If you are looking to book a cat vaccination, please be aware that there is an ongoing shortage of some cat vaccines affecting all UK Veterinary practices. Find out more here.

Facilities

We have a range of facilities in Watford to help us provide the best care for your pets

  • In-Patient Ward
  • Laboratory
  • Pharmacy
  • Surgical Department

In-Patient Ward

Unlike many other local Veterinary Practices, The Park Veterinary Centre has a large in-patient ward with dedicated nursing staff to look after your sick pets. Our in-patient ward provides nursing care in a calm and quiet environment separate from the daily hustle and bustle of the working practice.

Your pet will receive one-to-one constant nursing care throughout their stay. Separate wards are provided for dogs and cats to ensure the environment is as stress free as possible. A grassed outdoor area is also available for exercising dogs.

In addition to our main ward, we have a self-contained isolation ward for patients with contagious diseases. This minimises risk. We encourage owners to give us as much information as possible about your pet’s character and normal routine to enable us to, not only provide the best care for their condition, but also to care for them as individuals.

We understand that leaving your pet at the veterinary surgery can be very stressful for both you and your pet. You are therefore welcome to visit your pet during periods of hospitalisation. Generally most times can be accommodated if pre-arranged with the nursing staff. This also gives you the opportunity to speak directly with your pet’s nurse to discuss their progress.

If you would like to make any enquiries about our in-patient ward, please contact the surgery on 01923 229455.

Laboratory

We have a fully equipped in-house laboratory. This means we are able to provide same day results for biochemistry, haematology and urine, ensuring your pet can receive the correct treatment as soon as possible. This is especially important for our medical and surgical in-patients, who may require prompt assessment and intervention.

There are a wide variety of laboratory tests available to us to help us diagnose and treat your pet, however we are unable to perform every type of test in-house. We still send multiple samples every day to external laboratories. This can include blood samples, biopsies, urine or faeces, fluid samples and swabs.

Pharmacy

Our Pharmacy Department is run by our qualified nurses. You can order wormers, flea treatments, food and repeat prescriptions over the phone or via our online form. Please allow 48 hours notice so we can ensure your products are ordered and ready for you to collect.

We can supply a large variety of products and food, if you cannot find what you are looking for please call our pharmacy staff for assistance. All prescription medications require that your pet has regular veterinary health checks, your pharmacy nurse can advise you when these are due.

Order your Repeat Prescriptions online

Surgical Department

We have a large surgical department both in terms of staff and facilities. There are two separate operating theatres for sterile procedures which range from routine neuterings to more complex orthopaedic or soft tissue surgeries. We also have a preparation area which can accommodate smaller surgeries such as wound management, dentals and other non sterile procedures.

For imaging we have digital x-ray, video endoscope and ultrasound – all in an adjacent suite.

When you bring your pet in for surgery, they will be admitted by a nurse who will go through the consent form with you to ensure you understand the procedure being carried out. They will have a pre-op check with the vet and a pre-medication will be administered before they are placed in a dedicated cat, dog or exotic area for the premed to take effect.

For anxious dogs (or owners!) we can give the premedication while you are still present but this will involve you staying at the surgery for about 30 minutes. This can be arranged when you make the booking.

For safety, all cat and dog anaesthetic patients have an intravenous catheter placed prior to their procedure to ensure that immediate access for drugs is available should anything unexpected happen. Whether there is a full GA or sedation, all pets are monitored throughout their procedure by registered, qualified nurses who utilise various monitoring tools appropriate for the procedure.

After surgery, your pet is transferred to a dedicated recovery nurse who observes their recovery until you are reunited. During the recovery we monitor all vital signs and offer light food as soon as your pet is able to eat.

We have heat controlled blankets, as anaesthetics can often result in a low body temperature. By using these measures and by giving effective pain relief, we are able to discharge patients the same day, other than in exceptional circumstances.

When you collect your pet, a nurse will explain the discharge sheet to you so you understand what has happened and what after-care is needed.

Our aim is to keep you fully informed and to keep the patients as comfortable and relaxed as possible during their stay with us.

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