Pebble moves to Scotland

Pebble, a Swedish Vallhund, has been a customer with us since the very early days of A-Z Animal Care, before we had the premises at Bethersden. Emma would drive to Battle in Sussex to groom him at home. Since 2005 he has been coming to us regularly, brought by his owners, Mr & Mrs Wiggins.

Sadly (for us, happily for them!) they have now moved to Scotland. They have kindly sent us this photo of Pebble at his new home just outside of Nairn, about 15 miles from Inverness. We wish them all the best and hope they'll pop in and see us with Pebble if they're ever down this way for a visit.

Prices to rise in February

Inflation during 2011 was 4.8% and a number of our costs have risen well in excess of that figure over the period, not least electricity which went up by nearly 15%.

These are difficult times so we have done our best to help by limiting our increase in prices to a little under 3% (Effective 1 Feb).

This will have the effect of adding around £1 to your bill for a small dog, £1.50 for medium / large size and £2.50 to the giant breeds. Nail, ears & glands go up by 20p to £3.95. For full details of all prices please click here

Saturday Person / Apprentice

Thank you to all those who applied. As a result we have now taken on both a new apprentice and a Saturday person. To register an interest in taking an apprenticeship with us at sometime in the future please click here.

We now have a number of New Products now in stock
for Dogs, Cats, Rabbits & Guinea Pigs and Horses:

Dogs

Greasy, cheesy, sore, red skin?
Westies in particular frequently suffer from this, but so also do a number of other breeds. Malaseb is often recommended by vets but is very expensive and is prescription only. We can now offer an alternative which is effective against lots of skin bacteria and yeasts including Malassezia. Suitable for cats and horses too.
Ask for Sporal D Shampoo 200ml @ £7.99

Anal gland problems?
Two of our clients are using this for their dogs already and say it helps. It’s a food additive designed to improve the gut function and encourage natural emptying of the anal glands. Not cheap but a pot will last a 20kg dog approx 2 months.
Ask for Pro-Fibre pellets by Protexin. 800g pot @ £17.99

Wormers for Puppies
A liquid wormer suitable for puppies from 2 weeks old. It covers all the worms a puppy is likely to get but especially roundworm.
Ask for Drontal Puppy Suspension 100ml pot @ £22.35

Wormers for big dogs
At the other end of the scale a wormer suitable for big dogs. Rather than having to get a number down them this one tablet is for 35kg of dog, and works out cheaper.
Ask for Drontal Plus Dog XL @ £7.50 each

Plus our usual range of: Licensed Frontline Dog Flea treatments, Licensed Drontal Dog Wormers, Specialist Shampoos and Conditioners, Grooming Brushes and Combs, Plaque-Off teeth & Breath treatment. The Pet shop next door in the garden centre also sells a wide range of pet products and foods.

Cats

Wormers for Big Cats (No, not Lions & Tigers!)
If your cat is larger than average this will save you chopping up tablets. One tablet per 6kg of cat.
Ask for Drontal Cat XL @ £3.50 each

Pill givers
Suitable for all animals but particularly cats where giving of pills and tablets can be a dangerous business! The device grips the pill and safely delivers it behind the tongue.
Ask for Pet Pill Giver @ £3.50

Cat too difficult to worm?
If even the pill giver above makes wormer tablet giving too much of a challenge we have a wormer given as a “spot-on” onto the skin. Combats tapeworm but not roundworm. You will need non-pill Stronghold from your vet for full protection.
Ask for Droncit Spot-on. £10 for 4 tubes; enough for 2 treatments for an adult cat.

Plus our usual range of: Licensed Frontline Cat Flea treatments, Licensed Drontal Cat Wormers, Conditioners, Grooming Brushes and Combs to keep your cat in peak condition.

Rabbits & Guinea Pigs

Mites, Lice, Roundworm and Flea Treatment
A spot on solution that treats all of the above (very dangerous to dogs). Instructions on the packet. Contains enough for complete course of treatment.
Ask for Easimec Spot on for Rabbits and Guineas @ £14.99

Horses

Autumn Worming Treatment
Autumn (Sept, Oct, Nov) is the best time of year to treat your horse for tapeworm, bots and encysted redworm as well as routine control of roundworm. We recommend a combined wormer such as Equest Pramox for this time of year.
Ask for Equest Pramox @ £17.70 (8 other wormer types in stock)

Worm Count Kits
We now stock worm count kits for those who want to identify what worms are present so that they can be targeted more accurately and effectively. The kit contains all you need to collect samples including pre-paid envelope, so they go off direct to the Laboratory.

Results come back to us so we can contact you to discuss the most suitable worming treatment and take care of everything for you.
Ask for Worm Count Kit @ £14.50

General

Hibiscrub
The “Savlon” of the pet world; an antibacterial wash for sore patches, mild skin infections, cuts, grazes, sore paws, hot spots etc. Very safe and doesn’t sting. Instructions on the pot - must avoid eyes and ears. This is only to help in mild cases. For serious problems see your vet.
Ask for Hibiscrub 100ml pot @ £3.50

Tick removal tweezers
Makes sure you remove ticks safely, cleanly and completely @ £3.50

Ear Cleaner Suitable for dogs and cats.
Gentle cleaning fast acting formula reduces ear odour.
Ask for Tropiclean Ear Cleaner 118ml @ £5.20

Fresher Breath, Cleaner Teeth
A seaweed based powder added to food to help reduce tartar and plaque on teeth. Also helps to keep breath fresh. People keep coming back and repeat buying it so it must work!
Ask for Plaque Off. One pot @ £9.99 will last a small dog a year

Fleas: Break the Cyle
A flea on your pet’s coat may lay eggs. The eggs fall off. You treat your pet for fleas and they die. The eggs that fell off hatch into fleas. They look for somewhere to live: Your pet. A flea on your pet's coat may lay eggs…......... You need to treat the house too. Ask for Indorex house spray 500ml @ £13.30 treats the whole house.

New Brochure

We've now got a new, full colour 8 page brochure. Even if you are a regular customer, do please take one and pass it on to someone you know. Do also take one of the appointment / referral cards (see below) then both you and the person you introduce will get a 25% discount on next visit.

Tenterden & District Chamber of Commerce TDCC

We've joined The TDCC as from March this year. Great support for local businesses and lots and lots of information, news, forums and more on the busy website. Click here to have a look.

Check out our new price guide

Much more comprehensive than before with detailed prices for each breed. We still have some breeds to add so if yours is not on there yet it doesn't mean we don't do it. Choose a similar breed as a guide and phone us for a more detailed price. Go to price guide

25% off your next groom?

About 40% of the customers who come to us for the first time do so as a direct result of your kind recommendation. Many thanks for that. It is much appreciated.

As a way of rewarding future recommendations we have now introduced a combined Appointment / Referral card. This not only gives the new customer a 25% introductory discount on their first visit but also gives you a 25% discount on your next visit as a thank you for making the introduction.

It’s very simple to do and we’ll be giving out the cards on every visit. Introduce four people and your next groom is free!

Just pick up an Appointment / Referral card at reception (no strings, you don't even need to make an appointment!)

Can you recommend any Good Kennels & Catteries??

We’re frequently asked if we can recommend good kennels and catteries in the area but are reluctant to do so in case it all goes wrong!

We have however now started a "Kennels & Catteries Testimonials book" where you can leave comments for others customers to read. It’s kept at reception. Please join in and add your recommendations - or warnings!

Or you can email us with any Kennel / Cattery feedback and we'll put it in the book

If we get enough we will create a page on the website, perhaps with links to the ones with the most recommendations.

Feedback cards thanks

Many thanks to all of you who have taken the trouble to return our “How did we do?” feedback cards and the many nice things you have said (Go to Testimonials). The originals are available to see at the shop.  We’ll continue to give a card out with your bill after every visit, as a way of continuing to monitor the quality of what we do and keep us on our toes!

As ever, we welcome your comments, suggestions and even complaints if it helps us get it right for you

Good to see you at Crufts

Many thanks to all of you who came to say Hello on our stand at Crufts. We were there for the four days and, in addition to the many new people we met, it was really good to see so many of our existing customers who had made the trek up from Kent for the day. The show was bigger than ever with over 150,000 people attending and over 20,000 dogs competing. It was hard work but well worth the effort. Sadly we won't be there this year - too busy!!

Past News

To download and view our previous newsletters, please select from the list below:

You will need Adobe Reader to view these files. To get the latest version, please CLICK HERE

> Issue 10 (Issue 10.pdf)

> Issue 9 - (issue09.pdf)

> Issue 8 - (issue08.pdf)

> Issue 7 - (issue07.pdf)

> Issue 6 -(issue06.pdf)

> Issue 5 - (issue05.pdf)