. Long haired breeds require regular grooming. A dirty coat can be prone to fly strike. Hutches should also be kept clean and dry to help prevent this.

Training & EMS

We do take vet students for EMS placements. Students should contact the surgery directly.

We are also a registered training centre for veterinary nurses.