Dog Services

Vaccinations give puppies and adult dogs immunity against fatal diseases:

1. Parvovirus – this virus attacks the bone marrow and gut lining, weakening the immune system and causing bloody vomiting and diarrhoea. Puppies die from dehydration and sepsis.

2. Distemper Virus – this virus attacks the brain, lungs and intestines.

3. Canine Hepatitis – this virus causes severe liver disease, including jaundice, vomiting and diarrhoea.

The above viruses remain in the environment for months and can be spread between apparently healthy dogs. It’s true that in the UK we see these diseases far less commonly, however, this is certainly due to abundant dog vaccination uptake, creating a ‘herd immunity’. If this is reduced we will start to see these fatal dog diseases more and more, just like in less developed countries around the world, or even in highly dog populated and poorer areas of the UK.

4. Leptospirosis – transmitted by rat’s urine and picked up from farms, puddles or watercourses, this bacteria is really hard to diagnose and causes liver and kidney failure.

5. Kennel Cough – or canine infectious tracheobronchitis, can be picked up from anywhere your dog comes into contact with other infected dogs, not just ‘in kennels’. It’s not a serious condition most of the time, but will be uncomfortable for your dog and is highly contagious.

How often should I vaccinate my puppy or dog?

When it comes to how often you should vaccinate your dog, here’s our puppy & dog vaccination protocol:

Puppy Vaccinations

• Initial course of vaccines
• Followed by 1 year booster

Adult Dog Vaccinations:

• Bacterial vaccine against Leptospirosis (4) and Kennel Cough (5), immunity will only last 12 months. We therefore recommend having this vaccine every year at your dog’s annual health check.
• Viral vaccines (1-3 above) every 3-4 years. Research has shown that immunity to these vaccines can last this duration of time. Our team will keep a record of when your dog is due this vaccination.

Some people ask, why do dogs needs vaccinations every year? The simple answer is, annual dog vaccinations give the highest level of protection against devastating diseases not only for your dog, but for many other dogs too.

What is titre testing?

If you would rather not vaccinate your dog, you may have a titre test which will measure the antibody level against the three viruses, to ensure they have full protective immunity. The frequency that this test should be done will depend on your dog’s age, lifestyle and health.

Are there any side effects of dog vaccinations?

Your dog may develop a lump at the site of injection. This is a normal reaction of the body to the vaccine and should disappear in 2-14 days. Your dog may be quiet for 24 hours. As with humans, a very small percentage of dogs may experience some side effects, however, this is extremely rare and the immunisation benefits far outweigh this. If you are concerned post-vaccine at all, please get in touch with our expert team.

There is increasing internet lobbying against vaccinations and their effects on overstimulating the immune system. It’s true that we are diagnosing conditions more often which involve the immune system attacking the body unnecessarily, however, there is no evidence YET that vaccination is responsible for this.

All-round preventative care for your puppy or dog

As well as annual vaccinations, your dog’s preventative healthcare routine should include all-year-round parasite protection, microchipping and regular health checks with a vet.

You can get all of this when you sign up for our Dog Wellness Plan – find out more.

We're here to support you and your pet with our compassionate end of life care service. 

Seeing the decline of your long-standing companion is always difficult. Being pet owners ourselves, our team understands how special pets are to the whole family.

Sometimes, pet loss can be completely unexpected, usually through accident or illness, but most of the time, the decline is an inevitable process with age. It can be so hard to know what the right thing to do is, but Pilgrims Vets are here to help you safeguard your pet’s health and welfare until the very end:

Our end of life services:

• We can help you understand the disease process and what your pet is feeling.
• We can help your pet by managing their symptoms through palliative care.
• We can help you make the decision about when the right time is to say goodbye.
• We can talk you through the options available to you, such as pet cremation or a home burial.
• We can put your pet peacefully to sleep, in the place you choose.

If you have any concerns about your ageing companion or a sudden change in your pet’s health, call us to book a home visit or consultation at the practice.

Home visits ensure your dog always has access to expert veterinary treatment.

We believe that all pets should have access to expert and compassionate care from qualified veterinary surgeons and sometimes, a home visit may be better suited to your dog:

• If your dog has been diagnosed with a chronic condition that affects their lifestyle, it’s often better to assess their quality of life and how they are managing in their home environment, eg arthritis, cognitive dysfunction or during palliative care.
• If your dog needs an annual health check but gets very nervous at the vets.
• If you have difficulty driving or lifting your dog into the car.
• If the time has come to say goodbye, we would far rather you and your dog were comfortable in your home.
• The ideal place to treat your pet will always be at one of our veterinary practices in the New Forest where we have state-of-the-art diagnostic aids and facilities, however, we understand that sometimes for the benefit of your dog’s wellbeing, a home visit may be more appropriate.

Vet home visits for your dog

We can offer vet home visits between 9am and 6pm Monday to Friday, costing £76 on top of the normal consultation and treatment fees.

Simply contact our team who will be happy to arrange a home visit for your pet. Please be aware that we may not be able to come out to you immediately, however, we will endeavour to provide you with a time later that day.

We prefer not to carry out home visits at night – in the emergency setting it is always preferable to come to the practice where we have the equipment & facilities we need to provide the best emergency pet care.

Neutering dogs prevents unwanted pregnancies, reduces the risk of some diseases and can stop undesirable behaviours.

As vets, we see many issues associated with male and female dogs being left entire. Neutering dogs is also known as spaying a female dog and castrating a male dog. Just ask our friendly team for advice.

Advantages of dog neutering

No unwanted pregnancies

• Missing/wandering dogs – male and female dogs will go to great lengths to escape from houses and gardens to find a mate.
• Mis-mating – a female dog that has escaped for a period of time may have mated without you knowing, requiring a trip to the vets for the expensive hormone injection to avoid a surprise pregnancy. Multiple puppies to deal with and possible birthing complications/caesarian can be costly.
• Dog aggression – neutered male dogs can be less aggressive towards other males and less sexually aggressive to female dogs. We often get asked, “Will spaying calm a female dog?” – spaying female dogs can make them less aggressive towards other dogs and humans as they don’t need to compete for attention to mate.
• Undesirable behaviours – as well as aggression, un-neutered male dogs can display undesirable behaviours such as humping and cocking their leg indoors.
• Mammary cancers – very common in un-spayed bitches, 50% are malignant. The earlier your female dog is spayed, the lower the chance of these cancers occurring.
• Pyometras – very common in un-spayed older bitches. The uterus lining becomes more cystic with age, causing an environment that’s ripe for bacterial infection. When the season comes, bacteria are introduced and the uterus fills up with a toxic infection fluid, causing a very sick dog which will then need to be spayed.
• Prostate disease, gland tumours, hernias – all more common in older male un-castrated dogs.

Disadvantages of Neutering

• Female incontinence – seen in some breeds more than others. Medium/large breed female dogs spayed before their first season are particularly prone. The bladder seal muscles are stronger when oestrogen is around, medication can easily treat this, however, allowing your female dog to have a season before neutering will help prevent this from occurring.
• Male nervousness – it’s thought that very nervous male dogs can be made worse by being castrated too young, as their hormones are thought to give them a degree of confidence.
• Weight gain in both sexes – reproductive hormones reduce a dog’s energy requirements so removing these can cause weight gain. This is easily overcome by reducing food portions.
• Coat changes – this is occasionally seen in breeds like springer spaniels or Irish setters.

When is the best age to neuter a dog?

Bearing in mind all of the above, here are our recommendations for the best age to neuter your dog:

Best age to spay female dogs: Small breed female dogs can be spayed any time from 6 months of age after their first season; medium/large breed bitches should be spayed between their first and second seasons. 2-3 months after the season has finished is the best time.

Best age to neuter a male dog: As early as 6 months of age for those dogs showing undesirable male behaviours (aggression, humping, cocking leg). In these cases the sooner the better or there is a chance of these becoming learned behaviours. For those dogs not showing these behaviours, any time before they become a higher anaesthetic risk (ie before 8 years old) is advised.

What happens when my dog is neutered?

Neutering is a routine procedure performed under general anaesthesia and your dog should only need to stay with us for part of the day. They will be looked after by our experienced veterinary team and state-of-the-art facilities.

Your dog will need:

• to be dropped off in the morning, having had no breakfast/water; they can go home between 3-6pm.
• complete rest from exercise for 3 days, then lead-only exercise for the following 7 days.
• to come back so we can check wound healing at around 3 days and 10 days post-operation.

Our experienced qualified veterinary nurses are always on hand to give you free advice and help with your dog’s health care.

Specialised nurse clinics for dogs at Pilgrim Vets in the New Forest

• Weight Clinic for Dogs – receive advice on exercise and feeding management, and track changes in body condition to get your dog to a healthy weight.
• Dental Care Clinic for Dogs – advice on dental care options, and training in tooth brushing for dogs.
• Senior Dog Health Clinic – our older pets need a bit of extra care, this clinic gives advice on how you can make changes in routine, diet and exercise to better manage the ageing process for your senior dog.
• Dog Diabetes Clinic – there is a lot of new information to take in when your dog is diagnosed with diabetes. These nurse clinics give you time to take on board all that information, and learn about insulin and practice injection technique with our friendly nursing team.
• Parasite Control Clinic – the options for controlling all the worms, fleas and ticks can be overwhelming. What to treat, when and which products to use will change according to the lifestyle of your pet and your priorities. Our nurses can advise you on the best parasite prevention for your dog.

Our nurses also provide the following charged services for your dog:

• Claw clipping
• Anal gland emptying
• Dressing changes
• Blood sampling

Booking surgery for your dog can seem daunting, but they're in the best hands at Pilgrims Vets.

We use modern anaesthetic techniques tailored to the health status of your dog to minimise negative circulatory effects and maximise pain control and recovery.

Our experienced vets perform soft tissue surgeries ranging from dog neutering and lump removals to more complex procedures such as intestinal resection, spleen removal, perineal hernia repair or diaphragmatic rupture repair.

Dog orthopaedic surgeries performed include basic fracture repair, lateral suture cruciate repair and salvage procedures such as femoral head and neck excision. At Pilgrims Vets we also have a visiting orthopaedic surgeon for more complex orthopaedic procedures.

On the day of your dog’s surgery:

• You will have to ensure your dog has no breakfast (feed as normal the day before)
• You will have to ensure they are clean
• You will be given an admit appointment, usually with the nurse if you have recently seen a vet, where your dog will be checked over and any last minute questions or concerns can be raised. Cost, possible complications and pre-anaesthetic blood testing  will be discussed before the consent form is filled out.
• Once admitted, your dog will receive a pre-medicant which helps keep them calm before surgery, aids in a smooth anaesthetic induction and loads the body with pain relief.
• Your dog will then have a cannula placed in their leg vein to give the anaesthetic and this stays in place until full recovery so that we can provide fluid blood pressure support or in the event of an emergency, we can give medication intravenously.
• Your dog will usually be maintained under general anaesthesia via a tube placed down the airway delivering 100% oxygen and anaesthetic gas.
• The area for surgery is widely clipped of hair and the skin prepared in a sterile manner before your dog is moved into our theatre.
• In recovery, your dog will be monitored until they have a normal body temperature and we will phone you to let you know how they are and how the procedure went. They are usually fed within a couple of hours as this aids recovery.
• If your dog is not staying in overnight, they can go home between 3pm and 6pm depending on their recovery. The nurse will explain all post operative care to you, including feeding, rest, how to monitor the wound and when we need to see your dog again.