Dr. Galbinec speaks about Vethope

Doctor, you worked as a vet in Great Britain, so you can compare the standard of veterinary care there and in the Czech Republic.

The possibilities of diagnostics and treatment are comparable with human medicine and this applies to the Czech Republic and Great Britain. The biggest limitation often is not the insufficient possibilities of veterinary medicine, but the financial possibilities of the pet owner. In Great Britain there is a highly sophisticated network of pet insurance allowing the vet to often perform very expensive diagnostics or treatment. Pet insurance in the Czech Republic is just beginning. In Britain there is so-called accredited practice which must meet certain standards of veterinary care, regularly inspected by a supervisory body. The task of these standards is to support and maintain the high quality of provided veterinary care. Therefore after returning to the Czech Republic I decided to offer the same high standard of veterinary care to local clients. 

What can clients expect from your veterinary clinic VETHOPE?

The high standard of the care provided begins when clients and their pets arrive at our reception. A friendly welcome is very important to clients. We weigh each patient upon arrival since regular monitoring of body weight is a very important part of clinical examination. We weigh large dogs on a patient’s scale located immediately next to the reception. We weigh smaller patients and treat them on an electronically controlled table with an inbuilt patient’s scale.

Clients go from reception to the consult room. What happens to them there?

Our consult room contains everything required for basic clinical examination, vaccination or minor treatment. We perform more complicated treatment or procedures in separate rooms specially intended for this purpose.

What imaging instruments do you use at the clinic? 

At VETHOPE we have a highly efficient X-ray machine with an anatomic program and a device for digitising images with excellent quality. The image can by analysed on a computer monitor in several seconds after exposure. We also have a state-of-the-art stationary sonograph with high resolution and a colour Doppler Ultrasound which can also obtain information about the rates of movement of the animal’s tissue and above all the blood flow.

Do you also carry out animal blood tests?

It is the standard of every good veterinary clinic today to have its own laboratory. The biochemical and haematological blood tests with immediate results helps us to provide better care, be able to determine a more accurate diagnosis and begin more effective treatment. This saves us the time required for an out-sourced laboratory to prepare samples for analysis.

Using a LaserCyte Haematology Analyser we immediately test blood samples which minimises the risk of haematology storage (sample age-related) artefacts. Our Idexx Catalyst Dx biochemical analyser can test up 27 biochemical parameters! The actual analysis of one sample only takes 8 minutes. Then using the SnapShot Dx analyser we can determine T4 quantitative thyroid tests in dogs and cats, cortisol in dogs and bile acids in dogs and cats. With the aid of a Motic laboratory microscope we can analyse cytological samples.

Dental procedures and dental hygiene is important in people. What is the situation concerning animals?

A regular dental check is very important above all in older animals. We use a standard dental X-ray machine with photo digitisation for dental examination. We have a state-of-the-art Profident Lumos air driven dental unit equipped with dental ultrasound, and a high and low speed dental drill with LED to clean teeth, remove tartar and for more complex dental examination. To ensure greater patient safety we perform treatment on a specially tilted dental table in a separate room intended for this purpose.

Not every veterinary clinic has a separate operating room. What is the situation like at your clinic VETHOPE? 

The pinnacle of every top veterinary clinic is the operating room. Ours is sterile and therefore we can enter it only in surgical clothing and footwear. We perform surgery under general inhalational anaesthesia using a vital signs monitor. Every patient is standardly connected to an ECG. We also monitor the body’s oxygen saturation, expiratory CO2, pulse and in indicated cases body temperature. The aim is to be able to monitor the patient throughout the surgical procedure. During the procedure the patient receives an infusion by an Infusomat space pump to ensure the circulation of body fluids. We also have a linear doser for drugs requiring precise dosage.

And where are the animals kept after surgery? 

We have a state-of-the-art equipped room for post-operative care which supports recovery after surgery.

A great trend in veterinary care is prevention. What do you offer your clients in this area? 

Prevention in human and veterinary healthcare is essential. At VETHOPE we believe in prevention. We are convinced that due to preventive programmes, we can avoid diseases or detect them in time and be able to treat the patient effectively. Therefore we offer clients a whole series of preventive programmes aimed at long-term maintenance and improvement of the health condition of four-legged friends. 

Can you briefly describe the prevention offered at VETHOPE?

We recommend a preventive health check at least once a year because this helps in the diagnosis of the early stages of a disease. Our programme Vakcinace na celý život  (Vaccination for Life) is a preventive plan in which the client obtains an annual vaccination and regular health check throughout the life of a pet for a single price.

You really do a lot for clients and their pets. How can clients book an appointment at your clinic? 

We immediately offer clients two options. The first is an objednávkový formulář  (order form) on our website www.vethope.cz . The second option is a phone contact on 212 246 809. At the veterinary clinic VETHOPE our surgeons speak Czech, English and Slovak. 

Where can we find you and when are you open? 

The veterinary clinic VETHOPE is based at Rozvodova 350/16, Praha 4. We have our own car park in front of the clinic. The entire clinic also has barrier-free access. We are open on Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.  

Finally can you tell us why a client should choose the veterinary clinic VETHOPE?

Simply speaking because we care for our clients’ pets as if they were our own.

Thank you for the interview.