When Only The Best Will Do

Anesthesia keeps your pet as safe as possible during necessary medical procedures. For small animals, local anesthetics are used for minor procedures like the suturing of cuts or the numbing of the area around a wound. For large animals, local anesthetics are used – alone or with other general anesthetics – to minimize potential risks and complications in procedures like surgery.

Dental care is hugely important. Poor oral hygiene can lead to a plethora of health concerns for your pet, from their jaws to their kidneys to their hearts – and everything in between. Most people think that bad breath is an unfortunate inevitability, but it is actually often a sign of bad oral hygiene. It is our goal to make sure that you are fully informed on good oral hygiene, to give ideas on how to maintain at-home care, explain all the procedures we offer, and give your pet the best chance at a happy mouth and a good quality of life. We offer anesthesia, hygiene, oral, and surgical procedures.

The hygiene procedures we offer are as follows:

• Scaling – used to break apart and remove hard calculus and deposits from the teeth
• Polishing – used to restore the teeth to their natural smooth surfaces
• Filing – used to remove dental calculus
• Cleaning plaque and tartar from below the gum line
• Below the gum line exam – dental illness starts beneath the gum line, so we want to ensure it remains as healthy as possible

The oral procedures we offer are as follows:

• Periodontal disease treatment – Periodontal disease is so common that the majority of pets will get it. But its commonality doesn’t mean it’s comfortable or safe for your pet to live with, and can lead to many different illnesses and ailments.
• Infection treatment

The surgical procedures we offer are as follows:

• Fracture repairs
• Extraction of teeth or dental pulp
• Oral cancer or cysts treatment
• Cleft Palate treatment – Cleft Palates (an opening between the mouth and the nose) will lead to many things, including respiratory issues.
• Tooth abscess treatments

Saying goodbye to a beloved pet is an incredibly difficult process. We understand your pain, but more importantly, we understand your pet’s pain. If you’re unsure if it’s time, bring your pet to us and we’ll help you with understanding the signs. Some to look for are as follows:

• Chronic labored breathing, breathlessness, coughing
• Chronic pain unaffected by medication
• Frequent diarrhea or vomiting
• Inability to stand or move around
• Disinterest in food or favorite toys
• Incontinent
• No zest for life

Euthanasia offers you the benefit of being with your pet and being able to say goodbye, bringing comfort to both of you. We will thoroughly walk you through the procedure, as familiarity is often comforting. The procedure is entirely painless and your pet won’t feel a thing. We recommend you bring their favorite sleeping blanket or a favorite toy, to bring them their own sense of familiarity as they complete their journey here. A tech will be on hand, to hold them or give them a sedative if needed. An IV catheter will be placed in their leg, to ensure their vein does not rupture. We will use this vein to inject them with an overdose of sodium pentobarbital or another anesthetic drug. It’ll be like they’re just going to sleep. The drugs will render them unconscious, then slow and eventually stop their heart. We’ll confirm their heart has ceased beating, and give you a moment alone with your pet if you so choose. You may see involuntary muscle twitching or even breathing, it’s a natural posthumous bodily reaction, and nothing to worry about.

Before the procedure, we’ll go over your post euthanasia options with you. Cremation is a popular choice – you can spread your pet’s ashes in their favorite spot, or keep them close to you in an urn. There are also ways to fire them into jewelry, to keep them with you all the time.

Another option is burial. If you choose to bury in your own backyard, make sure to check with local ordinances first for potential restrictions. If you’d rather a pet cemetery, we are more than happy to help point you in the direction of the right one for you.

No one plans for anything to happen to their pet, but occasionally things develop that you don’t foresee. Maybe your dog will be spooked by fireworks and escape the backyard. Maybe someone sees your pet and decides to steal them. Worst case, maybe your cat runs into the street and gets hit by a car. Whatever happens, having a microchip in your pet greatly increases the chances of them finding their way safely back to you. They are easy to place, just under the skin with a quick injection similar to a routine vaccination. It feels like nothing more than a momentary scratch. No anesthesia is even needed, the skin is desensitized from being pulled tight between the vet’s fingers. The microchips are safe for your pet – they remain inactive until near a scanner. Only a very small percentage have a reaction to the injection.

Microchipping your pet is a priority and should be done within the first few weeks of having them. Make an appointment with us today!

Parasites sound gross, and not like something you’d think you’d have to deal with when it comes to your pet, but in fact, they can actually be very harmful to your pet’s health. Your pet can be vulnerable to different parasites depending on certain factors like age and lifestyle. The cost of preventative care is far less than the cost of treatment, which is why we carry a range of preventative medication at all times in our pharmacy, and are happy to talk with you about your options.

Congratulations, you have a new baby! You just got a new best friend and a world that is a little fuller. With a new pet comes the responsibility of taking care of your new best friend to ensure their life with you is as long and happy as possible. You are now the only person they depend on to take care of them and keep them well. It’s important to bring them in soon after getting them, to start them on a life-long regimen of annual wellness exams. The sooner you start this, the better the chance we have at preventative care and any necessary treatments, as well as getting them used to our offices and staff – making future visits easier on your pet. From birth to eight weeks old, your baby should be basically quarantined – kept away from other animals and different people. Once they’ve reached their eight week birthday, they are able to receive vaccines. Prior to that eight week mark, they receive antibodies from their mothers that react negatively to vaccinations, rendering them useless.

We will educate you on the core and non-core vaccinations for your pet, and we will work with you to create a plan for non-core vaccinations that is tailored to your pet. We will thoroughly examine your pet for potential health issues like congenital heart defects, parasites, etc. We will check their major bodily system to potentially diagnose any irregularities. We will start you on a preventative health care plan, starting with at-home care. We will help you develop a nutritional guide for your pet, ensuring their life be as long and healthy as possible. We will discuss with you your spaying and neutering options, and can schedule an appointment at your earliest convenience. We will talk about puppy and kitty insurance. Additionally, we will teach you how to baby-proof your homes and give you tips on how to bond with your new best friend.

Is your dog or cat getting up there in years? Your pet is considered senior at seven years old. Senior pets are at a higher risk of developing illnesses. They need specialized care including nutrition, medication, and exams. We are committed to working with your senior pet to ensure they have the longest and healthiest lifespan possible.

With an ultrasound, we can examine soft tissue and internal organs in greater detail than we have the capability to do with X-Rays. Ultrasounds are non-invasive, safe, and painless. We can determine pregnancy, collect sterile excrement samples, and evaluate chest and abdominal organs for potential disease. Ultrasounds are the second most commonly used imaging procedure used in the veterinary world.

At the very foundation of all of our services lies the importance for annual wellness exams. Annual exams can prolong your pet’s life, increase their quality of life, decrease treatment bills, and prevent illness and discomfort in your pet. As a general rule of thumb, once symptoms appear, your pet is already suffering. Our goal in wellness exams is to prevent that from happening. We will examine your pet nose to tail. The most vulnerable pets are young ones and seniors, so it’s crucial you bring your pets in annually to be taken care of. Frequent visits are key in keeping your pet healthy and will help keep your pet safe from being scared if they’re used to our facilities and staff. We’ll ask you about your pet’s lifestyle and habits to get a clearer picture of how to treat them. You know your pet the best as you see them on a daily basis. We trust you to know when something is wrong and bring them in so we have the best possible chance at fixing them.

If you’re reading this and thinking to yourself that it’s been a while since you and your pet have been to see us, give us a call and we’ll make an appointment right now!