After Hours Care
Pet Emergency Treatment Services (PETS) has been running since October 1998 and is the after hours emergency service company based here at Newnham Court Veterinary Hospital. The company is overseen by the five partners but PETS has its own separate identity and staff members. PETS covers after hours emergency work for 16 other Practices within the area.

The unsung heroes and heroines who keep the place running during the unsociable hours are vets Nicky, Jim and Megan, veterinary nurses Heidi, Neil and Kerry, receptionist Kathie and our animal nursing assistants Faye, Charlene, Sophie and Katie. During the weekends the numbers are boosted with regular locum veterinary nurses. The ambulance drivers Zoren and Stuart are on call to help transport patients and owners when necessary.

We are very proud of the standard of our after hours patient care, and particularly of the fact that we always have a veterinary surgeon and veterinary nurse on the premises day and night. Our emergency vets and nurses all have a strong interest in Emergency Medicine and Critical Care. PETS is a founder member of the British Association of Veterinary Emergency Clinics, a new organisation aimed at improving the standard of veterinary critical care throughout the country. Please see our links page for the P.E.T.S. website.

MRI
We are pleased to be entering our eigth year in offering MRI at Newnham Court. Practices ranging from Essex to the Isle of Wight have referred patients to the clinic and have been delighted with the results.

MRI stands for Magnetic Resonance Imaging. It combines a powerful magnetic field, radio waves and a sophisticated computer to image any part of your pet's body. These images are often produced in planes not possible using conventional x-rays and are remarkably clear.

MRI does not use x-rays and there are no known side-effects. Your pet arrives in the morning, is given an anaesthetic, sleeps throughout the scan, returns to our kennels to recover and is ready to be taken home the same afternoon. Please see our links page for contact information.

Acupuncture
Much has been written about acupuncture, usually in connection to treatment of people, however it is increasingly being used to treat animals and we are pleased to be able to provide this service at our hospital. It is a form of treatment developed several thousand years ago in China which require very small needles to be placed at selected points of the body. They are left in position for a short time and then removed. There is no pain and very little risk from acupucture and animals tend to accept the treatment well; some even fall asleep during therapy.

Although it is not a cure all, acupuncture is widely regarded as effective complementary treatment which may be used with many conventional drugs.

Diseases that may respond to acupuncture include: Arthritis, Disc pain, Hip Dysplasia, incontinence, chronic pain, muscle injuries and some skin diseases. For further information, ask Reception for our leaflet.

Ophthalmology Clinic
We are pleased to provide the opportunity for eye examinations undertaken by a visiting Ophthalmolgist, Professor Peter Bedford. Clinics are arranged for a Saturday, 3 - 4 times per year. See our links page for contact details.