Services
- Vet Clinic
- Home Visits
- Equine Support (Horses)
- Accell/ Equissage Therapy
- Grooming
- Behavioural Training
- Pet Boarding
- Outreach Clinic
Vet Clinic
Redgum Vets is staffed by 3.5 Vets. Dr Roger Absalom, has been a Port Augusta local for over 30 years. Well known throughout the district, Dr. Absalom has a close affinity with the outback and rural and remote environments. As such, he regularly services outreach clinics in Coober Pedy, Ceduna, Roxby Downs, Andamooka, Quorn and Hawker, as well as shorter day trips to closer areas.
Dr. Yvette Yates is with us three days a week. Her local knowledge is invaluable and her calm and relaxed manner is a great asset to the clinic.
Dr. Hannah Moy and Dr. Kerrod Uebel are the two newest additions to the Veterinary staff at Redgum. Both new Vets have travelled to Port Augusta from Queensland, and are great additions to the Vet team at Redgum. Each brings their own mix of interests within the animal world, and both are very thorough and always work with the bet interests of the animal at heart.
The Redgum Vet clinic is fully equipped and functioning. To ensure the best possible care, support and diagnosis for your pets, we carry an extensive range of diagnostic tools and equipment. This includes digital x-ray processing, and ultrasound, as well as surgical support tools.
We network with a range of specialist services to ensure those more involved cases and surgeries are offered the best outcomes for recovery. Redgum also has the support of a behavioural consultant and an animal Bowen Therapy practitioner.
Redgum carries a wide range of products to support good animal health and care, from nutritional needs, enrichment toys and treats, and skin and coat requirements. Our Vet Nurses are able to support your decision making in ensuring positive animal health.
Home Visits
At Redgum, we know that getting to the Clinic for an appointment, or grooming, can sometimes be more difficult. Perhaps your dog is terrified of the Vet, or you just can’t get him in the car, or perhaps mobility is a problem for you.
We understand these issues and have worked towards making good animal health care easier for all of our clients.
We now have the Redgum van. You will see us out and about around Port Augusta.
This will be used for Veterinary home visits, picking up and delivery of pets for grooming, and for delivering foods and goods.
Perhaps you have ordered a bag of food, but picking it up can be difficult. No worries – we will deliver to your house; perhaps your dog needs a groom, but you find it difficult to get in and out of the car. No worries – we will pick up your little bundle of fluff and deliver a well-manicured pooch!
Redgum have a scheduled van route, so please be aware that orders or pick-ups might need to wait until the Van is near you.
Equine Support (Horses)
Dr Roger has always undertaken horse work, but needed Veterinary back-up to be able to offer a sustained service. Now, with the support of two additional Vets on staff, and the building of a horse specific yard area, inclusive of a crush, Dr. Roger is able to offer horse consults at Redgum.
Redgum will be available for all equine consults, including pre-purchase examinations, blood tests, lameness checks, general surgery and health checks, castrations and dental procedures (excluding reproduction procedures).
Dr. Roger has recently acquired a power float to support dental work, and continues to offer dental rasping.
Accell/ Equissage Therapy
Accell Therapy/Equissage Therapy Accell and Equissage are the same systems – one in the form of a mat for animals to lie on, the other a saddle-type mat. Both forms of the therapy have hand-held units which can be used to respond to specific areas on the animal’s body.
The technology was initially developed for human use way back in 1949 and has now evolved for advanced veterinary and equine applications producing results across all disciplines.
Redgum believes in supporting all areas of animal care and well-being. A new addition to our range of care supports is a unique ‘vibration therapy technology’. This system stimulates blood circulation and lymphatic system drainage, improving muscle stimulation, increasing dynamic joint mobility, reducing musculoskeletal dysfunction and hypersensitivity, treating acute muscle spasms, tension and soft tissue related trauma. Ideal for increasing circulation and assisting in healing, this therapy travels through bone and tissue at a cellular level, increasing nerve-muscle communication. We use the therapy mat at Redgum for almost every animal post-surgery as a tool to speed recovery from the anaesthetic, creating a faster transition of drugs through the system.
We also offer this therapy for horses. Termed Equissage, the therapy uses a saddle-type mat, or a handheld unit on the horse, to support healing, relaxation and to promote recovery.
Your horse is an athlete and therefore requires good circulation to achieve peak performance and optimised muscle tone. Additionally, circulation enhances recovery from work or injury, oxygenates the blood, reduces swelling and joint discomfort prevents lactic acid build-up and the accumulation of toxins. Equissage is a therapy which is repeatable and reliable, with clinically proven results every time.
Grooming
About Our Grooming Service
Is your dog or cat looking a bit ragged or tired and you want to spruce it up a bit? Is the smell of your best friend interrupting your cuddle times?
You are not the only one who wants to look good all year round, so get your four-legged friend groomed at Redgum today.
Don’t worry! At Redgum Vet & Pet Boarding, we can help! Just call in and see our friendly Grooming Manager, Skye.
Skye can wash and groom your dog or cat to perfection, and is happy to fulfil any request to make your furry friend look and smell absolutely beautiful. Skye is able to specialise in all cuts; talk to her about your needs.
Using the correct type of shampoo for your dog will make your pet feel relaxed, cleaned and fresh. All products used at Redgum vet and Pet Boarding are very high in quality and hygienic, and are available for over the counter sale to support that fantastic fresh smell between visits.
In addition to the traditional cutting and cleaning process, your pet can also enjoy the benefits of a relaxing massage in the hydrobath. Perhaps your dog is short haired, and doesn’t need the full grooming service, but will still benefit from a relaxing hydrobath.
Skye can discuss shampoos, or perhaps you need advice on the right type of brush to use. Skye also specialises in grooming long haired cats. Our Vet will discuss sedation options with you, if it is required.
We also have a fantastic reward system for regular clients. Make sure you talk to Skye or reception staff about this!
Grooming Manager Skye is a perfectionist! If you are looking for a quick groom, this is not the place for you! Skye prides herself on making sure that your pet looks amazing, and without stress or concern. She has regular, dedicated clients who can attest to that!
Our newest service is dog hair dying, why not try something different. Colours available upon request. We can also paint your dog’s toenails. Perhaps bright red, or maybe a more sedate pink???
Enquire with our Grooming Manager Skye about these and other specialty services.
What is Hydrobathing?
Keeping your pet clean is just one of the responsibilities of pet ownership but if you don’t have time to bath your pet or you find bath time difficult, you can have a professional hydrobathing service do the work for you. Hydrobathing is extremely beneficial for your pet and well worth the cost.
Hydrobathing is way of washing your pet, most commonly your dog. It works by spraying warm water over the pet from a conventional shower head (usually handheld to allow for easier access to all areas of your pet).
The shower head actually gets right through the dog’s coat to the skin, and it is this that gives the hydrobath its therapeutic benefits – both because it massages the dog and it allows the shampoos and other solutions used to penetrate right to the skin. The powerful water pressure from the Hydrobath will help to get rid of dirt, dried hair, dried skin as well as a body massage for your dog, helping to keep the coat and skin in good condition. The massage benefits of the hydrobath can help with ailments such as tired muscles, arthritis, and poor blood circulation, and also allows an opportunity for Skye to check your pet all over.
What happens during Hydrobathing?
If you are thinking about having your pet hydro bathed, you might be wondering what happens exactly. The process starts by your pet being brushed to remove loose hair and dirt from the coat. They are then gently placed in the bath and wetted and shampooed. If desired, the pet is conditioned as well.
Your pet is then thoroughly rinsed clean, and their ears and eyes are wiped, and nails trimmed. The excess water is then removed from your pet by a blow dryer or other means (such as a chamois or towel) before being brushed again.
Some pets can get stressed out during bathing so look for an operator that is calm and confident when handling animals. They should treat your pet with love and care and cause minimal stress during the bathing process.
Wash & Tidy Up Trim (Face, Feet and Bum)
This service is specially designed for those times when your dog doesn’t need a full groom. The hydrobath service remains the same, however, during this service, the scissoring or clipping is kept to tidying the face area, feet and tail end.
Hygiene Clip
This is where the hygiene areas are given specific attention, with clipping under the legs, the bottom and stomach areas.
Shedless Groom
If your pet has a problem with excessive shedding, then the Shedless program might be the solution. Shedless is a program that reduces shedding by 60 to 80%.
Shedless begins with an all-natural shampoo and conditioner that works on your dog’s undercoat to loosen dead hair follicles. Next, we dry your pet thoroughly with an air-forced air dryer. We then finish with a timed brush out with our special shedding tools. This special tool removes the undercoat and loose fur.
The service is not painful, however, is best undertaken by a trained professional. Shedless is recommended instead of clipping double coated breeds and is safe to repeat every 4-6 weeks.
Skye does not recommend the Shedless program for dogs with problem skin.
However, we carry a variety of shampoo for sensitive skin, and can still remove some of that unwanted hair with a good brushing.
Ear Plucking
Dog ear hair is the hair which grows from the inside of the ear. It is generally the small fluffy dogs or small designer cross breed dogs that have ear hair and is not commonly found in larger breed dogs. If the hair growing out of the ear is thick it can sometimes cause problems inside the ear itself.
This is a specialised procedure and should be completed by a professional groomer.
What Are The Benefits?
Having your dog’s ears plucked can definitely be beneficial. The ear hair can prevent air flow into the ear canal so if a little moisture or yeast builds up inside the ear and there is no air flow then the dog’s ears can become infected. Regular ear plucking can help prevent ear infections and moisture build-up.
Plucking the ear hair out will also mean that it is more easily visible if there is any infection or problem in the ear canal. Foreign bodies, particularly grass seeds, can easily get caught up in the dog’s fur and if they get caught up in the ear hair and you haven’t noticed, they can travel down the canal and cause major ear infection, sedation and surgery.
This is a specialised procedure and should be completed by a professional and trained groomer or Vet.
Breed Specific grooms (e.g Schnauzer, Poodle, West Highland Terrier clips)
Want a little extra style?
Whether you have a Schnauzer, Shih Tzu, Bichon Frise, or any other pure breed of dog, you probably picked it because you like the way it looks when it’s groomed to a specific breed standard.
Skye has posters, and books with photos that illustrate a variety of styles and lengths. Take the time to look through them and find one or two photos that are close to what you have in mind. Show them to Skye and ask whether that style is possible for your dog.
Or maybe you’d like a Mohawk on your dog. How about a lion cut? The sky is the limit! Depending on the type of hair the dog has, you can do many things to change the look, from a traditional breed cut to something more your style. Maybe you think long ears are the cutest thing ever — if so, grow them out. It’s your dog, and you should feel free to express yourself and your personality, as well as your pet’s personality.
Nail Polish
Skye uses Pet Esthe Nail Polishes. Quick drying and offering vivid colours with just one coat, these polishes are completely safe for pet claws. Made from aloe seaweed and green tea extracts, this polish prevents drying of the nail. Pet Esthe also has natural vitamin E, which assists claw growth by protecting claw cells.
Redgum Vet & Pet Boarding carry a full range of these great colours. Skye uses and recommends Pet Esthe Nail Colour Remover.
Hair Dyeing
Colouring your dog’s fur is lots of fun, but can it harm your pet? If you use people hair colour then yes. Skye uses and recommends Pet Esthe which it is 100% safe to use on dogs. Dogs love getting attention, they love being fussed over. The process of dying a dogs coat is harmless. Just like we get our heads massaged when we colour our hair, dogs get their bodies massaged. And who doesn’t love a good massage? When the owners get their dogs back, they are excited and happy and that excitement and happiness rubs off on the dog. Dogs are very good at picking up our emotions and if there is all this happy emotion going around surely then there is no harm to the dog.
Dying pet hair has developed into an artistic creativity, as these images show!
Cat Grooming
Even though cats spend a lot of time licking and cleaning themselves, they still need regular brushing and combing to remove loose hair, prevent matting and keep the skin free of diseases and parasites, such as fleas.
Regular grooming consisting of a bath and blow dry will significantly reduce any maintenance you may find yourself needing to do on your cats. Certain coat types need more frequent bathing to be able to thoroughly prevent the development of knots, mats or hairballs. Regular grooming visits at Hair OFF the Dog will allow you to enjoy your cats and take away the worry of shedding, litter stuck in paws, long, sharp claws, dreadlocks, build up on the rear end and a dirty, unfresh coat.
Behavioural Training
Happy Hounds offers individualised dog behavioural consultations using the Amichien Bonding method. This method is non-confrontational and stress-free and involves working with the nature of the dog to achieve the desired behaviour responses.
At Redgum, we have teamed with Leanne, our fully trained consultant who will spend time with you and your dog or dogs, in your own environment, before developing a detailed plan. From that point, she will explain to you the strategies you can put into place to achieve the behaviour you are seeking. A further follow-up session will allow you to fine tune the training under expert guidance.
So, what’s involved?
Firstly a canine health profile (routine blood test) is required to exclude physical reasons for the dog’s behaviour. This is available through Redgum Vets.
From that point, a referral can be made to Happy Hounds Behavioural Support Service.
On payment of the package, Redgum’s Amichien Bonding consultant will make contact with you to arrange a time when she can view your dog in its everyday environment. This session will take approx. 1 hour.
After 1-2 weeks, Leanne will contact you to make an appointment where she will explain her analysis and the recommendations which you can put into place. This should take about ½ hour.
A follow-up session, approx. 1-2 weeks later will allow you to discuss your progress and to fine tune any of the recommendations.
Happy Hounds client feedback
The Happy Hounds program was recommended to us by the magnificent staff at Redgum Vets. Our issue was that we had just been informed that our very much loved seven year old Labrador was howling for periods of time whilst we were out.
The Happy Hounds trainer (Leanne) came to our house to observe how we interacted with our Labrador, ranging from playing, feeding, walking and leaving the yard. Leanne developed a tailored training program for us and of course Gus the Labrador, giving our family confidence in you using the knowledge she has given us to work with in correcting our Labrador his howling behaviour.
Leanne provided us with full support and made herself available to answer any further quires we had as we worked through the program. She clearly demonstrated what training techniques that we had to use and ensured that we fully understood these before moving on.
It has been 4 weeks since our initial consultation and we have noticed a change in our dog, he seems to have settled an is responding to Leanne’s program. We believe the Happy Hound training has made a dramatic change to our dogs behaviour and the adjustment we have made are becoming normal routines with the dog.
Hutcheon Family
Port Augusta
Pet Boarding
We offer a variety of quality food choices, however, if your pet has specific dietary requirements you may choose to provide their own food. In this way, any changes to diet are minimised. At Redgum Vet & Pet Boarding, we promote the highest standards of health and safety for your pet, within the daily cleaning, feeding, and exercising regimes.
We aim to let your dogs have as much time outside as possible, weather permitting. We have a number of generous exercise areas for dogs to play with carers or to run around on their own. If you nominate, your dog can be socialised with other dogs of the same size or sex. Our fences and grounds are safe and secure, with several check stations between the kennels and the front of the premises.
Cats are housed in generous indoor areas with full access to an outdoor run. Your cat will be secure in air-conditioned comfort with a variety of play options. Cats are not socialised, except within the same family.
Our point of difference is that we allow dogs to act like dogs. We encourage play and socialisation. For example, during the warmer months, we use many wading pools, which the dogs love to play in. Of course, this means they may get dirty as they run and play, however, we believe exercise and play are important to the general well-being and health of all dogs. If you would prefer your pet not be included in these activities, we will respect your wishes.
Dogs entering the kennels need:
Current C5 vaccinations with vaccination certificate proving so
Current Flea and tick treatment applied (This can be done when the animal arrives)
Cats entering the cattering need:
Current F3 vaccinations with vaccination certificate proving so
Current flea treatment applied (This can be done when the animal arrives)
We want to care for your pet in the best possible way. In order to do this, we need specific information from you. When you bring your pet for the first time, there will be paperwork to complete. This should only take about 10 minutes but will support our staff to make sure they know all the details necessary when working with your pet. From time to time, the staff will ask you to update this information. This will ensure any changes to your pets routine or daily life are recorded and passed on to the kennel staff.
Outreach Clinic
Dr Roger has a wide outreach clinic service. This extends from Ceduna on the West Coast (monthly), to Coober Pedy in the north of the state (6 weekly), and more close to home, Andamooka and Roxby (monthly). He also visits Quorn, Hawker, and Wilmington on a needs basis.
Dr Roger also supports Oodnadatta twice a year through the Outback Community Authority, and Indigenous communities in Yalata, Ceduna, Coober Pedy, Berri, Copley, Maree and Port Augusta, through the Department of Health.
The outreach clinics are Dr Roger’s way of retaining contact with people and animals living in rural and remote settings. Having grown up on outback stations, this environment is very dear to Dr Roger’s heart; he is acutely aware of the problems and experiences people and animals face in these outback settings.
Outreach clinics are advertised on facebook, and also via text and email. All the clients in that region will receive a text or email, alerting them to the upcoming visit. Then, if they are looking for Veterinary support, they give the clinic a call, text or email with their specific request. A few days prior to the planned clinic a staff member (usually Louise) will give the client a call and set up the appointments for Dr Roger’s visit.
These outback trips are absolutely amazing – you get to meet some fantastic personalities and animals! Sometimes heart-wrenching, sometimes frustrating, but always exciting as you never know what will walk through the door next.