We provide the following services for dogs, cats, birds, ferrets, rabbits and rodents:
- Complete Annual Physical Exam
- Preventative Care
- In-house Laboratory
- Blood Tests
- Urinalysis
- Stool Analysis
- Diagnostic Radiology
- X-Rays
- Ultrasound
- Full Range of Dental Services
- Surgery
- Spay and Neuter
- Anesthetic monitoring
- Pharmacy
- Boarding
CANINE OVARIOHYSTERECTOMY (SPAY)
An ovariohysterectomy (spay) is the surgical removal of the uterus and ovaries from the abdomen of a female animal. Spaying is the only foolproof method of birth control for female dogs and cats. It is permanent and the spayed pet no longer goes through her heat cycles. Spaying also ends several problems associated with heat, including spotting and the necessity of confining females to prevent breeding. The risk of mammary cancer is significantly reduced if a dog or cat is spayed before its first heat. Spayed pets will also never develop pyometra, a life-threatening uterine infection. Finally, spaying prevents difficult pregnancy and delivery in older or ill pets.
While it is important to spay a dog prior to its first heat, if she should go into heat, it is preferable to wait 6 weeks after the heat cycle is complete to spay her. This is due to the increased blood supply and fragility of the tissues during the heat cycle. Obese animals pose another difficulty due to the body fat obscuring important tissues and blood vessels.
Your pet will stay throughout the day for monitoring and for pain-relief injections as needed. She will be able to return home with you that evening.
To ensure safe anesthesia, pre-anesthetic blood testing is performed on all procedures requiring anesthesia. For your convienence we perform pre-anesthetic blood testing in-house prior to surgery.
The following medial services, supplies and medications are included in the cost of a spay:
- Pre-Surgery Evaluation (for pets that have not been examined in the last 6 months there will be an additional exam change added)
- Pre-anesthetic Blood Testing
- Anesthesia
- Pre-anesthetic pain injection
- Heart Monitoring
- Respiratory Monitoring
- Blood Oxygen Monitoring - Fluid Therapy
- IV Setup and Catheter
- IV Administering and Monitoring
- IV Fluids - Surgery Pack and Material
- Nursing Care
- Hospitalization
- Pain Management to go home
- Complimentary Nail Trim
DENTAL PROPHY
During dental prophy, we will scale and polish your pet's teeth. This is the same procedure your dentist performs on your teeth.
The fees depend on the weight of the animal and difficulty of the procedure. The range of fee includes: state-of-the-art anesthesia and monitoring, IV fluids, teeth cleaning and polishing and antibiotics.
Many dental abnormalities cannot be detected until the animal is anesthetized. These problems may require extractions and/or we may recommend a root canal. Every attempt will be made to contact you during the dental prophylaxis to keep you appraised of any additional procedures that may be required.
Carnassial Tooth: Root Canal Versus Extraction
The carnassial teeth are three rooted molars and are the largest teeth in your pet's mouth. These teeth are critical because they are the main teeth used to crush and chew food. Because of this fact, they are also prone to chipping and fracturing. If the nerve of a carnassial tooth is exposed, the tooth is painful and will become infected. Ideally, the tooth is treated prior to abscess formation. Treatment options include a root canal (on all three roots), or extraction of the tooth. If there is no periodontal disease, extraction can be extremely difficult and painful to the pet. A root canal preserves the tooth, allowing the ability to chew food normally.
TREATMENT OF EAR INFECTIONS
Dogs, Cats and Ferrets get ear infections for many reasons. They are most often caused by yeast, bacteria, ear mites, allergies, foxtails, excessive hair or water from swimming/bathing. Another problem is that animal ears are not as well ventilated as human ears. Human ears have only a horizontal canal, while animals have both a horizontal and vertical canal. The vertical canal decreases ventilation and drainage therefore predisposing animals to infection.
Ear problems are common and can be prevented. Mild infections should be controlled before they become severe. Severe infections may require anesthesia for proper cleaning. Once a problem has been diagnosed, it is very important to follow a strict treatment schedule and to continue preventative care once the problem is resolved. Surgery may even be necessary in some chronic cases.
Treatment Schedule
Infuse Cleaner and Clean Ears: Squirt at least 8-10 drops into the canal and around the outer ear. Massage the canal at the base of the ear. Allow your pet to shake his/her head after this. To clean, use gauze pads, Q-Tips or cotton balls and gently clean and dry the outer ear and vertical canal. Pull the outer ear straight back to straighten out the vertical canal. You can safely go down to the end of the cotton on the Q-Tip into the canal. For ferrets, you can clean with Q-Tips down the canal until you meet resistance - Do Not Force the Q-Tiop any further. Clean with a scooping motion.