Please Note: This page provides basic information about Rivonia Village Vets, Sunninghill Village Vets, and Village Vetshop. The new, more extensive, combined Group web site is at the link above. That web site has articles updated regularly; new articles may be posted only sporadically on this site.
Our motto at Rivonia and Sunninghill Village Vets and Village Vetshop (the latter conveniently situated in the Wedge Shopping Centre, Morningside) is “Total Care, For Life”. The practice was established in 1996. It is the mission of every staff member to develop a special relationship with our patients and their owners from the very first visit. We are with them every step of the way, advising clients on all aspects of pet care at each life-stage. Our shops are stocked with the major brands in super-premium diets, as well as a variety of pet requirements and accessories; we are happy to source any item you require, should it not be a regular stock item.
Our Health Care Team keeps up to date with the latest advances in the fields of pharmaceuticals, surgery, nutrition and animal behaviour in order to provide a cutting edge veterinary service to our patients and practical advice to their owners. We are known for our compassionate approach and endeavour to be a trusted support system for clients during the sometimes stressful disease/treatment process; our customer service excellence is also legendary.
All staff are qualified Veterinary Nutrition Advisors and equipped to assist clients in making the best choices regarding which food to choose for each pet’s specific needs. In promoting premium diets and supplements, many health problems can be prevented. Chubby pets may benefit from our Weight Reduction Programmes.
A comprehensive Puppy Socialising Course is offered on the RVV premises at weekends, giving puppy owners insight into the needs of the new addition to the family, and puppies, a stimulating, fun environment in which to learn appropriate behaviour within their new “pack”.
Additionally, we have reliable contacts for related pet services such as kennels and house-sitting, grooming, welfare organizations, pet travel and emigration, local wildlife rehabilitation, dog-walking, hydro-therapy, etc.
Our opening hours are:
|
Rivonia Village Vet (by appointment) |
Sunninghill Village Vet (by appointment) |
Village Vetshop, the Wedge |
|
| Weekdays | 07:30 to 18:00 | 07:30 to 18:00 | 09:00 to 19:30 |
| Saturdays | 08:00 to 14:00 | 08:00 to 14:00 | 09:00 to 17:00 |
| Sundays and Public Holidays | referral to after hour-facilities | referral to after hour-facilities | 09:30 to 14:00 |
We look forward to meeting you and your furry family members soon!
Below: Contact Details ~ Directions ~ Newsletters ~ Ask the Vet!
To search this page for keywords, press Ctrl+F (please tell contacts that you found them at www.megaplex.co.za).
Rivonia Village Veterinary Clinic:
e-mail Rivonia Village Vet
Tel: 011
803 3122,
Fax: 011
803 1663
Postal: Postnet Suite # 465,
Private Bag X26, Sunninghill 2157.
Physical: Corner 8th Avenue and Stiglingh Road, Rivonia, Sandton.
Sunninghill Village Veterinary
Clinic:
e-mail Sunninghill Village Vet
Tel 011 803-1221, Fax: 011 803 9240
Postal: Postnet Suite # 465,
Private Bag X26, Sunninghill 2157.
Physical: Corner Tesla Crescent and Edison Crescent (opposite Spar),
Sunninghill.
Village Vetshop at the The Wedge, Morningside – Veterinary-quality pet food: Hills, Iams, Vet's Choice, Eukanuba, Ultradog. Pet toys, beds, kitty scratching posts and play-parks, and even "outward hound" doggie strollers! Tel: 011 883-0004.
In Rivonia, on Rivonia Road, turn into Mutual Road next to McDonalds (opposite Seventh Avenue). Cross Wessels Road stop street, where the road becomes 8th Avenue. Continue down the hill: Rivonia Village Veterinary Clinic is on your left on the next corner at Stiglingh Road.
On this page: Back to top ~ Contact Details ~ Directions ~ Newsletters ~ Ask the Vet!
To view one of the newsletters, click the link below.
To download it (PDF file, needs Adobe reader or similar), right-click the link and choose "Save Target As...".
Nov/Dec 2009 Newsletter (also directly below) ~ Aug/Sep 2009 Newsletter (also further below) ~ June/July 2009 Newsletter ~ April/May 2009 Newsletter ~ Feb 2009 newsletter ~ Dec 2008 newsletter
The main website now has blog posts, so they are not also emailing newsletters.
Growing up with a pet is a privilege for children and can teach them so many important life lessons about responsibility, friendship and empathy for all living creatures. Most of us who have had this privilege have many fond memories of our childhood companions and wish the same for our children. A parents’ worst nightmare however, must be for their child to be bitten by their beloved furry sibling. No matter how much you trust your animals, there are certain precautions that should be taken to ensure this doesn’t happen. Continue reading...
This is essential to ensure happy, relaxed, well-behaved and confident dogs that will fit into their home environment. The main aim is to improve the relationship between you and your puppy, and to build your puppy’s confidence. Between the ages of 8 and 16 weeks, puppies have an incredibly steep learning curve when they are sensitive to environmental influences. When pups are young, they are inquisitive and interested in new things. If we can expose them to potentially scary things when they are happy and relaxed, they will understand how to react and not be scared. A scared, unsocialised dog will either react with aggression or cowardice to a ‘scary’ stimulus, but a well-socialised dog will handle this stimulus in a calm, relaxed manner. Puppy socialising, therefore, can prevent many behavioural problems later on.
Read more here.
As the little boy on the Oreos advert reminds us, “Chocolate isn’t good for dogs”. In fact, chocolate is highly toxic to dogs (and other pets); depending on the size of the animal and the amount consumed, ingestion can be fatal. The higher the percentage of cocoa solids present in the chocolate, the more dangerous. Just 7g (1-2 blocks!!) of 70% dark chocolate would kill a yorkie puppy weighing 1kg. If a 60kg Boerboel raided the pantry or sniffed out one of those Holiday-Season-sized 500g bars, he could also face an untimely death if not rushed to a veterinary clinic immediately. Milk chocolate is slightly less serious, with a toxic dose of around 60g per kg of the pet’s weight, but should nonetheless be kept well away from curious snouts! UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD CHOCOLATE EVER BE GIVEN TO PETS AS A TREAT!
With many furry friends getting set to travel on holiday with their people, bear in mind the following to ensure their comfort in the car and their health whilst on vacation:
Festive Season, Feline-Style…. (sung to “Away in a Manger)
Away from all danger, not covered at all; there sits a plump turkey I’m
hoping to maul.
There’s nobody looking, my fate I will seal; And don’t you be thinking that
guilt I will feel.
Now I am so clever, I am a good thief. I have to choose quickly ‘tween turkey
and beef;
A fish in a bright dish or cream I will lick, I’ll eat it all quickly until I am
sick.
I know it’s forbidden, I know that’s the truth; To eat off the table is really
uncouth.
But this is so tempting, I really don’t care, And I blame my dear humans for
leaving it there!
On this page: Back to top ~ Contact Details ~ Directions ~ Newsletters ~ Ask the Vet!
Together with obesity, dental disease is one of the most common complaints dealt with by veterinarians. Although the movement of their rough tongues keeps the inside surfaces of pets’ teeth fairly clean, the outer surfaces develop build-up just like our teeth do and, without intervention, this can result in serious problems for the animal. Dental disease can cause bad breath, loss of teeth, gingivitis, abscesses and, in severe cases, death, resulting from the spread of bacteria from the mouth to the heart through the bloodstream.
The best defence against dental problems is daily brushing using a pet-friendly toothpaste (which does not need to be rinsed out and can safely be swallowed) and a toothbrush made to fit over the owner’s finger. Even twice-weekly brushing can go a long way towards preventing dental disease. Should the animal not tolerate brushing, there are a number of alternatives which, although not as effective, can guard the pet against serious dental problems. Hexarinse Oral Hygiene Rinse contains dental enzymes to break down plaque and tartar. Aquadent is ideal for animals that are reluctant to have any attention given to their mouths - a capful of this product is added to the drinking-water daily, thereby eliminating any “wars” associated with teeth-cleaning! C.E.T. dental chews are impregnated with dental enzymes to combat bacterial growth as the pet chews on the rawhide treats. There are also a number of veterinary diets on sale which can further assist in keeping teeth clean: most products in the Iams/Eukanuba range have the kibbles coated with polyphosphate crystals to break down plaque and tartar as the animal eats, and Hills and Royal Canin manufacture special dental diets geared towards oral health.
In the event that your pet is already suffering from dental disease, a dental scale and polish will be indicated. This procedure is carried out under a full general anaesthetic and any rotten teeth will be extracted, by the veterinarian. Before having a dental, any pet over the age of 7 years should have blood and urine tests to ascertain the state of the liver, kidneys and blood parameters and, consequently, the animal’s suitability to undergo an anaesthetic. Should the organs not be in peak condition, the veterinarian may elect to use a drip during the anaesthetic for added safety, or advise further tests before the procedure is performed.
– we recommend 3 monthly deworming and monthly tick and flea prevention.
Please support our raffles to raise money for the South African Veterinary Association Community Veterinary Clinics initiative which goes into rural areas, setting up veterinary clinics, educating disadvantaged communities on all aspects of pet/livestock care, and supplying veterinary services. You stand to win one of three exquisite framed sketches of different dog-breeds.
On this page: Back to top ~ Contact Details ~ Directions ~ Newsletters ~ Ask the Vet!
This section brings together some of the questions readers have e-mailed to Dr Fleming:
Ebrahim: I have a kitten who is about 8 - 9 weeks old. He discharges liquid from his eyes which becomes dry under his eyes. is it normal?
Dr Anthea Fleming: This is unlikely to be normal, there may be a viral or bacterial infection on the go, and I would suggest that you have him seen to by a vet.
He should have been checked out at about 6 or 7 weeks or so when he got his first inoculation, and would be due again 4 weeks after that, so if his eyes are not causing him too much discomfort (i.e. he is not rubbing at them) and does not seem ill in himself (i.e. he is eating well etc.) then you could probably wait until the next check-up to have them looked at.
If he is in discomfort or is not eating well you should have him seen to as soon as possible.
Ebrahim: I have a kitten three months old. Can I feed him raw chicken meat together with the wet cat food that I purchase at a supermarket?
Dr Anthea Fleming: Raw chicken can carry Salmonella, so it is not advised to feed raw chicken to any animals (there is a risk to you as well if the raw meat is not stored correctly).
Also, adding meat (even cooked) to the diet will unbalance the ration as the pre-packaged foods are complete and contain everything that your cat needs.
The best thing to feed is a well balanced kitten food. We recommend Hills.
Did your kitten’s eye come right?
Ebrahim: I have a kitten, about 3 and half months old. His lower gums are swollen on both the sides. It's a reddish white colour. Is he teething?Dr Anthea Fleming: Cats and dogs do change their teeth, usually between the ages of 3 and 6 months, so it could well be the problem. If he is unwell or stops eating, you should take him to your vet.
Webmaster: Come on, Ebrahim, stop being a cheapskate and take your poor kitten in to Dr Fleming!
Chris: This is to inform that we rescued a lovely white Jack Russell with brown spots on the R101 last night. We can be contacted on...
Dr Anthea Fleming: Hi Chris, Thank you for letting us know. What
sort of area did you find the dog? Is it a girl or a boy? If you are able to
take him/her to any vet clinic they can scan to see if she has a chip (ID chip
under the skin for identification). In the meantime I will note her as found,
and see if we get any calls.
Thank you for helping her!
Chris: We did take him to a vet --- he had a chip --- and dog and tearful owner are re-united
Dr Anthea Fleming: Brilliant!!!!! Wish all pets were chipped! Thanks for helping.
On this page: Back to top ~ Contact Details ~ Directions ~ Newsletters ~ Ask the Vet!
To search this page for keywords, press Ctrl+F (please tell contacts that you found them at www.megaplex.co.za !).
For information on local amenities, and this site's contact details, click Here (Megaplex Home Page)
Shopping centres in the area:
Rivonia Central, Rivonia Village,
Mutual Mews,
Morningside
Wedge, 90° on
Rivonia.
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– Page Created 25 October 2008 – Last Updated
01 January 2022 –
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