Kingsbridge Practice

The Kingsbridge surgery moved to its current site in 1989 in order to expand the services that we could offer our clients and their animals. Further improvements since then have built on that commitment. Below are pictures of the some of the rooms, and a brief description of what happens in them. Roll your mouse over the small green camera below each title to see an image.

The waiting room

Normally there are two receptionists on duty to receive clients and to deal with any non-clinical matters: booking appointments and operations, taking payments and dealing with financial queries, including insurance. They are also very knowledgeable on the ranges of quality dog and cat foods, collars, leads, toys, training aids etc that are stocked, and can help find any pet products that may not be stocked – often for delivery the next day!

There are some walk-on weighing scales in the waiting room to enable accurate current weights to be put on the records, to ensure that correct doses of medicines are given. Small dogs and cats are usually weighed on the smaller scales in the consulting rooms.

Although with our appointment system the waiting room should not get too busy, we appreciate that some animals who are poorly or nervous, especially cats, may not like close contact with others, and we are very happy for owners to keep these pets in their cars until called in for their appointment.

Consulting room/Imaging room

At the Kingsbridge branch there are three consulting rooms, each with a range of equipment needed to conduct an initial examination. Nurses are available to help restrain pets for the examination, and for the taking of blood samples.

The picture is of one of the consult rooms which also doubles up as the imaging area – X-Rays and ultrasound scans are carried out here. As well as for clinical investigations, the ultrasound is also used for pregnancy scanning. We are quite unusual in offering an estimate of the number of pups in canine pregnancies, and are usually accurate to within one!

Cattery

This is a small quiet room set aside for cats only, separated from the kennels and potentially noisy dogs. We also try and reduce any anxiety by using a diffuser containing the cat facial pheremone, which in nature makes them feel more at ease.

Preparation area/Kennel room

This is where the dogs are kept prior to their investigation or operation, or if they are under treatment. This room is also where the pets are prepared for surgery – animals that are usually already sedated by their pre-med are injected with a general anaesthetic. They then have a tube placed in the windpipe and are kept asleep with a gaseous anaesthetic. The site to be operated on is then clipped and disinfected, and they are carried or wheeled through to the operating theatre.

Operating theatre

This room is for clean operative procedures. Gowns and masks are worn and sterile drapes are clipped around the operation site. The condition of the animal is continually monitored by one of the nurses with the aid of an oesophageal stethoscope or a pulse oximeter. The oximeter gives a continual readout of the heart rate, and the oxygen saturation of the blood. It also shows the carbon dioxide concentration, as well as giving an audible alarm, of each breath.

Laboratory

In here is a biochemistry analyser that allows us to see any changes in a range of chemicals that may alter with disease. We also have a haematology analyser to quantify the red and white cell parameters. Both these analysers can run a sample in just a few minutes, which allows us to diagnose and start treatment without delay.

We also have tests for cat viruses, urine samples and even detecting the best time to mate a bitch that is in season. Samples can also be examined under the microscope e.g. parasites, bacteria, yeasts, crystals in urine.

Equine operating theatre

This room has padded walls and floor so that horses do not hurt themselves as they are recovering from an anaesthetic. This facility allows longer operations to be performed, as anaesthesia can be maintained with gas.

Below you can see an image of our Kingsbridge practice on the left, on the right you can see images of the different treatment rooms by rolling your mouse over their titles below.