Modern anesthetic monitors make surgery much safer than it used to be. At Center Animal Clinic, your pet will be examined thoroughly before any anesthetics are administered, to ensure that a fever or other illness won't cause a problem. The amount and type of anesthetic used will depend on the health of your pet. If you have any questions, our health care team is here to answer them for you!
Even seemingly healthy pets can have organ system problems that can only be detected through blood testing. Pre-anesthetic blood testing to make sure that the liver and kidneys can handle the anesthesia is an important step to reduce the risk of anesthesia complications. The results of your pet's blood testing will help us determine if extra precautions are needed for minor issues, or if the surgery should be postponed until the problem is corrected.
For geriatric or ill pets, additional blood tests, electrocardiograms, or x-rays may be required before surgery as well. Your veterinarian will discuss any issues that arise with you and explain the necessary procedures.
It's also important that your pet's stomach is empty when they undergo surgery to reduce the risk of vomiting during and after anesthesia. You must withhold food for at least 8 to 10 hours before surgery, but your pet can have water until the morning of surgery.
Diagnostics
Our hospital is equipped to provide diagnostic and therapeutic services to care for your pets' complete healthcare needs.
Radiology Services: Our on-site, modern X-ray equipment provides high-quality radiographs to aid in the quick diagnosis of many disorders.
Electrocardiography Services: We provide ECG services on-site as well as consultations with cardiology specialists.
Laboratory: Our in-house laboratory facilities provide for serum chemistry, hematology, serology, urinalysis, and parasite testing. We also utilize commercial veterinary laboratories for specialized diagnostics and consultations.
Ultrasound: Ultrasound is a noninvasive imaging test. Ultrasound uses high frequency sound waves to create real-time pictures or video of internal organs or other soft tissues, such as blood vessels. Abdominal ultrasound helps in the evaluation of abdominal organs including the liver, spleen, stomach, pancreas, intestines, kidneys, bladder, uterus and prostate gland. This test can be extremely useful for diagnosing disease conditions not visible on radiographs. The exam also can identify most abdominal masses or tumors, abdominal fluid, and abnormal lymph nodes. All abdominal ultrasounds will be sent for interpretation by an internal medicine specialist.
Surgical Services
Center Animal Clinicoffers surgical services for soft tissue procedures such as spay/neuter, mass/growth removal, abscess/wound debridement, hernia repair, and dental procedures.
To make sure your pet is healthy enough for surgery and anesthesia our doctors will perform a pre-surgical exam and we'll do pre-anesthetic blood tests and a preliminary EKG also. Prior to full sedation and intubation, your pet will receive medication to help them relax.
To further ensure your pet's safety, we use modern anesthetics comprehensive monitoring of EKG, blood gas, temperature, and pulse rate are monitored throughout the procedure. Certified technicians will continue to monitor your pet through the recovery process and make sure they are kept as comfortable as possible.
Proper home care is an important part of the healing process. When your pet is discharged we'll go over all of the home care instructions with you and provide any medications necessary to alleviate discomfort. Written instructions will accompany all surgical releases.
Internal medicine consultations
We offer in-hospital referrals to an internal medicine specialist who performs endoscopic procedures and helps us with the diagnosis of more complicated cases.
Radiology Services
Our on-site, modern X-ray equipment provides high quality radiographs to aid in the quick diagnosis of many disorders.
Electrocardiography Services
We provide ECG services on-site as well as consultations with cardiology specialists.
Dentistry
Regular Professional Cleaning
A healthy mouth and clean teeth can lead to a longer, healthier life for your pet. Taking care of your pets' teeth at home helps avoid serious dental disease, but cats and dogs need periodic professional cleaning just like you do. At Center Animal Clinic we take care to provide a safe, thorough, and professional cleaning similar to the one you get at your dentist’s office.
Dental Disease
Periodontal disease is a progressive infection of the gums surrounding the teeth. If left untreated it can lead to halitosis, oral infections, and bacterial infections that can enter the bloodstream and cause damage to many major organs. As part of your annual visit, our doctors will conduct an oral examination to ensure that your pet's teeth are healthy and disease-free. If a cleaning is needed, while your pet is under anesthesia, we will x-ray and evaluate each individual tooth to determine if any other dental work is needed.
Oral ATP (Assessment, Treatment, Planning)
Digital Oral X-Rays
Scaling & Polishing To remove plaque and calculus from your pet's teeth we use similar instruments to those your dentist uses. After cleaning, the enamel surfaces of your pet's teeth are polished to remove scratches in the enamel.
Fluoride/Sealants We'll apply an anti-plaque treatment, such as a fluoride to help strengthen and desensitize your pet's teeth as well as help prevent plaque build-up.
Home Dental Care Your pet relies on you to help maintain their dental health through regular teeth brushing which will help fight plaque build-up
Laboratory
At Center Animal Clinic we are able to quickly diagnose a variety of diseases including diabetes, kidney failure, pancreatitis, and parasite infection with the help of our in-house laboratory. Using only small amounts of blood drawn from your pet, we can have results on the same day. This is especially important if your pet is scheduled for surgery or if we suspect an illness that needs to be treated immediately.
If your pet is having surgery, the pre-anesthetic blood work can help us identify underlying problems, so we can adjust our anesthetic protocols appropriately.
Permanent identification
Lost pets are one of the most frightening experiences you can have as a pet owner. Statistics show that one of every three pets will become lost at some point in its lifetime, and many of them will never find their way home because there is no way to identify the owner. Even scarier... a large number of those pets end up in animal shelters where they could be euthanized if the owner is not found.
While collars and name tags are helpful, they are easily lost or removed. A microchip implanted in your pet is a way to permanently identify your ownership and greatly improve the chances of recovering them.
At Center Animal Clinic, your dogs and cats are part of the family — yours and ours — so we recommend this quick and non-invasive procedure for all pets. Microchips are inexpensive, about the size and shape of a grain of rice, and can be inserted during a brief office visit. Although very few pets experience them, possible side effects include migration of the microchip from its original implantation site, failure of the microchip, hair loss, mild infections, and swelling.
Each microchip has a unique number, which is added to a national registry along with your contact information. Most veterinarians and animal shelters have electronic scanners for detecting and reading these implanted microchips. If your pet becomes lost, anyone who finds them can have them scanned for the chip so you can be quickly located and contacted. It's vital that you keep the chip registry updated with your current contact information.
Microchips are not GPS devices and they don’t provide real-time tracking. But, they are still the best way to help a lost pet get back to you safely!
If you’d like to learn more or to schedule your furry friend to receive a microchip, give us a call.
Pharmacy
Center Animal Clinic is not just an animal hospital, we're also a full-service veterinary pharmacy. We maintain a complete inventory of vitamins, shampoos, flea and tick control products, pharmaceuticals, and heartworm preventatives for your convenience.
Each time we fill a prescription for your pet we review their medical record to verify the medication name and dosage and ensure that no drug interactions or other contraindications exist. We also provide comprehensive instructions on the appropriate and safe use of the prescribed medication, but we are always available to answer your questions!
Individualized Flea Control Programs
While fleas, ticks, and other parasites are most bothersome during certain seasons, at (practice name) we believe all pets should receive regular heartworm/flea/tick prevention all year long.
These stealthy hitchhikers can slip into your home through a tiny tear in a window screen, on your pets, or even on you! Mosquitos only need a split second to dive in through an open door. Even if your pet does not go outdoors, you can bring flea eggs on your shoes and clothes. Each flea can produce 50 to 100 eggs daily! Monthly prevention for the pet, as well as environmental control such as spraying, is needed to successfully control fleas and ticks.
Fleas are the most common external parasite of companion animals. In addition to itching and other skin problems, fleas can transmit diseases to animals and people. The majority of the flea population (i.e. eggs, larvae, and pupae) are found off the pet and around the home.
A wide variety of parasite prevention products for the pet are available, such as monthly topical liquids and oral medicines, veterinary-approved collars, shampoos, sprays, and powders. We also recommend regular bathing and grooming as part of a continuous preventive protocol to maintain complete protection year-round.
Our knowledgeable staff can help you determine the proper plan of treatment for your pet and your home, as well as show you how to safely use each product. Keep in mind that canine-only products are not designed for felines and could cause serious health issues and even death. Age and weight are also factors to consider in determining which products are best for your pet.
Dietary Counseling
If your adult dog or cat is healthy, you may have chosen a pet food based simply on whether or not your pet will eat it. Cost may also play a factor in your decision. However, not all pet foods are equal. And feeding the right amount is not as simple as following the directions on the package (they’re just guidelines). Choosing an appropriate diet can set your pet on a path of lifelong good nutrition and help prevent many problems, including allergies, nutritional deficiencies, skin and coat disorders, and obesity. Nutritional requirements for dogs and cats vary depending on a variety of factors, including age, breed, and health. For instance, senior pets have different requirements than puppies or kittens, and animals with diabetes, kidney disease, and other health conditions can benefit from specific diets. Our veterinarians can help you make informed decisions about your pet’s diet.
Obesity in pets can be a common issue. Overfeeding (how can you say no to that face?!) and under-exercising (so much to do, so little time!) is usually the cause. But being overweight is just as harmful to animals as it can be for humans, and can cause more health problems as they get older. With the proper diet and plenty of exercise, your pet can maintain a healthy weight range.
As your pet ages, their nutritional needs change. We'll evaluate your pet's current diet and daily routine to help determine the best way to make sure your pet’s nutritional and activity needs are being met. A proper diet is vital to the overall health of your pet. At Center Animal Clinic we evaluate your pet’s current diet to determine if there are any beneficial changes you can make. If your pet needs a prescription diet, we can help you find out how and where you can purchase or have it delivered to you.
Behavioral Counseling
If you're noticing behaviors that are outside of what's considered normal for your pet’s developmental stage, don't try to go it alone, we can help! Our team will first examine your pet for any possible physical causes of the behavior problem. If we can rule out a physical cause for the problem behavior, we'll help you learn how to correct or manage the problem through training, behavior modification, and sometimes drug therapy.
Many behavior problems, such as jumping, barking, aggression, separation anxiety, and house soiling, can be corrected effectively with early intervention and proper understanding of animal behavior and training techniques. Our team is available for consultation and can develop a treatment plan to deal with your pet's behavior issues.
Emergency Care
What Is an Emergency Veterinary Service?
There are many situations that require emergency intervention including but not limited to:
Physical trauma
Severe bleeding
Choking or difficulty breathing
Eye injury
Poisoning
Heat stroke
Severe vomiting/diarrhea
Loss of consciousness
Unable to walk/stand
Unable to urinate/defecate
Emergencies can occur at any time, day or night and recognizing when your pet is in need of emergency care isn't always easy. If you think your pet's life is in danger Please contact Blue Pearl PVSEC at 412-366-3400.
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