Preventative Dog Care
Keeping your dog healthy is our number one priority! We recommend vaccinations based on your pet’s lifestyle and follow the latest recommendations for vaccine intervals. The core vaccines we recommend are:
- Distemper is a disease caused by a virus that attacks a dogs respiratory, gastrointestinal and nervous systems
- Infection is airborne (through coughing or sneezing) from another infected dog or wild animals (foxes, raccoons, skunks) or by shared food & water bowls
- Mothers can pass the virus to their puppies
- There is no cure for canine distemper infection. It is often fatal or causes permanent nervous system damage.
- Virus that affects the gastrointestinal tract and white blood cells
- Spread from dog to dog by contact with contaminated feces, bowls, hands & clothing of people handling the infected dogs
- Can affect all dogs but puppies younger than 4 months old and unvaccinated dogs are at the highest risk
- Viral disease that affects the brain and central nervous system of mammals
- Infectious virus that can be transmitted from infected animal to humans via saliva from bite, open wounds or mucous membranes (eyes, nose, mouth)
- Pets are required to be Rabies vaccinated by law
- Raccoons, bats, skunks, foxes are also susceptible to rabies
- Rabies is a fatal disease
- Highly contagious to other dogs
- Symptoms: dry, “honking” cough, nasal discharge
- Can spread through the air, especially in close quarters such as a kennel or grooming facility, directly from dog to dog or through contaminated objects
- Dogs that go boarding, grooming, to dog parks or are in contact with many other dogs should be vaccinated
- Disease caused by an infection with leptospira bacteria
- Can be spread from animals to people
- Dogs can be exposed by drinking from dormant water sources such as puddles, lakes, streams, etc that wildlife could have infected (it is spread through their urine)
- Dogs that are exposed to the outdoors often (hiking, etc) should be vaccinated
- Transmitted through tick bites, the disease can be difficult to detect and can cause serious and recurring health problems.
- Lyme disease symptoms in dogs: lameness, fever, lethargy, swollen joints, enlarged lymph nodes & loss of appetite.
- Dogs that are exposed to the outdoors often should be vaccinated.
Preventative Cat Care
Keeping your cat healthy is our number one priority! We recommend vaccinations based on your pet’s lifestyle and follow the latest recommendations for vaccine intervals. The core vaccines we recommend are:
- Very contagious viral disease
- Affects bone marrow and intestinal cells
- Commonly seen in kittens
- Cats can become infected through urine, stool, nasal secretions, people handling, clothing, bedding, etc.
- Viral disease that affects the brain and central nervous system of mammals
- Infectious virus that can be transmitted from infected animal to humans via saliva from bite, open wounds or mucous membranes (eyes, nose, mouth)
- Pets are required to be Rabies vaccinated by law
- Raccoons, bats, skunks, foxes are also susceptible to rabies
- Rabies is a fatal disease
- Cats that go outdoors should get this vaccine
- Affects the immune system
- Shed in saliva, nasal secretions, urine, feces and blood
Puppy & Kitten Care
Starting your puppy or kitten off on the right track is of utmost importance. A thorough initial physical exam and a good experience at their first appointment cane mean the difference between your new friend enjoying their vet visits or being apprehensive in the future. We attempt to make all interactions, including vaccinations, a pleasant experience for your new friend. We can make recommendations for food, training and vaccinations tailored to your pet’s needs and exposure.
Spay & Neuter
Spaying (ovariohysterectomy) and neutering (castration) are surgical procedures that prevent our pets from producing offspring. Pet over- population is the number one reason that animals end up as strays or in shelters. The age at which these procedures are performed can have an impact on the long term health of your pet. It is best to discuss the right age with your veterinarian depending on the lifestyle of your pet.
Radiology Services
On site digital radiology equipment with telemedicine capabilities is available for routine and emergency use. We can also call in a specialist to perform ultrasounds and echocardiograms (ultrasound of the heart) when the case calls for further testing.
Complete In House Pharmacy
We have a complete in house pharmacy that carries a full complement of routine medications to save you a trip to the pharmacy after your appointment, should your pet need medication to treat an ailment or preventatives to keep them healthy. Medication is competitively priced to help you take care of your friend.
In House Laboratory
We have in house laboratory capabilities for when immediate results are of the utmost importance. We have a Lasercyte CBC (complete blood count) machine that analyzes red and white blood cells, a Catalyst chemistry analyzer which analyzes liver, kidney and electrolytes (to name a few) and a urinalysis reader that can help us determine if there is an infection or other issue with the urinary tract. We can also run in house tests to analyze fecal samples, 4dx tests (testing for heart worm in addition to several tick born diseases), and testing cats for leukemia and FIV.
Sick & Injured
Try as we might the unexpected happens and pets fall ill or get hurt. We are here for your pet when the need arises to help determine what is ailing them with the aid of blood tests, x-rays, and ultrasound. We then have the capability to hospitalize them, treat their wounds and get them back on the road to recovery. Should your pet need more specialized care we can work with a referral clinic in the area to get them back on track.
Surgical Care
We have fully equipped surgical suite for surgical procedures, routine or emergency, should they arise. As pets age it is normal to have growths arise that need to be removed and we can help you in determining the best course of action. Our fully trained technicians will be with your pet from start to finish monitoring your pet while under anesthesia with the aid of specialized monitoring equipment and wait with them while they wake up. We work with specialists for advanced procedures, calling them in when the need arises to help take care of your pet.
Dental Care
Dental disease affects the majority of the pet population. Doggy breath is not cute and can actually be a sign of underlying dental disease. We now offer digital dental radiology service.
Acupuncture
Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine (TCVM) is a medical system that has been used to treat animals in China for thousands of years. TCVM practitioners view a patient’s body as an integrated, energetic structure which when it becomes unbalanced results in a disease process. The goal of treatment is to identify the disturbance so that one can restore balance ultimately allowing the body to heal itself. Acupuncture is one of the modalities used to restore balance.
Acupuncture is defined as the stimulation of a specific point on the body resulting in a therapeutic homeostatic effect. The specific point on the body is called the “Shu-xue” or acupoint. Shu means transporting, distributing or communicating; xue refers to a hole, outlet or depression. Therefore, acupoints are the special loci where Qi gathers on the body surface. Qi is the vital life force that flows through the body.
The goal of Acupuncture is to restore the flow of Qi and allow the body to return to homeostasis. TCVM believes that pain is due to blockage of Qi so stimulating acupoints allows Qi to flow freely which enables the body to heal itself. The arrival of Qi is called the de-Qi response. This response varies between individuals and can be felt as a soreness, numbness, heaviness or distension around the point. This sensation travels along a pathway which is called a meridian or a channel. There are 14 Regular Channels ( including the Governing Vessel and a Conception Vessel Channels ), 8 Extraordinary Channels and 15 Collateral Channels.
Acupoints are selected based on restoration or maintenance of balance in a patient. Acupuncture can but used to treat a wide variety of conditions such as: pain relief, osteoarthritis, regulation of gastrointestinal motility, dermatologic conditions, neurologic conditions, anti-inflammatory effects, anxiety or behavioral issues, immunodeficient conditions, organ failure, endocrinopathies, and neoplastic conditions.