Pet Centre

Groomers

Spoilt Rotten
Gillian Beath  07 884 9220

Kennels & Catteries

K9 & Kats Kennels
34 Ngutumanga Road, Te Aroha.
07 884 8516

Breeders

Schonheit Burmese
Ph 07 887 5640

Claudia Finnegan
Ph 07 884 9632

Dog Obedience Training

Leona Carter
Ph 07 884 7215

Christine Nielson
Ph 07 862 3756

Coming Soon

What is desexing?

Desexing is the process of removing reproductive organs so a dog can no longer produce offspring or hormones associated with sexual behaviours and reproduction. A general anaesthetic is required and surgery is performed to remove the ovaries and uterus in a female (ovariohysterectomy or spay) and testicles in a male (castration).

Desexing in Female Dogs

Bitches can be spayed from as early as 6 months of age, or 3 months after the first season. From a medical standpoint there are a variety of advantages. Female dogs are very much less likely to develop malignant mammary cancers later in life if spayed at a early age. The chance of developing these tumors increases with each successive heat, so spaying early gives the best possible protection.

Another common condition in older unspayed bitches is pyometra - an infection of the uterus, in which the uterus becomes extremely enlarged and filled with pus. This necessitates an emergency operation to remove the ovaries and uterus - a much larger and riskier surgery than a routine spay, as it can be fatal if left untreated.

Desexing the bitch prevents oestrus as well as breeding. She will not come into heat and therefore will not attract unwanted attention from male dogs. It also prevents false pregnancy.

Desexing in Male Dogs

Male dogs can be castrated from as early as 6 months of age. Desexing a male dog removes the sexual urge so that if a dog gets the scent of a bitch in season, he is less likely to show any interest which in certain breeds can be an undoubted advantage. Castration also removes any testosterone related aggression. It should be noted that aggression can result from various sources, and that even is testosterone is part of the cause this aggression can become a learned behaviour and castration alone will not resolve it, it may still help, but is much more effective when performed as a preventative at 6-8 months of age.

Male dogs will not develop testicular tumors if castrated, and are much less likely to develop prostate enlargement and tumors around the anus.

Desexing in Female Cats

Female cats may be spayed at 4-6 months of age before they start coming into season. Cats come into season roughly every 3 weeks and spaying eliminates unwanted kittens.

Desexing in Male Cats

Tom cats can be castrated from 4-6 months of age. Cats that are not castrated have a larger territory, so castrating reducing roaming behaviour, spraying and fighting with other cats.

Desexing for both male and female animals does involve a general anaesthetic, and as always this does carry a very small element of risk. However, your dog or cat will receive a full clinical examination prior to the procedure, and we will give you the option of a blood test to check their blood cell counts, liver and kidney function prior to the procedure.

We run a full sterile surgery with a nurse dedicated solely to monitoring your pet the whole time it is under anaesthetic. We can confidently say the chance of having problems during anaethetic and surgery of a young healthy animal is extremely small.

If you have any further questions or queries regarding spaying or neutering your pet, please feel free to contact us and speak to one of our nurses or veterinarians, we're here to help.

Microchipping your pet

Since 2006 the law requires all new puppies to be microchipped (except farm dogs used for stock control).  However it is not limited to dogs, some owners choose to have their cats microchipped as well. Te Aroha Vets is a registered implanter and verifier for microchips. A microchip is a small device, about the size of a grain of rice that can be read with a microchip scanner. It is implanted into the scruff of the neck, between the shoulder blades using a needle.

At Te Aroha vets, we also give the owner the additional option of registering their pet with the NZ Companion animal register. This is a nationwide database that is dedicated to providing a 24 hour recovery service for companion animals within New Zealand. This extra option is advisable as the database that the local council use was intended for dog control purposes, not for retrieval of lost animals. This database is used by organizations such as the SPCA and other agencies that are involved with lost or injured pets.

For further information on registration and microchipping:
http://www.mpdc.govt.nz/our-services/animal-control.html 

Animal control 24 hour service: (for urgent dog complaint calls):
0800 746 467

Any animal control queries:
07 881 9050 Matamata
07 884 0060 Morrinsville/ Te Aroha

Coming Soon

Dogs

We use “Vanguard Plus 5”  vaccination as our core vaccine. This protects your dog against Parvovirus, Distemper, Hepatitis and Parainfluenza. Your pup should receive a full course of vaccines this is usually started at 8 weeks of age with a second vaccination being given 3-4 weeks later. The exact age at vaccination will depend on the health of your puppy and the policy of the breeder you got it from. This is known as a primer and a booster vaccination. After these initial vaccinations your dog should receive annual booster vaccinations.

Leptosporosis vaccination is recommended for dogs that live in this area. This vaccination only requires two initial doses 3- 4 weeks apart and then annual booster vaccinations.

We also offer two forms of kennel cough vaccine one which is intranasal and the other which is injectable. If your dog is going into kennels or a show environment they are usually required to have received this vaccine as these are environments in which they may be exposed to this virus. With the intranasal vaccine (Nobivac KC) a dog only requires a single dose to develop an immunity and it is therefore cheaper than the injectable form which requires two initial doses 3-4 weeks apart. Both of these vaccines require annual revaccination or revaccination prior to periods of risk. Please discuss with our vets the best option for your dog.

Cats

We use the Felocell 3 vaccine for feline vaccinations. This provides protection against upper respiratory viruses, Rhinotracheitis and Calici virus aswell as feline Parvovirus. Your kitten should receive a full course of vaccines this is usually started at 8 weeks of age with a second vaccination being given 3-4 weeks later. The exact age at vaccination will depend on the health of your kitten and the policy of the breeder you got it from. This is known as a primer and a booster vaccination. After these initial vaccinations your cat should receive annual booster vaccinations.

We provide you with vaccination booklets it is important to keep these as boarding kennels will require proof of vaccination. If you misplace this booklet our veterinarians can organize a replacement.