The Tiny Vet

consultations

Consultations can be booked for routine health checks, poorly pets or groups of pets. A standard consultation is approximately 30 minutes long and includes a home visit. After your appointment you will receive a written copy of your pets' medical records.

As well as examining your pets I will also review their diet and housing/set up with you.

I try to book my appointments between 9.30am to 2.30pm on weekdays, leaving some time in the afternoons and Saturday mornings for urgent calls that come in the same day, but I am very flexible and can usually find a time that suits everyone.

rabbit vaccinations

Annual vaccinations to protect your rabbits against myxomatosis and viral haemorrhagic disease strains 1 & 2 (the "triple" vacc) are recommended UK-wide. The prevalence and virulence of these infectious diseases are such that all rabbits are sadly at risk regardless of whether they are housed outdoors or indoors. For full immunity it is best to vaccinate from 7 weeks old, although the vaccine can be given from 5 weeks of age.

Your rabbits will receive a full health check and diet/husbandry review during their vaccine appointment, all in the comfort of your own home without the stressful journey to the vets.

microchipping

I have some teeny microchips for my tiny little patients! Microchipping is carried out on a home visit either as a standalone procedure or while I'm visiting for another reason. The chips are registered to a DEFRA approved database and you will receive login details so you can view and update your information.

Some patients will require a local anaesthetic or sedation to carry out this procedure, but it can still be performed on a home visit.

neutering and hormone implants

Routine neutering (surgical removal of the reproductive organs) is carried out at my base in my pop-up theatre AKA The Tiny Tent, but a mobile operating theatre is in the pipeline! It is recommended that all rabbits are neutered prior to bonding to prevent health and behavioural problems (and unwanted litters!), and routine neutering of guinea pigs can assist with behaviour problems and allows bonding of boars into a group of sows. Neutering of sows will also prevent the development of cystic ovarian disease. Other rodents can be routinely neutered on a case by case basis as well as other small mammals.

Hormone implants are recommended for ferrets rather than neutering (although there are some exceptions) to help prevent adrenal gland disease and these can be placed routinely under sedation on a home visit.

Other reptile and avian species sometimes benefit from a hormone implant to help manage reproductive disease, but this is strictly off licence and will be considered on a case by case basis.

general surgery

Surgical procedures are carried out at my base in The Tiny Tent (my pop-up theatre) and anaesthesia is monitored by one of my nurse assistants. Both student and registered Veterinary Nurses are on hand to spend a day helping me look after your pets when they have surgery. I am currently able to offer most services including general orthopaedics such as fracture repair and soft tissue procedures such as lump removals and abdominal surgery. I also have the facilities to hospitalise your pet overnight for round the clock monitoring and pain relief if needed.

I am looking forward to being able to offer surgical procedures in a mobile theatre one day in the future!

dentistry

Dental conditions are particularly common in my rabbit and rodent patients, but some reptiles and ferrets do suffer as well. I am fully equipped for providing dental assessment and necessary corrective burring, extractions or scaling in all my patients. Head radiographs are recommended for all patients undergoing dental work.

diagnostic imaging

I have a portable ultrasound machine ("Mindi" the Mindray) who comes with me on my visits so I can scan your poorly pets in the stress-free environment of their own home. Some of my tiniest patients may need a little light sedation for this but most species can be scanned consciously. This modality is particularly useful for patients with suspect heart conditions, bladder conditions, liver disease, reproductive disease or intra-abdominal tumours.

Very soon I will also be offering a mobile XRay service! I have all the kit, the risk assessments have been completed, am just waiting to be signed off by the health and safety folk! This will be especially useful for assessing my reptile patients.

in house laboratory

At Tiny Vet Headquarters, we have a little in house laboratory featuring a biochemistry analyser, a centrifuge and "Precious" my microscope. I am able to perform routine bloodwork for mammals, reptiles and birds, urine testing, faecal testing and skin sample examinations, all with a quick turnaround. Blood samples can be obtained during a home visit, and sometimes a little sedation is required for this.

I also take my microscope out on visits so I can do parasite testing in the field, which is especially important in fish medicine.

Post Mortem Examinations (necropsy) are also offered in-house and these can be instrumental in managing cases where there have been losses in groups of animals.

out of hours

I provide my own out of hours emergency cover to all patients registered with The Tiny Vet who are in my catchment postcodes (BA3, BA4, BA5, BA6, BA7, BA10, BA11).

“Out of Hours” refers to emergency calls after 5pm but before 9am on a weekday, after midday on a Saturday and any time on a Sunday.

I will aim to visit you, day or night, to provide this service. On rare occasions it may be necessary for you to come to me.

If I am unable to attend your pet, or the initial phone triage indicates hospital care is needed, then I will refer you to Nurture Vet Hospital in Wells for emergency treatment and they will provide an onsite service. In this situation, their fees will apply. However, I will always be the one answering the phone when you call.

In an emergency it is important that you phone rather sending a text or whatsapp message as they don’t wake me up!

Please note: this service is strictly for registered pets only.

compassionate farewells at home

When the time comes to help your pet say their last goodbye, I can provide a home visit to assist them on their way so their final breath is taken peacefully in their home surroundings.

After your pet has passed over, if you have chosen to have a cremation for them, I can help you arrange this directly with one of our local, independent pet crematoriums, or via your primary veterinary practice if you are not already registered with The Tiny Vet.

This service is also available beyond by immediate catchment zone, subject to an out of area surcharge.