Services
All branches of St James Veterinary Group are modern and well equipped and we are able to offer a wide range of services and facilities.
Our main flagship Parkway Surgery opened in Sketty in June 2010 and has received RCVS Tier 3 Accreditation (Small Animal Hospital Status). Parkway has separate dog and cat waiting areas, 6 consult rooms, a separate cattery and dog kennels, comprehensive diagnostic equipment (including endoscopy / ultrasonography / digital radiography) and 3 operating suites – including one dedicated to orthopaedics. Parkway also has separate dog and cat isolation areas, a dog walking area and plenty of car parking spaces.
Our Services
As a practice we have the expertise to offer a wide range of surgeries including, abdominal, thoracic, orthopaedic and cancer surgeries “in-house” that you would normally have to be referred to a specialised centre for.
We are very proud to be the first veterinary practice in Swansea to be able to offer keyhole spays!
Keyhole (laparoscopic) surgery is a minimally invasive technique where a surgeon uses a camera and specialized instruments inserted through small (0.3-1 cm) incisions in the body wall to perform procedures.
You may already know the many benefits of keyhole surgery for humans, and these advantages apply to our pets as well.
What are the advantages of keyhole surgery?
- Less post-operative pain
- Smaller incisions
- Faster healing time
- Fewer complications after surgery
- No stitches in the skin, often eliminating the need for a buster collar
- Rest is usually only required for 2-3 days after the procedure
- A clearer and safer view for the surgeon
All surgeries offer ultrasonic scaling and polishing to improve your pets dental health. Dental Grading System
We also have dental X Ray facilities at our Parkway, Whitegates, Walter Road and Penllergaer branches to improve the amount of diagnostic information we can obtain before treating your pet’s teeth.
We are proud to still be one of the only vets in Swansea that provide our very own 24 hour emergency service. This is on our own premises and run by our very own vets and nurses. We do not out source our OOH service to any other veterinary companies. The 24 hour service is run from our main flagship Parkway surgery in Sketty, and has Tier 3 Small Animal Veterinary Hospital status so you can rest assured that your pet is in the best possible hands.
Who should I call if I feel my animal needs to be seen out of hours?
If you ring your usual branch surgery, you will be directed through to the ‘out of hours service’. The out of hours number is 01792 200900. Please be ready with your pet’s name, your surname, your address and the branch that you usually attend. Usually one of the nurses will answer your call, and if required will get the vet to return your call, or ask you to come along to the Parkway surgery.
How much will it cost to be seen out of hours?
To have a practice which is kept open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with nurses always on site is fairly expensive to run, however we try to keep our out of hours costs to a minimum, and will always inform you of the associated costs before you decide whether to come in and be seen.
My pet is insured, will I have to pay to come in out of hours?
If you have insurance for your pet which covers out of hours treatment at the vets, we will be more than happy to assist with making a claim. Please be aware that you will have to pay your excess up front and drop off a claim form at the earliest possible convenience to ensure the claim can be processed.
Can I phone for advice out of hours?
If you are concerned about your animal, or feel that your animal may benefit from being seen out of hours, please ring before you decide to come in. The nurse may be able to offer assistance over the phone, or reassure you that you can wait until the morning to be seen by a vet, on the other hand, they may ask you to come straight down to the surgery.
Please do not ring the out of hours number for general information as you may be taking away the phone line from a genuine emergency call.
Will my animal be left on their own during the night if they are staying in?
No, your animal will not be left on their own, there are always at least 2 nurses on the premises who will give your animal the around the clock care and attention that they require. Obviously they will be given chance to get some rest and some sleep, however if they require medication or treatment throughout the night, this will be dealt with as necessary.
At our Parkway branch we have video endoscope that can be used for gastroscopy and colonoscopy. This can be used for taking biospies of dog’s and cat’s stomachs and colons. We also have a bronchosope for looking inside the lung and airways and a rigid rhinoscope for looking inside the noses of our patients!
We have a range of equipment to keep your pet safe under anaesthetic. We routinely measure and record your pet’s heart and respiratory rate, your pet’s temperature and their blood pressure when under anaesthetic.
We also have equipment that measures the oxygen saturation of your pet’s blood, their carbon dioxide percentage in expired air and their heart rhythm.
We are able to run many diagnostic tests in house to ensure fast results. We can offer a range of blood tests including pre-anaesthetic checks and diabetic monitoring. These are now available in all branches.
In our Parkway branch we are now able to run bloods to test thyroid, cortisol and bile acid levels that were previously sent off to an external laboratory. Results are often received within an hour of blood being taken.
This has accelerated the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions as well as improving the speed at which we can monitor pets receiving treatment.
All our surgeries have a separate operating area and we have a number of anaesthetic monitoring devices to enhance safety.
If your pet requires an operation/general anaesthetic, please take note of the following:
Dogs and cats
Starve from food from 8pm the night before the procedure. They can have water up to the time they are admitted.
Ferrets
Starve from midnight.
Rabbits, guinea pigs, rats and mice
Do not starve.
Our recommendations:
Spaying your bitch (female dog)
Our broad recommendations are as follows:
- Small breeds (10kg): 3 months after the end of the first season
- Medium/ large breeds (10-40kg):12-18 months old and 3 months after the end of the last season
- Giant breeds (>40kg): 18-24 months old and 3 months after the end of the last season
Castrating your dog
From 12-18 months old (and onwards)
This can still be done from 6 months depending on the reason but may not be appropriate for all dogs, if in doubt please discuss with one of our vets
Spaying your cat
From 5-6 months. It is possible to spay your cat earlier (from 4 months) if you are concerned about the cat becoming pregnant.
Castrating your cat
From 4 months
Spaying rabbits, ferrets and guinea pigs
From 6 months
Castrating rabbits, ferrets and guinea pigs
From 6 months
In our main Parkway branch we have separate dog and cat isolation areas where we are able to hospitalise pets who have a suspected infectious condition. This isolation area has a separate entry and exit point to ensure these animals do not come into contact with any other animals, and are well away from the main cattery and kennels.
We have 2 large walk in kennels in the dog isolation area which allows large/giant breeds to be isolated if they are unwell. We also have 4 smaller kennels which can be opened up to create 2 larger kennels if needed. There are separate food preparation areas and bedding washing facilities to ensure there is no cross-contamination.
There are 5 cat kennels in our cat isolation area, and also a designated play room for any litters of unwell kittens that we may have in.
At St James Veterinary Group we can offer a range of chemotherapy protocols, including those involving doxorubicin, and carboplatin to treat animals affected by cancers such as lymphoma, leukaemia or osteosarcoma.
At St James Veterinary Group we are lucky enough to have a practice ambulance. This is used to transport sick pets safely between branches and our main Parkway branch in Sketty. It is also used to collect animals and for home visits.
If you are unable to transport your animal to the surgery and feel that you require the service of the practice ambulance, please telephone the Parkway Surgery to discuss this with the reception team. Please note that we are unable to transport an owner to the surgery with the animal, you will have to arrange your own transport to and from the surgery.
Some of our vets have Official Veterinarian (OV) qualifications which means that they can complete an Animal Health Certificate (AHC) to enable you to take your dog or cat abroad with you.
Please contact the branch you normally attend for further details.
We currently have digital radiography available at our Parkway branch in Swansea and x ray facilities at our Neath and Penllergaer branches.
We have ultrasound scanners at our Parkway, Neath, Penllergaer and Whitegates branches.
