Your dogs and cats do not have to suffer due to allergies. Allergies are caused by an immune reaction to a specific allergen in the environment (atopy) or food. Pet allergies often present as chewing of the feet, itchiness of the face or tail region, focal patches, or recurrent ear infections. Allergy testing may be used to uncover the substances in your pet’s environment that may be causing a reaction, while food trials using a unique protein or carbohydrate source may be utilized to identify the allergy source in a particular diet. Based on these results, a longer-term treatment plan or diet change may be created. Certain environmental allergens are nearly impossible to avoid but, in some cases, immunotherapy vaccinations may help your pet develop a tolerance to the substance causing the allergy thereby dramatically reducing any itchiness, redness, or infection.

Routine blood work and urinalysis helps our veterinarians acquire information about your pet’s health that might not be seen during a physical exam. Such assessments help to identify potential issues early in the course when they may best be treated. A Serum Analysis (SMA) assesses liver, kidney, electrolytes, and protein levels. Early renal disease, toxin exposure, Cushing’s Disease, and Liver changes may all be detected from this test. Other blood such as a Pro-BNT looks at cardiac levels to determine possible cardiac damage. A Complete Blood Count (CBC) looks at Red Blood Cells, White Blood Cells and Platelets as well as their relative levels. From the CBC, infection, parasitic infestation, certain cancers, and anemia may be identified. A urinalysis assess the kidney function as well as the composition of the urine produced. Kidney diseases, diabetes, and urinary tract infections may be detected through a urinalysis.

We are dedicated to making your pet as comfortable as possible during the remainder of their lives. If your pet is terminally ill, we will provide medication and recommendations so your pet isn’t suffering and has the highest quality of life possible for as long as possible. If an acceptable quality of life can no longer be maintained, we can discuss humane euthanasia. Our hospital works closely with Infinity Cremation Services to help provide continued assistance for per owner’s at this final stage of their pets life. Be mindful that we are advocates for your pet and any recommendations we make are to ensure your pet doesn't suffer.

Eyes and vision loss can be very unforgiving. Meaning, if your pet is squinting, tearing, has any changes with the cornea or pupil sizes, or any vision changes noted, then an examination is in order sooner rather than later. Corneal scratches, ulcers, foreign bodies such as thorns, dry eye, glaucoma, trauma, and cataracts are just a few of the changes we see at our hospital. From our thorough physical examination, a definitive diagnostic and treatment plan may be established. KCS or Dry Eye is also a common older pet condition that is easily remedied once diagnosed. Glaucoma is another common ocular change in both pets and people that can lead to blindness if left untreated. We use a state of the art tonopen to detect the early stages of glaucoma before more permanent ocular changes develop.

Fleas and ticks not only cause enormous irritation for both pets and people, but they are also the vehicle for many common diseases including Lyme,Ehrlichea, Anaplasmosis, and a host of other tick bourn and parasitic diseases. A part of ensuring your pet is in good health is providing flea and tick preventatives. Prevention is important because it stops a serious problem before it starts. For every flea you see on your pet there may be hundreds more in your home. It is better for your pet’s health and more cost effective to prevent fleas rather than waiting and then trying to eliminate a flea infestation. Ticks are present almost year-round and are responsible for carrying a number of different diseases that can infect your pet, including Lyme disease. We live in a tick endemic region, increasing the likelihood that your pet will be exposed to ticks at some point in it’s life. We highly recommend giving your pet a tick preventative to decrease their risk of contracting a tick borne illness. Our doctors will recommend what preventative they feel are best for your pet.

For both convenience and necessity, our hospital is equipped with in-house laboratory equipment to provide you with more immediate results when needed. These services include in-house fecal analysis, to look for parasites, blood tests to check liver, kidney, and electrolyte values, and snap tests, for both tick-borne diseases and heart worm and for feline leukemia and FIV using a small drop of your pet’s blood.

Proper diet and nutrition are two of the most important factors in maintaining your pet’s health over a life time. A balanced and properly proportioned diet ensures a healthy weight and proper nutrients given your pets age, activities, and breed. With so much marketing and misinformation, it can be very difficult to determine the best or most appropriate diet for your pet. Nutritional consultation becomes even more important when a medical issue requires a change from the standard maintenance diet. Our team can assist you to options for the best and most appropriate diet based on your pet’s current weight, health, and medical needs.

Dogs and cats are commonly exposed to and infected with a host of gastrointestinal parasites and other parasites throughout their lives. If left undetected and untreated, these parasites may cause a variety of illnesses and clinical signs including vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, and anemia. Some of these parasites may be spread to people. Such parasites include fleas, ticks and mites, as well as a variety of intestinal parasites and tape worms. It is important to have your pet checked annually for parasites including an annual fecal analysis to help prevent internal and zoonotic diseases.

Just like in people, older pets requires a different health and wellness plan than was necessary in their younger days. Our senior pets are at an increased risk of developing numerous age- related diseases including diabetes, glaucoma, osteoarthritis, renal disease, heart disease, dental disease, cancer, and both hyper and hypothyroidism. Not all pets exhibit visible symptoms until far along in the course of the disease when treatment is more difficult. A senior wellness examination and testing will help to identify, prevent, or address the many age related diseases that may impact the long term health of our older and more delicate pets.

An ultrasound is a pain free, non-invasive procedure that uses sound waves to provide real time examination and images of internal organs and structures to assess their shape, size, structure, and potential changes. Our hospital has two ultrasound units that we use daily depending on the need or organ system to be assessed. Ultrasound examination can help discover tumors, masses or foreign bodies in the abdomen, assess heart function and cardiac changes, look for bladder stones or tumors, and help us to get a sterile urine sample without the invasiveness of surgery or general anesthesia. Due to the state-of-the-art quality of our U/S units, these studies may be sent to specialists around the world for more thorough consultation if needed.

Regular wellness exams are the best way to keep your pet healthy and prevent disease and illness before they become difficult and costly to treat. Such examinations may be accompanied with routine blood work, fecal analysis, and urine screenings as needed. Appropriate vaccinations may be completed at this time as warranted. We recommend annual wellness exams to ensure your pet receives the best preventative medicine and that any problems with their health can be addressed early when treatment is safest and most effective.