Why Choose Us?

Why you should choose Animates!

Why you should choose Animates!

To help you select a vet practice, we have compiled some important information about Animates we think will be helpful.

We hope we have covered all your questions but give us a call if you have any other queries or would like more information about our practice, staff and the way we care for your pet.

Cat Friendly Clinic
Rabbit Friendly Clinic
    • Appointments are available between 8:00am and 7:00pm during the week.
    • The Thurlby practice is open Saturday mornings from 8:30am until 12noon.
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    Animates is happy to offer home visits as we know it is sometimes not possible to bring your pets to the practice.

     

    We understand that when it is time to say goodbye to your pet some people prefer to do this at home in a familiar environment. We will always be able to do this for you and endeavour to arrange this at a suitable time for you.

  • Animates provide 20 minute consultations as our standard and we operate an appointment only system. This means your consultation can be calmer, relaxed and more informative. It also allows us more time to thoroughly examine your pet, discuss all possible treatment options and answer any questions you might have.

     

    Traditionally vets run by 10 minute consultations. Our longer consultations mean that unless we are dealing with an emergency we almost always run on time.

     

    Furthermore, double appointments are routinely made at no extra charge for new pets, complicated cases or if your pet sadly has to be put to sleep.

  • Animates has two practices, one located in Thurlby and the other in Market Deeping. Both are just off the A15 and within easy reach of Bourne, the Deepings, Stamford, Peterborough and the surrounding villages. Off road car parking is available at both practices.

     

    Staff will assist with moving your pet to and from the car whenever required.

  • Lower cost nurse consultations for nail clips, ear cleaning, weight checks and anal gland expression.

  • Our clients can order food, repeat medications or parasite treatments. This can be done in person, over the phone within normal opening hours, or by email. You need to give us the following information and we will be able to get the items ordered for you:

     

    • Your name and the address that your pet is registered under.
    • Your pet's name and species.
    • Product required – Name, size, quantity, strength & dose of medication.
    • The premises you wish to collect the prescription from.
    • For medications we also need to know if there are any changes in your pet’s condition or response to the medication.
  • At Animates, we have separate hospital wards for cats, dogs and exotics (often not possible in other vet practices due to space constraints). The different wards are designed to minimise stress between species.

     

    • Our waiting rooms have separate partitioned areas for cats and dogs
    • Special “cat cubby holes” help minimise stress for your cats while they wait (this gives them a sheltered area where they cannot see other patients)
    • A fully equipped Exotics clinic with its own waiting and consulting rooms and hospital
    • Separate isolation facilities
  • Minimising stress to pets and preventing diseases spreading between species is so important to us that we opened our dedicated Exotics clinic in 2015.

     

    Features of this clinic include:

     

    • Separate waiting room and two consulting rooms so that these pets do not have to come into contact with cats and dogs
    • Five separate hospital wards to cater for their individual environment needs
    • Appropriate housing for various species including vivariums for different species of reptiles and heated tortoise tables
    • A range of enclosures for birds and small mammals with species specific environmental enrichment
  • Our nursing team provides round the clock care for inpatients Monday to Friday in our Thurlby practice, including throughout the night. They will feed, exercise and medicate your pet as needed and you can have peace of mind, knowing that someone is awake and caring for them.

    If your pet needs to stay in hospital over a weekend or bank holiday we will organise a transfer to our dedicated emergency care partner Vets Now.

  • We understand that if your pet is unwell and has to be hospitalised with us it will be a worrying time for you. If you feel it will benefit your pet we are happy for you to come and visit and can arrange a mutually convenient time.

     

    Your pet will be very well looked after during their stay by the Animates team. Every day there will be a vet who is responsible for your pet who will be assisted by our nursing team and during the night your pet will be looked after by one of our dedicated night nursing team who are on the premises working 24/7.

  • We can issue Pet Passports for travel within the EU and export certification for travel outside the EU. See the following link for more information.

  • We work closely with Hydropets Therapy and Fitness Centre who have wonderful facilities to provide pet rehabilitation and exercise. They have an in-ground hydrotherapy pool, a water treadmill and a registered ACPAT physiotherapist who has appointments available every week.

     

    We offer therapeutic laser treatments which can be very beneficial in treating conditions such as arthritis.

     

    We can also offer Animal Behaviour sessions with our own qualified Animal Behaviourist.

  • Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) Practice Standards: Animates has been an RCVS accredited practice since 2009, and we are accredited under the category “General Practice Small Animal (GPSA)”. Through setting standards and carrying out regular inspections, the scheme aims to promote and maintain the highest standards of veterinary care.

     

    In 2016 the RCVS launched additional optional awards which provide greater differentiation between accredited practices and recognise excellence. Animates was the first practice in Lincolnshire and the third in the UK to achieve outstanding in the 5 categories we are eligible for. The categories are team and professional responsibility; in-patient care; client service; out-patient consultation and diagnostics. This means that you can be assured that you are receiving the best possible service from a competent and caring team in a fully equipped and professional practice environment.

     

    Rabbit Friendly Vet List: We are on this list at Gold level which means we are committed to providing top quality veterinary care to this species.

  • We are justifiably proud of our practices and are very happy to show them to you. Talk to our staff if you would like a tour.

     

    Our sterile operating theatres are fully equipped to ensure your pet is provided with the highest standard of care. Sterile theatres are separate from non-sterile procedure areas to minimise the risk of wound infection.

     

    We regularly invest in new equipment to ensure that most conditions can be diagnosed quickly and treated appropriately on site.

     

    Our equipment includes:

     

    • Ultrasound
    • Digital x-ray
    • Endoscopes
    • In-house routine haematology and biochemistry blood analysers
    • In-house advanced blood analysers including blood gases and coagulation screens
    • Therapeutic laser
    • Dental equipment including dental x-rays at our Thurlby practice
    • Ventilator for exotics
    • Blood pressure monitors
    • Tonometer
    • E.C.G machine
  • We have a knowledgeable, experienced team of Veterinary Surgeons and Registered Veterinary Nurses.

     

    The Veterinary Surgeons at Animates have a wide range of interests including exotic species, emergency and critical care, orthopaedics, soft tissue surgery, diagnostic imaging, ophthalmology and cardiology. We place emphasis on continuing education and we encourage our vets to regularly attend courses and keep up to date with all the latest advancements in veterinary medicine.

     

    Many practices have non-qualified support staff who are incorrectly referred to as veterinary nurses. It is not appropriate to use this title unless the person has the necessary qualifications and practical skills.

     

    At Animates our 15 Registered Veterinary Nurses are a vital part of our team. Their nursing support and clinical advice to clients ensures your pets get the very best care. They also lead the training of our Student Veterinary Nurses. All work carried out by non-qualified staff is always under the guidance of a qualified member of staff.

     

    Please visit the staff section of our website for more information about our staff or about the qualifications and titles used in the veterinary profession.

  • At Animates we pride ourselves on having fully trained staff available to be able to carry the job out correctly:

     

    • All surgical and dental procedures are performed by Veterinary Surgeons
    • All anaesthetics are monitored by qualified Registered Veterinary Nurses
    • All recovering patients are monitored very closely by the nursing team

     

    Patient continuity is as important to us as it is to you – For any ongoing conditions we always endeavor to have the same vet dealing with your pet. If you would like to see a particular member of staff please ask for them and we will let you know when they are available.

  • We firmly believe in fair and transparent pricing for consultations, procedures and medication. We are happy to provide estimates and to fully discuss all options available.

    Modern veterinary medicine offers a great range of treatments and diagnostic options which means we are able to treat many conditions much better than we were able to in the past. Unfortunately with no “NHS” for pets all of these treatments come at a cost. We know that some of the more advanced options are not right for everyone or every pet, and we will discuss every option with you and find a solution together.

     

    You make the decisions – While some options can be very useful they are not always critical. We will advise you if we consider these options necessary to reduce the risks to your pet and will let you decide how to proceed.

     

    Insurance can be very helpful for unexpected problems and is an option worth considering.

  • We believe that ‘Prevention is better than cure’ and want to help you wherever possible by providing information and packages.

     

    Nurse appointments are available to discuss preventative healthcare such as neutering, parasite prevention and weight management. Many of these appointments are provided free of charge.

     

    Pet Care Plans offer you a way of spreading the cost of gold-standard preventative healthcare over the year and give you value for money on premium products. Click here to see Pet Care Plans.

     

    Fixed price dental scale & polish Routine preventative dental care is essential for pets. Animates introduced our ‘Fixed Price Dental Scale & Polish’ package in 2011 as a permanent offer. As many pets needing dental treatment are older, a pre-anaesthetic blood test and intravenous fluids are included in the package price. Other vets may have offers that seem the same but please make sure you know what is included. Click here to see Fixed Price Dental Package.

     

    Puppy and Kitten Packages have been available since Animates first opened. We’ve included everything we think is important for your new pet to give you peace of mind they are getting the right start. Click here to see Puppy Packages and here to see Kitten Packages.

     

    Vaccination of your pets is very important to ensure protection against a number of serious infectious diseases. We are happy to give you advice on the appropriate vaccination schedule for your pets. Click here to find out more about Vaccinations.

     

    Further information on preventative healthcare can be found on other pages of our website.

  • All puppies that come to Animates are invited to the puppy parties that we hold every week at one of the clinics. These are a valuable way for owners to start the socialisation process and also help make coming to the vet less stressful for your dog.

  • We have many over the counter goods available including ear cleaners, joint supplements, de-odorising products, dental homecare products, shampoos, healthy treats and pet-safe toys.

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