A £300,000 investment in modern, new facilities at a Cumbrian veterinary practice has been unveiled.

More than 100 pet owners got a chance to look around the extended facilities at Paragon Vets which include new operating theatres, separate treatment areas for cats and dogs, a laboratory to process blood tests and other samples and a purpose-built area for farm animals.

Paragon’s building, Carlisle House, was a former vicarage for Dalston and had various uses including as a boy’s school and a Masonic Lodge before Paragon moved in in 1994.

Graham Lewis, small animal veterinary surgeon at Paragon, said: “Our new facilities represent a large investment in the practice, allowing us to provide the highest level of care and welfare for the animals we see now and for a long time into the future.

“Separate dog and cat wards will reduce the stress for animals staying with us and the new isolation room lets us deal with infectious disease cases more safely.

“Our new diagnostic suite and laboratory facilities allow rapid diagnosis and investigation of medical and potential surgical cases with results available to the vets quicker than ever before.

“Our two surgical theatres and scrub area provide modern surgical environments to minimise risk to our patients and allows the vets to operate in the best possible conditions. The second theatre also allows us to do more surgeries on a daily basis so reducing any waiting time for our patients.”

Dawn Fleckney, of Aikton, has been bringing her chocolate labrador Rolo to Paragon for weight management sessions and was among those impressed with a behind the scenes tour of the practice.

She said of the facilities: “They are very modern and professional and look like something you’d see on the TV with the Supervet.”

Katherine Taylor, of Carlisle, added: “I was amazed to see what they have done. It looks world-class and is going to benefit the animals who come here.”