Nurse clinics

Here at the Ark Veterinary Group we have a dedicated team of nurses offering our clients basic health clinics where a vet is not required and comes at a cheaper cost or even free; please contact the surgery for prices.

Free

• Post-op checks.
• Suture removals.
• Dental checks.
• Flea checks.
• Weight clinics.
• Worm checks.
• Puppy parties.

For a small charge

• Nail clipping (unless a Healthy Pet Club member).
• Anal glands.
• Tick removal.
• Microchipping.
• Dematt.

Clinics days and times at Burgess Hill

Tuesday: 10am – 12pm and 2pm – 3pm
Wednesday: 10am – 12pm and 2pm – 3pm
Thursday: 10am – 12pm and 2pm – 3pm
Friday: 2pm – 3pm and 6.30pm – 7pm

Weight clinics

What are weight clinics?

Here at the Ark we now offer all our clients FREE nurse weight clinics. These clinics allow you to bring in your pet(s) to discuss any weight concerns you have whether underweight, overweight or even if you would just like to discuss individual feeding requirements.

Why should I bring my pet(s) to a weight clinic?

If you’re concerned about the weight of your pet then these clinics are designed for you to talk to a nurse in confidence. With 50% of cats and between 30-40% of dogs being overweight, obesity is the biggest form of malnutrition in the UK. It only takes an animal to be over 15% of his/her target bodyweight to be classed as obese.

Diabetes mellitus, lameness, exercise intolerance, heart conditions, respiratory conditions and a shortened life expectancy are only a few of the secondary conditions that can come from your pet(s) being overweight.

Here at the Ark we take obesity very seriously and are keen to guide and support you to achieve the best results. Our aim is for a happier and healthier pet. If you feel your animal is underweight then please do not feel you shouldn’t come to a weight clinic. Animals that are underweight are also a concern and should not be ignored.

What happens during a weight clinic?

All first weight clinic appointments are booked for 20 minutes to allow the nurse to assess your pet(s) current weight, body condition and lifestyle. This is to enable the nurse to set up a suitable weight control programme to suit your pet’s needs.

Fortnightly visits are then required to ensure the weight control programme is achieving the desired results. The bodyweight and body condition of your pet(s) will be assessed and changes to the weight programme will be made accordingly. Visits will then be extended to four to six weekly visits until completion.

Losing or gaining weight needs to be a slow process and no matter how long it takes you will be supported 100% from beginning to end.

What happens once the target weight has been reached?

A suitable maintenance programme will be decided upon once your pet has reached their target weight. Four to six week visits will continue with the nurse until weight maintenance is being achieved. Then length of time between visits can then be extended until discharged.