Surgeries

The decision to neuter you pet can be a difficult one, but we believe the health benefits far outweigh the negatives. We recommend a full health check at the age of 6 months for puppies and kittens, the vet can check the growth and development of your pet and advise the best time for neutering.

• Dogs – We can neuter dogs from six months of age, however it depends on the size of the dog and the gender. We normally wait for males to reach 10-12 months of age for them to mature. Ideally we would spay a female before their first season as it gives best long term health benefits, but some are too immature at 6 months of age.
• Cats – We like cats to be 5 months of age or at least 2kg for neutering.
• We also offer Laparoscopic neutering which is a much less invasive
  option with a quicker recovery time.

Download Neutering information sheet from Robovet.pdf

For a bespoke estimate please ask your local surgery.

What is Laparoscopic (keyhole) Surgery?

Laparoscopy is a type of surgical procedure that allows a Vet to access the inside of the abdomen (tummy) without having to make large incisions in the skin.

This procedure is also known as keyhole surgery or minimally invasive surgery. Large incisions can be avoided during laparoscopy because the surgeon uses an instrument called a laparoscope. This is a small tube that has a light source and a camera, which relays images of the inside of the abdomen or pelvis to a television monitor.

The advantages of this technique over traditional open surgery include:

• a shorter hospital stay and faster recovery time
• less pain and bleeding after the operation
• reduced scarring

Laparoscopy is carried out under general anaesthetic, so your pet won’t feel any pain during the procedure. During laparoscopy, the Vet makes one or more small incisions in the abdomen. These allow the Vet to insert the laparoscope, small surgical tools, and a tube used to pump gas into the abdomen. This makes it easier for the Vet to look around and operate. After the procedure, the gas is let out of the abdomen, the incisions are closed using stitches.

Procedures that are suitable for laparoscopy include; neutering, retained testicle removal, biopsy procedures, abdominal exploration, gastropexy and cystotomy.

Click here to learn more.

In contrast with traditional neutering, keyhole surgery is less invasive and a less traumatic method. It is performed by placing a camera and specialised instruments through three small incisions in the abdomen. During a keyhole bitch spay often the two ovaries are removed (called an ovariectomy), however in some rare cases the whole uterus needs to be removed along with both ovaries (ovariohysterectomy). There is no evidence that leaving the uterus behind results in any increased risk of incontinence or womb infection in the future when compared to conventional surgery.

The main benefits of keyhole surgery are:

• Less post-operative pain and discomfort, your pet is more comfortable post surgery.
• Quicker healing/recovery time
• Smaller incisions
• Reduced risk of complications and infections

We are extremely proud to be one of only a handful of practices in Northern England who can perform this surgery. This service is now available to clients of Orchard House Vets and we also accept referral cases from other veterinary practices.

To find out more information, click here.

At Hexham we have a Digital Radiography Suite that allows us to radiograph even the biggest dog. The images produced are of excellent quality and can instantly be sent when a second opinion is required. As well as taking diagnostic radiographs, we regularly X-ray dogs for the British Veterinary Association Hip Dysplasia and Elbow Schemes.

For a bespoke estimate please contact your local surgery.

Dentistry & Dental Radiography

Orchard House is one of few practices in the North East of England with digital dental radiography. It is impossible to perform quality dentistry without access to and the use of radiography. Over 50% of the tooth structure is covered by bone and gum. X-rays allow us to check for disease below the gum-line such as fractured roots, painful holes in the enamel at the base of the crown, plus the make proper planning of surgical extractions of diseased teeth.

We have Dental Radiography and Air Driven Dental Units at all our Centres, comprising of high and low speed drills, ultrasonic scaler and polishing equipment. Dentistry is always done under general anaesthesia.

For a bespoke estimate please contact your local surgery.

Most people are familiar with the use of ultrasound for pregnancy diagnosis and examinations in people. Ultrasound has become one of the most important tools in veterinary diagnostics in the last 10 years. Previously, surgery would have been necessary to examine and take samples from internal organs. We can now image the abdomen and heart without surgery and can often take samples with non-invasive techniques such as needle biopsy.

We have an on-site small animal ultrasound unit, but for most cases we utilise a referral ultra-sonographer, Sophie Betts from North East Veterinary Imaging. Sophie comes to Hexham weekly, and in an emergency as required.

For a bespoke estimate please contact your local surgery.

Endoscopy is an instrument used to examine the interior of the body. Unlike most other medical imaging devices, endoscopes are inserted directly into the organ. For instance, at Orchard House we regularly ‘scope’ the airways, the stomach and gut and the inside of the nose. Gastroscopy can be used to retrieve “foreign bodies” that have been swallowed, to check for ulcers or tumours or to take biopsies from the inside of the bowel.

For a bespoke estimate please contact your local surgery.