Kliprivier Dierekliniek

11/07/2026

Dear clients and pets,

We will be CLOSED tomorrow, Sunday 12 July 2026.
Please take note.

We are open today (Saturday 11 July 2026) from 9am-1pm, as usual.

Hope everyone is keeping warm and well! ⛄️

29/06/2026

WHAT THE HAEMANGIOSARC?!

On the 6th of June, Milo was brought into the clinic with the primary complaint of not feeling well.
On clinical examination, Milo's clinical parameters were not within normal range- his temperature was critically low, his mucous membranes were pale, and he seemed to be breathing abnormally.
Milo's owner mentioned that he was doing well, until he just took a bit of a turn... his owner also mentioned one important piece of information- his abdomen seemed to be a little more distended than usual.
This prompted Dr Nabeelah to perform an AFAST (Abdominal Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma), where Dr saw free fluid in the abdomen. Using ultrasound, an abdominocentesis was performed and frank blood was drawn from the abdomen.
This meant that Milo was bleeding into his abdomen. It would explain why he was pale, why his temperature was dangerously low, and why he seemed to breathe weirdly. The blood that needed to circulate throughout his body, to maintain his temperature, but also to maintain perfusion, delivery oxygen to his lungs and other cells across his body, was going straight into his abdomen.
Milo was not involved in any incident leading up to this examination which involved any sort of blunt force or penetrating trauma, which would also have then been causes of blood leaking into his abdomen.

As veterinarians, we tend to think of something a bit more sinister, when presented with case like this...

HAEMANGIOSARCOMA

"Hemangiosarcoma (HSA) is a highly malignant cancer of blood vessels, most commonly affecting the spleen or heart of older, large breed dogs. HSA may have little to no signs early on or can present as an emergency after a sudden episode of collapse. HSA tends to rapidly spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body, most commonly the lungs and other abdominal organs like the liver.

HSA originates from cells that normally create blood vessels (vascular endothelium). The spleen is the most common site for HSA, but since this cancer arises from blood vessels, it can occur anywhere in the body.

dogs with HSA of the spleen or heart are at risk of the tumor rupturing and bleeding, which often causes severe and often life-threatening emergent clinical signs such as:

- Collapse or severe weakness
- Rapid or difficulty breathing
- Pale gums
- Sudden death

Your veterinarian may suspect HSA if your dog presents after an episode of collapse with bleeding in their abdomen (hemoabdomen)...

The ideal treatment of HSA involves surgery to remove the tumor before metastasis occurs, followed by chemotherapy to delay the progression of metastatic disease. If the tumor is on the spleen, a splenectomy (surgery to remove the spleen) is performed, which helps reduce the risk of potentially life-threatening internal bleeding from a ruptured tumor and can treat this bleeding if it occurs."

It is safe to say that that day was incredibly worrying for Milo's owners. Milo was sent into theatre and Dr Nabeelah performed a total splenectomy, removing his entire spleen, and ligating all significant blood vessels, ensuring that none of them bleed into his abdomen.
Milo's procedure was a success and he did not suffer any further complications during the procedure.

We are happy to say that Milo came back to the clinic not too long ago to have his sutures removed post-op and is back to his normal self- in fact, he was back to his normal self a day or two after surgery already!

We may not be able to save every animal, but the ones we are able to help, even if in the smallest of ways, give us the momentum to keep going, in a profession which demands so much, yet gives back so unequally.

29/06/2026

Hi all!

Our new-found social media platform has been a little quiet as of late, but please stand by for some upcoming posts!

It can be quite a challenge keeping up on social media, when the clinic itself is always busy, but we really do want to try and interact more with everyone out there, sharing the good and the bad, in order to benefit YOU!

12/06/2026

IMPORTANT!!!

PLEASE NOTE CAREFULLY

Friday 12 June 2026
Our clinic will be closing at 12pm.

Kliprivier Dierekliniek will also be closed this weekend, 13 and 14 June 2026.
This includes NO after-hours or emergency services for this time.

We will resume normal hours from Monday 15 June 2026.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and recommend calling a veterinary clinic in the surrounding areas if your pets need any urgent veterinary care.

01/06/2026

STOLEN PHONE UPDATE:

We have managed to restore our WhatsApp number 🙌🏽

If we have missed your message in the last few days, please feel free to contact us and we will do our best to respond ASAP.

Thank you to everyone who has shown patience and understanding during this time 🤍

01/06/2026

01/06/2026

Same applies at our clinic, here on.
Please note with care.

⚠Important Notice: Payment Policy Update⚠

As a veterinary practice, we’ve always tried to be accommodating and compassionate — both to our patients and their owners. However, we’ve reached a point where we must make some necessary changes to ensure the continued viability of our veterinary practice.

We appreciate with the current economy people are struggling and we receive daily requests such as:

“Can we pay at the end of the month?”
“Can we split the bill into two payments?”
“Can we settle once the insurance pays out?”
“Can I EFT you later today?”
“Can I pay when I get home?”

Unfortunately, a significant number of these promises remain unpaid — placing unsustainable pressure on our business.

MediVet is a small privately owned, independently run veterinary practice. Like any business, we have fixed overheads: staff salaries, VAT and PAYE obligations, equipment investments, insurance premiums, property maintenance, municipal charges, electricity, and water — all of which must be covered, regardless of whether we’ve been paid.

We are currently undertaking upgrades to our facilities, including our kennels, to better serve our patients. However, ongoing losses due to unpaid accounts are impacting our ability to continue improving and even operating at the standard our clients have come to expect.

Effective immediately, all consultations, procedures, medications, and food must be paid for in full before leaving the practice.

While we understand this may not suit everyone, offering delayed payments is no longer financially sustainable for us. Our team is here to provide excellent veterinary care — not to function as a credit provider.

We appreciate your understanding and continued support.

— Dr Deana Rautenbach and Dr Kath Sparks —

01/06/2026

Please read!

A Message From the MediVet Team

Recently, we have seen comments on social media describing veterinarians as "money grabbers" who care more about profit than pets. Comments like these are incredibly hurtful and deeply demoralising to the people who dedicate their lives to caring for animals.

The truth is that nobody chooses a career in veterinary medicine because it is an easy way to make money. We become veterinarians, nurses, receptionists, and animal care assistants because we love animals and want to make a difference in their lives.
What many people don't see are the realities behind the scenes.

Every day, veterinary teams are faced with the challenge of trying to diagnose and treat sick patients while balancing the financial limitations of their owners. We know how difficult it can be when a beloved pet needs treatment that stretches a family's budget. We spend countless hours discussing options, prioritising care, finding solutions, and trying to achieve the best possible outcome for both the patient and their family.

Running a veterinary practice is also far more expensive than most people realise. The medications, laboratory equipment, surgical instruments, anaesthetic machines, monitoring equipment, X-ray units, ultrasound machines, hospital facilities, consumables, staff salaries, electricity, insurance, licensing fees, maintenance, and ongoing training all come at a significant cost.

What is often overlooked is the enormous investment practice owners make to ensure pets receive high-quality care. Every piece of modern diagnostic equipment, every monitoring device in theatre, every improvement to patient care, every new service, and every technology upgrade represents a substantial financial commitment.

Practice owners have a choice. They can cut corners and offer cheaper care, or they can invest heavily in equipment, facilities, training, and staff so that patients receive the standard of care they deserve. At MediVet, we have always believed that our patients deserve the very best care we can provide. That commitment requires continual investment and comes with significant financial responsibility.

The reality is that providing good veterinary medicine is expensive. Providing safe anaesthesia is expensive. Maintaining modern diagnostic equipment is expensive. Employing skilled and compassionate staff is expensive. These costs are not about greed; they are about delivering quality care without compromising patient safety.

Alongside these financial realities is the emotional burden that veterinary teams carry every day. We celebrate the recoveries, grieve the losses, worry about critically ill patients, answer messages after hours, visit hospitalised patients on weekends, and carry the weight of difficult decisions long after we leave work.

The entire MediVet team gives their all. We work hard. We care deeply. We love each and every pet that walks through our doors. We laugh with our clients, cry with our clients, and do our very best for every patient entrusted to us.

So before judging veterinary professionals based on a social media post or comment, please remember that behind every veterinary practice is a team of people who care far more than most will ever know.

A little kindness and understanding go a very long way.

❤️🐾

To our fellow veterinary professionals: thank you for continuing to show up, care deeply, and give so much of yourselves to the animals and people who need you.

29/05/2026

🚨 PLEASE NOTE!!! 🚨

Our phone with our WhatsApp number has been stolen!!!

Until further notice, you may contact us during office hours on our landline:
0163620003

Apologies for any inconvenience!

PLEASE share far and wide with anyone you know who may be a client at our practice or may be looking for us!