Health Exams
Dogs and cats require at least one comprehensive veterinary health exam every year. Preventative health allows
us to establish a baseline for your pet and to spot possible issues earlier in their development. If we do find any potential health problems, it is much easier (and more cost effective!) to treat them as early as possible. This goes a long way in making sure your pet stays happy, healthy, and by your side for years to come!
During your dog or cat’s checkup, we will examine your pet’s different bodily systems to make sure everything is functioning properly. We will weigh your pet to make sure there hasn’t been any unnoticed changes. We will examine your pet’s eyes, ears and nose for any signs of irritation, discharge, or other signs of illness. We will check your pet’s mouth and teeth for signs of tartar, redness, and other symptoms of oral diseases. We will listen to your pet’s lungs and heart for signs of problems, and will examine your dog or cat’s abdomen and joints.
Vaccinations
Keeping your pet vaccinated is a crucial component of preventative health care. With vaccines, we
have an easy way of immunizing your pet from dangerous health afflictions. We strictly follow the AAHA vaccine protocol. cats each have “core vaccinations” (which arealways strongly recommended) and “non-core vaccinations” (which are recommended due to certain lifestyles and environmental risks). We will be able to advise you on which vaccinations your pet should have, and will help you schedule their regiment. Core vaccinations for dogs are rabies, adenovirus, parvovirus, Lepto, parainfluenza and distemper. Non-core vaccinations for dogs are canine influenza, bordatella, lyme disease and leptospirosis.
Dogs and Core vaccinations for cats are rabies, feline herpesvirus, panluekopinia, and calicivirus. Non-core vaccinations for cats are feline immunodeficiency virus, feline leukemia virus, and bordatella.
Diagnostics
Our hospital maintains an in-house diagnostics laboratory. This is valuable because it means that
you don’t have to wait for your veterinary team to outsource testing, losing (possibly critical) time in the process. If the test your pet needs performed is fairly unique, we do maintain access to an out-of-house diagnostics lab.
There are several tests that we commonly run in order to diagnose or stage your pet’s health affliction. A Urinalysis will test for kidney disease or diabetes. Blood chemistry panels allow us to check the functioning of your dog or cat’s liver, kidney, pancreas and gallbladder. Complete blood counts can tell us whether or not your pet is dehydrated or anemic, or showing signs of cancer, autoimmune or tick borne diseases.
Puppy & Kitten Visits
Adopting a puppy or kitten is an incredible and exciting thing to do! After you adopt your puppy or
kitten, the first thing to do is to schedule a health exam with us. During this exam, we will examine your new pet’s different bodily systems (heart, breathing, eyes, mouth and teeth, ears, teeth, muscles and joints, and skin) in order to make sure that your new pet is in perfect health!
We will also educate you about issues such as:
Ask us about our Puppy and Kitten Health Plans – they’re designed to save you money!
- Spaying/Neutering
- Vaccinations
- Nutrition
- Exercise
- Training
Senior Care
Due to advances in veterinary medicine, pets are now living longer than ever! Because of this, certain
age-related medical conditions are now more common than they were in the past. Senior pets require health exams at least once a year, and some geriatric dogs and cats require more frequent than that. Senior pets also require unique diets and exercise regiments. Remember, we want to help your pet enjoy as many years as possible by your side. If your pet develops a health issue, it’s important to catch it as early as possible, as that’s when we are best able to treat it.
Common health issues in senior pets include:
Ask us about our Senior Wellness Plans – they’re designed to save you money!
- Cancer
- Heart Disease
- Kidney Disease
- Diabetes
- Arthritis
- Periodontal Disease
- Senility
Surgery
Our hospital offers a wide range of surgical procedures. We very commonly perform spay and
neuter surgeries for dogs and cats. We also perform soft tissue surgeries such as tumor removal, wound reconstruction, splenectomies, bladder stone removal, and biopsies.
We specialize in laser surgery, which is at the cutting edge of modern veterinary medicine. Laser surgery allows extreme surgical precision, reduces pain, blood loss and risk of infection!
Dental Care
Your pet’s oral health care has a very large impact on their overall health. Not only can oral diseases
cause serious pain and soreness for your pet, they can actually spread harmful bacteria to your pet’s heart, liver and kidneys.
We provide dogs and cats with complete oral examinations. Our veterinarians will design a dental treatment plan that will include teeth cleaning, scaling and polishing, digital dental X-rays, tooth extractions and minor oral surgeries.
We offer a wide range of dental products including specialized dental diets, dental chews and pet toothpaste and toothbrushes! This means that we will be a one stop shop for all your pet's dental needs!
Radiology
Our on-site digital X-ray suite aids us in the quick diagnosis of many disorders. X-rays allow us a
clear window into the health of your pet’s internal organs, bones and joints. This is important, as the best way to treat an illness is to have avery accurate understanding of the particulars of the affliction, and to treat it as early in the process as possible. Because our X-rays are modern and digital, the results can easily be emailed to you.
Pharmacy
Access to modern veterinary pharmaceuticals is critical for every pet. We maintain a complete inventory
of pharmaceuticals, vitamins, supplements, shampoos and oral care products. We also carry products for parasite prevention, flea and tick control, and heartworm prevention.
Nutritional Counseling
Scientifically informed nutritional regiments are incredibly important to your pet’s long term health
and well-being. Expert nutritional advice is also important in aiding the treatment of various health issues. Our doctors are at the forefront of pet nutrition and can counsel you in life-stage nutrition, as well as a nutritional regiment that enhances mobility or improves weight loss. Our hospital stocks the highest quality veterinary regulated pet foods to suit any pet’s health and dietary needs.
Laser Therapy
Laser therapy is a very exciting advancement in modern veterinary medicine. It is a modern, painless
and non-invasive procedure that harnesses photons (light) to improve cell health, reduce inflammation, stimulate bloodflow, and release endorphins (the body’s natural painkiller).
We provide our patients with state-of-the-art laser therapy. This is incredibly useful for post-surgical care, arthritic treatment, pain management, injury treatment, and is greatly helpful to senior pets.
Chiropractic
Veterinary chiropractic is the practice of manual therapy or spinal manipulation for animals. When the
spine is misaligned, it can cause negative effects in health and well-being. Adjustments can restore the body’s natural ability to heal itself and usually results in a fuller range of motion for your pet. We have a chiropractic specialist on staff to provide evaluations and treatments.
Microchipping
Millions of dogs and cats get lost every year. Pets who are microchipped are returned home at a
much greater frequency than pets that aren’t microchipped. The procedure itself is very simple – we inject the microchip (which is about the size of a grain of rice) into the loose folds between your pet’s shoulder blades. On this microchip is your home address and contact information. Virtually every veterinary clinic and animal shelter has a microchip scanner, meaning that if your pet is ever picked up, they will know exactly how to contact you. Unlike collars which are often lost when pets run away, a microchip is a permanent way to store your contact information in case your pet runs away.
Boarding
It can be very stressful for pets (and pet owners!) when you have to be away from home for a night
or possibly much longer. We believe you need someone you can trust to look after your pet in a safe, professional and compassionate way. This is why we offer our boarding service. Our clinic offers a very comfortable boarding experience for your pet.
Travel
If you’re traveling to another country with your pet, you’ll need to meet certain animal health criteria
of the country you’re going to. We handle this all the time for patients, and will examine your pet and provide any appropriate certifications after your pet gets a clean bill of health!
Below are some useful links to help get you started:
For all other destinations, please visit this website
Euthanasia
The decision to euthanize is difficult even to imagine. But sometimes it is the most noble act of compassion
that we can do for our beloved pets. Please know that this decision is always yours, and we will be there to educate you about your pet’s quality of life and prognosis of their condition. If you decide that euthanasia is the right decision for your pet, please know that we will make sure it is a private, compassionate and gentle goodbye for your companion.
Saying Goodbye
Cremation
We work closely with Gateway Pet Memorial to offer cremation services for beloved pets. A wide
selection of urns and keepsakes such as paw prints, markers and jewelry are available to honour their memory.