Services

We have a wide range of services for small and large animals in Carlisle

  • Consults and Health Checks
  • Flea and Tick
  • Microchipping
  • Neutering
  • Pet Nutrition
  • Surgery
  • Vaccinations
  • Video Consults
  • Worming
  • Home Visits
  • Animal Behaviour
  • Puppy Training
  • Pet Bereavement

Consults and Health Checks

When you bring your pet to Eden Vets you get the time and attention you and your pet deserve. Every consultation lasts a minimum of 15 minutes, ensuring there’s time to talk through all aspects of your pet’s lifestyle and habits as well as thoroughly investigating any health problems.

The key to a successful consultation is a relaxed atmosphere so we don’t rush your pet out of their basket and onto the table. Once we’re all in the room we’ll talk through their medical history with you, ask some basic questions if it’s your first visit, and let your pet acclimatise to the change of scene.

With the help of some reassuring pet treats it’s then time to do a thorough nose to tail examination to investigate symptoms you may have noticed, or to pick-up on ailments which are not yet causing any obvious problems. Our priority is to keep your pet fit, healthy and happy so we’ll be on the look-out for any help we can offer to keep your pet in peak condition.

We encourage you to tell us as much as possible about your pet’s daily routine and habits since any little thing could be a clue to a health issue which we can then address before it’s even taken hold. Our nurses offer free weight clinics, nutritional advice and dental check-ups which all help keep more serious health problems at bay.

If something of concern comes up the last thing you want is an anxious wait for test results. You want to get clear information so a course of treatment can be started as soon as possible and that’s our priority too. Our unrivalled lab facilities mean we can process blood and urine samples in just 15 minutes while you wait with a cup of tea or coffee and then we can resume our appointment with all the information we need.

By the end of a consultation at Eden Vets you’ll have a plan for the year ahead, including medication if it’s needed and helpful reminders of any vaccinations or worming treatments your pet may need.

We recommend you bring your pets for a health check every 6 months; it’s the best way of spotting problems early so we can solve them straight away and save you the distress and expense of your pet becoming seriously ill.

One of our passions is supporting older animals. Sadly too many long-lived family pets who have been healthy for years miss out on important treatment towards the end of their lives; they hide the signs they’re unwell until their condition is well advanced. A routine check-up will help ensure the animal members of your family are well looked after as they turn into seniors, and they will live longer and healthier lives because of it.

Flea and Tick

Fleas and ticks are unpleasant for your pet, can be a major nuisance in your home, and pose a health risk to children. Thanks to a range of effective flea prevention treatments there’s no need to let them into your life at all.

As with worms, by the time you spot the signs of a flea infestation it’s likely to be well advanced. Instead we strongly recommend you use a flea and tick treatment once a month and prevent any problems building up.

Pets which suffer from fleas and ticks don’t only have to deal with itching and discomfort. Severe cases in smaller animals can result in excessive blood loss and anaemia. Some animals have an allergic reaction because of Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD) which means they can lose their fur in places, break out in red scabs and suffer from intense itching. Fleas can also carry tapeworm, another health risk to your pet and your family.

The biggest threat posed by ticks is the transmission of disease. They are known to carry Lyme disease which chiefly affects humans and dogs, although cats can also be infected. In dogs, Lyme disease causes lameness as a result of acute arthritis and muscle pain.

Microchipping

However careful you are, pets can sometimes escape, be frightened by something like fireworks and become disorientated. 900 pets go missing in the UK every day. Imagine how devastated you’d be if your pet disappeared one day and you had no way of knowing what had happened to them. Having a microchip fitted to your pet means you stand a much better chance of being reunited with them. And, if you have a puppy or a dog, the law will soon mean you must have them microchipped.

A microchip is a tiny implant, about the size of a grain of rice, which is inserted under your pet’s skin. It carries a unique identification number which is recorded on a central database along with your name and contact details. If your pet goes missing and is found by someone, the chip can be read by a handheld scanner. These are commonly available at all vets practices, dog pounds, RSPCA and animal refuge centres and some police stations. The database can be accessed 24/7, even during bank holidays.

The process for having a chip fitted is very quick and simple. The chip is inserted under the skin using a needle, so it’s like your pet having an injection. For dogs and cats, they are always implanted in the loose skin of the neck over their shoulder blades. It may mean some brief discomfort but it is over in seconds and then your pet can be traced back to you for the rest of its life.

A chip can be implanted at any age, and we recommend it’s done as soon as possible after your pet’s second vaccinations. Another great plan is to have a microchip fitted at the same time as your pet’s being neutered; they’ll be asleep thanks to the general anaesthetic and won’t feel a thing.

Microchips ensure you have the peace of mind knowing your pet will find its way back to you if it ends up straying. Just remember to keep your records updated on the database if you move house or change contact details.

Neutering

Sadly a high-number of unwanted animals need rehoming or are destroyed every year. Unless you are very committed to breeding from your pet for a specific reason, getting your animal neutered is the responsible thing to do. This means having their sexual organs removed so they become infertile. It is in no way cruel to your pet and can actually help protect them from a range of diseases and other conditions as they age.

Male cats and dogs that haven’t been neutered are at greater risk of tumours and cysts in both the testicles and prostate. Male dogs can exhibit hypersexual behaviour such as aggression, mounting people and objects, and urinating in the house to mark their territory. Tom cats that haven’t been neutered are also prone to urine spraying.

For female cats and dogs that haven’t been neutered there are also higher cancer risks in the form of uterine, ovarian and mammary tumours. Cats of both genders are more likely to get into fights if they haven’t been neutered which makes them vulnerable to feline AIDS.

It’s not only cats and dogs that can be neutered. It’s a wise course of action to take for your rabbit, particularly if you have two or more living together. We also neuter rodents such as rats or hamsters which are living in social groups. This isn’t just to prevent breeding but also because unneutered animals of the same gender are inclined to fight and can do each other serious injury.

Neutering does involve your pet having a general anaesthetic but these are very routine operations. We’ll make sure your pet is healthy and well before carrying out the procedure, as we do with any procedure they need. Our experienced staff use the utmost care while carrying out the surgery on site and your pet will be fully recovered within a day or two.

Pet Nutrition

Our guidance to the optimal diet for your pet including life-stage and health-specific diets.

Find out more about Pet Nutrition

Surgery

Seeing any member of your family go through an operation is distressing and that’s true whether they’re human or animal. We’ll do our best to reduce your concerns by explaining all procedures as clearly and fully as possible, including why they’re needed, what will happen and how we’ll help your pet get back on their feet afterwards.

Many clients want to spend as much time as possible with their pets ahead of an operation so we won’t insist you leave them with us any earlier than you have to. We’ll also call you as soon as the surgery is finished to let you know how it went and, if they’re going to stay with us overnight, you can still come and spend some time with them while they’re recovering.

Everything your pet could need is on-hand before we start any operation, including the most important thing of all – our talented and dedicated staff. Our ultrasound and lab facilities mean they have all the information about your pet’s condition at their fingertips and the presence of an x-ray machine in our operating theatre enables extra checks on the resetting of broken bones without the need to move your pet anywhere.

Our amazing nurses are on-duty all night for any pets we have staying with us. All our inpatients are carefully monitored and we also have a camera which can be used to keep an eye on them without disturbing them. This technology means the vets and other nursing staff can even check-up on patients from home. They’ll be as anxious as you are to see your pet is on the mend.

After an operation your pet will be looking for some home comforts while they’re recovering and we have everything they could need in our kennels and cattery. It goes without saying they’ll have food and water, and we also go the extra mile to provide bedding that suits their tastes. We know that elderly dogs appreciate a duvet to sleep on because the extra padding relieves the pressure on their joints, and oriental cats often have a preference for pyramid beds where they can tuck themselves away out of site. We’ve got plenty of other options too.

Any particularly vulnerable pets can be cared for in one of our isolation units where they can be kept safe from germs and infections which might threaten their recovery. These units also have more sensitive heating and lighting systems which allow us to adjust them to the needs of each individual patient.

We know cats that aren’t used to dog companions can find their noise upsetting and that’s why we’re pleased to be able to offer a separate indoor cattery for them, rabbits and any other small animal patients we have. We have a range of comfortable cages and we know cats appreciate being able to look out of the window and watch the world go by.

Vaccinations

The vast majority of responsible parents understand the importance of having their children protected from serious and potentially deadly diseases with a series of vaccinations. The same principles apply to the young animal members of your family. Getting pets vaccinated protects them from extremely painful and serious illnesses which could go on to kill them.

A vaccination is an injection containing a small, inactive amount of the germ which causes the disease you want to protect against. Your pet’s body builds antibodies to fight off this germ, meaning if it comes into contact with the disease in future it has already learnt how to defeat it. Once the initial vaccine has been given, your pet may need annual boosters to maintain its immunity.

Our experienced staff will ensure your animal is as relaxed as possible ahead of any vaccinations, which will reduce the risk of your pet feeling discomfort or pain. The injections are administered quickly and several vaccinations can be given in a single injection. If you have a fear of needles just let us know and the vet will make sure you don’t see your pet being treated.

Some pets will be sleepy for 24 hours after treatment or suffer a swelling at the sight of the injection but in the vast majority of cases the side-effects are very minor.

Puppies

To protect your puppy from illness it’s important they aren’t allowed to leave your home until one week after their second vaccination. They mustn’t come into contact with areas where other dogs or wildlife have been, which means the back garden is out of bounds and you should keep them off the floor when you bring them into the practice.

Puppies should have their first vaccination between six and eight weeks of age and their second two to four weeks later when they are ten weeks old. The core vaccines we recommend protect them against:

  • Parvovirus
  • Distemper
  • Hepatitis
  • Leptospirosis

We also strongly recommend they are protected from kennel cough, which your dog doesn’t need to go into kennels to catch but could pick up from any other dog it meets. This vaccine is given as nasal drops and needs to be administered once a year.

Kittens

Kittens need to be kept inside the house until a week after their second vaccinations to ensure they are not exposed to diseases before their bodies are ready to fight them off. Ideally they should also be neutered before being allowed out as even very young females are at risk of being impregnated and young males may get involved in fights.

The core diseases to vaccinate them against are cat flu and enteritis, with protection against feline leukaemia highly recommended if they’re to spend any time at all outdoors.

Rabbits

The two diseases which pose the most danger to rabbits, myxomatosis and viral haemorrhagic disease (VHD), are both fatal and very hard to treat once they’ve been contracted. Both can be protected against through vaccinations which can be given from five weeks of age. Vaccination against myxomatosis needs to be repeated every 6 to 12 months; it can be backed up with insect repellent strips and flea treatments.

Video Consults

Worried about your pet put not sure it's worth a visit to the vets, or your trying to reduce social contact?

Arrange a Video Consultation

Worming

Roundworms, technically known as toxocara, can cause serious disease in your pets and, most worryingly, in your children too. In the most severe cases toxocara can lead to blindness in children. It’s not a risk worth taking, so let us help you keep your pet worm free.

It can be difficult to know if your pet has worms, which is why regular treatment to prevent them is so important. A pet with worms is likely to be extra hungry but will be losing weight despite eating plenty. It may suffer from vomiting and diarrhoea as well as discomfort. However some pets are good at hiding these symptoms or may not exhibit any in the early stages so prevention really is better than cure.

Kittens should be wormed monthly for the first 6 months of their lives, starting at 6 weeks old. For puppies treatment should start even younger at 2 weeks old and again monthly until they are 6 months old. All cats and dogs should then be treated every three months.

It’s worth remembering to take your pet’s lifestyle into account. If you have a cat that hunts or scavenges and eats raw meat it will be at greater risk of getting worms and should be treated more regularly. Pets that have had fleas are also at greater risk – another problem we can help you guard against.

Our recommended tablets protect both dogs and cats from a wide range of worms. If you have trouble getting your pet to take tablets there are also several treatments which can be administered as drops to the back of the neck. Don’t forget, regular treatments like these are covered by our Pet Health Scheme so there’s no need to pay the full cost.

Home Visits

There may be occasions when the circumstances of your pet’s health requires a home visit. If you find it too difficult to bring your pet to us, we can come to your home and visit them.

The Eden Vets team will discuss with you what your pet’s needs are. A home visit would mean an additional cost, and due to our busy consultations list it would be helpful if we had advance notice.

Animal Behaviour

There’s more to looking after your pet than simply keeping it in physical health. At Eden Vets we have an eye on your pet’s whole quality of life, and the quality of life for owners is important too!  That’s why we strongly encourage you to take advantage of our animal behaviour advice if you’re having any issues with your pet.

The companionship of our pets should give us considerable pleasure but if something is wrong that relationship can be put under a great deal of strain. The sooner an issue is tackled, the easier it is to restore both your pet and yourself to a calm and contented frame of mind.

Animal behaviour training is most usually considered for dogs. Common issues include barking, over-excitability, pulling on the lead and recall problems off the lead. However, cats also exhibit problems which behaviour training may be able to help with, such as urine spraying, scratching and general aggression. Destructiveness, aggression and soiling inside the house are problems almost any animal can develop.

Problems such as these are usually the symptom of a deeper issue and a major part of animal behaviour training is problem solving. Once the cause of a behaviour problem has been identified you are well on the way to curing it, with commitment from the owner and the wider family a crucial part of the solution.

We have a list of APBC registered pet behaviouralists that we are able to refer you and your pet to if we are unable to offer advice to resolve the problem in the consulting room. We work closely with behaviouralists to help you overcome your pet's problems. 

Puppy Training

Introducing a new puppy to your home is lots of fun but it can be an upheaval for everyone. Our puppy parties, which run once a week for four weeks, are the perfect way to socialise your new puppy, help it learn some basic commands and pick up some great advice and ideas.

Whether you’re used to raising puppies or this is the first time you’ve tried it, our fun and practical sessions will help your puppy settle in and help everyone in the family adjust to their new four-legged friend.

We restrict numbers to a maximum of 8 puppies so there’s plenty of time for one-on-one attention if it’s needed. The classes are held at the practice, so your puppy gets used to visiting us and hopefully feels comfortable about a trip to the vet for the rest of its life.

In the first session we cover the basic commands of “sit” and “lie down” and during the rest of the course go on to cover “roll over” and walking to heel, among other things. We’ll also help you deal with the perennial puppy problems of jumping up and play biting, but there’s plenty of time for fun and games as well. Each week we’ll have some health tips for you on issues such as diet and dental care and your puppy will benefit from being around other people and dogs, learning what behaviour is appropriate.

Of course you’ll be learning too, and we encourage you to bring other members of the family, including children, so they can learn about the puppy and help it behave well. There is a lot of information to absorb each week but don’t worry, we’ve also got handouts for you to take away.

Getting good puppy training early on can set your pet up for the rest of its life. We think it’s too important to leave to chance, which is why our most experienced nurse and animal behaviour expert conducts the sessions. You can benefit from her years of experience and help ensure your puppy grows into a happy and well-behaved dog which will enjoy a great life as a true part of the family.

Pet Bereavement

We understand that your pet is part of your family. Seeing your companion become very ill and then facing the prospect of losing them is extremely distressing.

The team at Eden Vets will work with you and support you to understand your pet’s health concerns and the options available for you both. You won’t be alone during your time of distress.

We will gently discuss all appropriate options should your pet be seriously ill. Of course, this may include euthanasia. But be reassured that we will give you all the information and time you want, and support you to make the right decisions for you and your companion. Having your pet euthanised at home may be an option in some circumstances, and we can discuss this with you too.

Find out more about Time to Say Goodbye here