Our Services

Complete Medical, surgical and dental care, in-house laboratory, diagnostic imaging (X-Ray), State of the art anesthesia and pain control

Medical Services

A complete Physical Exam is an important first step to make sure your pet has a long healthy life. Pets age much faster than we do. One “human year” equals  four to seven “animal years” and they are genetically programmed to “mask” illness and injury.  A physical exam consists of the following: 

• A thorough doctor’s examination of all your pet’s body systems with extra attention paid to any problem areas.
• A vaccine protocol specifically tailored for your pet based on his or her age, breed, health issues, and lifestyle.
• A discussion of heartworm, flea, and intestinal parasite prevention to protect your pet and your family.
• A thorough discussion of any treatments, procedures or medications needed to keep your pet healthy and comfortable.
• Answering any questions you or your family might have about the health, diet, behavior, care, or comfort of your furry family member.

Surgical Services

Safety and the comfort of your pet are our top priorities. Safety begins with a complete physical and a custom tailored blood panel appropriate for their age and medical condition. Blood tests help us detect any hidden medical problems that may not be obvious on the physical exam.

An IV catheter and fluids maintain hydration and allow instant access for IV drug delivery. Pulse, respiratory rate, oxygen perfusion, temperature and depth of anesthesia are monitored. In addition, we provide hands-on monitoring as well.

Postoperatively, your pet's comfort and pain control are our top priorities. Pain medications are given before, during and after surgery on a case-by-case basis to ensure your pet’s swift recovery.

Every effort will be made to contact you at the phone number you specify following your pet’s procedure to let you know everything is OK. We will let you know what time you can pick up your pet. At discharge, you will be given instructions regarding your pet’s home care. We will go over any medications being sent home as well.

Dentistry and Digital Dental X-Ray Services

Tooth and gum infections are the most common problem diagnosed in our pets today and if left untreated can shorten their lives by as much as five years.  According to the American Veterinary Dental Society, 80% of dogs and 70% of cats have dental disease by the age of three.  Here is what this means for your pet:

• Bad breath = mouth disease.
• Dental disease and gum infections are painful.
• Pets can’t complain about the pain and discomfort of chronically infected gums and teeth.
• Untreated gum infections lead to bone infection and tooth loss.
• Infection from the mouth gets into the bloodstream and can spread throughout the body and cause disease in the heart, liver, lungs and kidneys - just as this occurs in humans.

The good news for your pet is that this major health problem is both preventable and treatable.  We provide the highest quality dental care because your pet’s health and comfort are our top priorities.  Our dental procedures are very different from what you may find at most other veterinary hospitals. Here is what sets us apart:

• Prior to anesthesia a complete physical exam is performed.
• A pre-anesthetic blood panel to check for hidden health problems not obvious on the physical exam is done.
• Based on the results of your pets physical exam and test results, your doctor then tailors the anesthetic and pain medications used to his or her individual needs.  This helps to ensure a safe and pain free procedure for your pet.
• Pre-op medications are given to insure your pet is relaxed and pain free prior to his or her procedure.  This allows us to use a lower level of gas anesthetic for an extra level of safety, especially in older pets.
• An intravenous catheter is placed and fluid therapy is administered to keep your pet hydrated. This helps your pet recover from anesthesia more quickly and safely.  
• Anesthesia is strictly monitored with a combination of sophisticated equipment and careful hands-on attention by a nurse who will be with your pet throughout the entire procedure and recovery.
• Your pet’s teeth are checked for pockets, charted, and ultrasonically cleaned .
• Dental X-rays are taken to provide valuable information about your pet’s dental health hidden below the gum line.  Many problems are not visible without this important step and specialized treatment is based on the findings.
• The teeth are polished to remove any microscopic plaque and tartar.  This prevents buildup from returning as quickly.
• Your pet then gets a fluoride treatment followed by the application of a dental sealant, Orovet® which has been shown to significantly reduce plaque buildup.
• If extractions are necessary, additional pain medications are given to your pet.
• We will notify you as soon as your pet is awake and give you details about the procedure.
• You will receive instructions on how to keep your pet comfortable at home. If you have email, we email the x-rays taken to help you understand your pet’s procedure.
•  The following day you will be contacted to make sure your pet is doing well and answer any questions you may have.

If you have any questions about any of our services please call and we will be happy to provide more detail.  Our goal is to do everything possible to ensure a long healthy life for your pet. Keeping your pet’s mouth clean and healthy is a critical step in that process.

In-House Laboratory

Blood testing is important when it comes to a pet’s health since they’re aging much faster and can’t tell us how they feel. Blood tests allow us to diagnose and treat diseases much earlier. This benefits both our patients and their owners.

Equally important is taking the time to explain to a pet owner what the results mean and we want you, the pet owner, to really understand what is going on so that we can work together to keep your pet healthy and well for as long as possible.

Things to consider when it comes to Wellness Blood Testing for our pets:

1. Pets age faster than humans. For every year that passes our pets age 4 to 7 years depending on size and breed.
2. Our pets can’t talk and tell us what they are feeling and they are genetically programmed to “mask” illnesses and injuries. They hide their vulnerability to predators in nature in order to survive.
3. Blood testing is a routine part of our own physical exam. What would our doctors be able to tell us about our own health without blood work? Guessing about our health or our pets is never a good idea.
4. Early detection and treatment of disease is always better and less costly than the alternative.
5. Regular blood testing serves as a “baseline” to compare over time making it easier to detect changes in organ function or blood chemistries.

These facts make laboratory testing a critical step in insuring a long and healthy life for our pets.

X-Ray, Digital Dental X-Ray and Ultrasound

X-rays allow us to "see inside the body.” They are vital in detecting broken bones (fractures), finding and assessing tumors, heart or lung problems, bladder or kidney stones, swallowed “foreign objects,” joint problems and arthritis and other conditions.

Dental X-rays play an important role in maintaining the oral and overall health of your pet. Chronic dental disease can shorten your pet’s life by as much as 5 years. A study at UC Davis found that 70% of all dental disease was below the gum line and only visible on X-ray. Dental X-rays allow us to look for infected, abscessed, fractured or cracked teeth and help evaluate oral tumors.

Ultrasound provides a much more detailed way to look at fluid filled and soft tissue organs in the body.  Ultrasound is very important in accurately diagnosing heart problems (echocardiogram), assessing lymph nodes, internal organs, adrenal glands, bladder, prostate, and intestines. With ultrasound, we can see inside these organs, perform ultrasound guided aspirates and biopsies, often avoiding invasive exploratory surgery.

Parasite, Heartworm, Flea Prevention Services

Failing to give regular monthly de-worming/heartworm medications to your pet can expose you and your family to serious parasitic diseases. People get infected with animal parasites by accidentally swallowing microscopic eggs spread through pet feces and direct penetration of larvae into the body from contaminated soil. The eggs hatch into larvae (microscopic “baby” worms) that migrate rapidly throughout our body potentially causing severe, allergic reactions in organs and tissues. Larvae never develop into intestinal worms in humans like they do in our pets.

People who are at greater risk;

• Children
• Diabetics and anyone “Immune Compromised”
• Elderly
• Cancer patients – chemotherapy
• Hypothyroid
• Pregnant
• Transplant patients

The good news is that the monthly heartworm medications prescribed also protect your pet from contagious intestinal parasites.

Once-a-month chewable Sentinel® for dogs and Interceptor® or topical Revolution® for cats will protect your pet from roundworms, hookworms and whipworms (dogs) every month and also protect your pets from mosquito transmitted heartworm disease.

Heartworm Disease

What is heartworm disease?
Heartworm disease is one of the major health problems of dogs in the US and throughout the temperate and tropical areas of the world. It is now being found in cats in ever increasing numbers. The disease develops when a pet becomes infected with parasites called Dirofilaria immitis transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito. Dogs may be infected by a few or up to several hundred heartworms, often growing to ten or twelve inches. Cats are similarly infected although usually by only a few worms. Heartworm infection often leads to severe lung disease and heart failure and can damage other organs in the body as well.

Feline Heartworm Disease - Indoor Cats Get Heartworms Too!

There is NO cure for Feline Heartworm Disease.  Giving Interceptor® once-a month chewable tablets or once-monthly topically applied Feline Revolution® will prevent this potentially fatal disease in cats.

Preventing canine heartworm disease is simple and safe

• Once-a-month chewable Sentinel ®
  • Prevents heartworm infection
  • Protects your dog from Intestinal parasites (Roundworms, Hookworms and Whipworms)
  • Prevents fleas from breeding and stops their life cycle

Flea Prevention
We have selected only the most effective and safest products available. Flea prevention is tailored to your pet’s specific exposure and lifestyle. This can be accomplished without the use of messy topical products in most cases. This is very important in light of the introduction of many new topical products appearing on TV ads, some of which are highly toxic and even have “Black Box” warnings on their label mandated by the FDA –the same type of warning that is on cigarettes! Gone too are the days of “bombs,” “foggers,” and yard sprays!

For dogs we recommend Sentinel, a simple once-- a month chewable pill that not only prevents fleas but protects your dog from roundworms, hookworms (contagious to people) and whipworms and prevents heartworm disease as well! Sentinel®, combined with an occasional Capstar® tablet (Capstar® kills any flea within 20 minutes) is generally all that is needed to keep you pet and home flea free and with NO toxicity or topical mess.

For cats, we recommend Feline Revolution or a Program® flea injection.