SERVICES
OUR SERVICES
THE FOLLOWING SERVICES ARE EXCLUSIVE TO DOGS AND CATS
At Angel Care Pet Hospital, we strive to provide the best care for our clients and their pets. Together,
we will pursue great customer service on each individual client and their pets whom we will serve.
The staff vows to perform within the principles of competence, honesty, integrity, and fairness
to extend excellent veterinary service that you and your pets deserve.
WELLNESS EXAM:
Our veterinarians believe that prevention is the key to your pet’s long-term health, as well as minimizing the lifetime cost of care. The wellness exam is similar to the yearly physical you receive from your doctor. We highly recommend yearly wellness exams, vaccinations, regular lab work, de-worming and fecal checks, as well as medications to prevent heartworm, fleas, and ticks.
The wellness exam also provides you with one-on-one time to discuss any concerns you may have regarding your pet’s health.
This exam consists of a nose-to-tail evaluation of your pet.
During the exam we:
• Inspect your pet’s oral cavity, teeth, throat, and dental hygiene.
• Examine your pet’s eyes and check his or her vision.
• Scan his or her ears for infection, ear mites, allergic reaction, and other related health issues.
• Evaluate your pet’s respiratory and cardiac function.
• Test your pet’s reflexes.
• Palpate lymph nodes and abdomen.
• Inspect the skin.
• Palpate joints and muscles for arthritis and other orthopedic conditions
• Suggest appropriate laboratory diagnostics to evaluate the function of internal organs, blood, and other systems.
New Puppy and Kitten Care:
Bringing home a new puppy or kitten is exciting for any family! New pets add energy and fun to your home, and are a source of unceasing affection as they bond with you.
Puppies and kittens also require a little extra attention to ensure they get a healthy start in life. Comprehensive physical exams during these early, developmental stages are important.
Your first visits with any one of our veterinarians are perhaps the most important. These initial visits are when the client, doctor, and animal first meet and begin to form a relationship that lasts for your pet’s lifetime.
You can discuss these puppy and kitten health questions:
• Diet, including types of food to feed and guidelines on feeding intervals and quantities
• House training
• Behavior
• Spaying and neutering
• Vaccine protocol
• Pet health insurance
• Microchipping, including if it’s right for your pet and the best time to do it
• Fecal exams for worms and other intestinal parasites
SENIOR PET CARE
By taking the time to learn more about the special needs of your senior pet, you have taken the first step towards ensuring your pet continues to lead a healthy and happy life. Pets in their senior years—roughly age seven and older—begin to go through a gradual reduction of their physical capabilities.
Fortunately, this process can be slowed down and managed through proper veterinary care, offering your beloved pet an extended period of vitality and good health. Additionally, preventive care tailored to your pet’s age, lifestyle, risk factors, and other elements can help prevent common diseases or detect them at early and easily treatable stages.
Once the specific needs of your older dog or cat are addressed, a solid baseline laboratory test may be used to monitor your pet at a time when small changes can be detected before they become more serious, and even life-threatening, concerns.
VACCINATION
Vaccination is the cornerstone of preventative medicine in veterinary medicine. Vaccinations have become increasingly safe and effective, and give us the means to help prevent such diseases as Rabies, Canine Distemper Virus, Parvovirus, Bordetella, Feline distemper, Feline leukemia, etc.
Other vaccines are also available based on the lifestyle and individual risks of your pet.
MICROCHIPPING
If you happen to lose your pet, having a microchip may insure he /she is returned home safely. A microchip is placed under the skin between the shoulder blades.
FLEA AND TICK PREVENTION
Fleas and ticks are everywhere! Though they are a bigger problem in certain parts of the country, no cat or dog is completely safe from them. Fortunately, many safe and highly effective products are available for monthly protection from these pests.
Fleas are ubiquitous because they are reproductive marvels; a single female flea can lay as many as 30 eggs a day and can live and breed on your pet for up to 100 days. The eggs then fall and land in carpets and upholstery where they can lie dormant for up to 8 months. To maintain flea-control in your home, you must:
– Regularly vacuum carpets, furniture, floors, and areas where your pet sits and sleeps.
– Wash your pet’s bedding, toys, and towels weekly.
Beyond causing serious discomfort and infesting your home, fleas and ticks carry diseases dangerous to both you and your pet. Fleas can transmit tapeworm and cause intense allergic reaction and skin infections. Ticks can also carry a variety of serious illness to both animals and humans, including Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.
The good news is that these problems can be avoided by using parasite prevention products that are available at our hospital. When used properly and according to our directions, these products are very safe and effective.
HEARTWORM DISEASE
Heartworm disease is a serious, life-threatening disease in dogs and cats that is spread through mosquito bites. As many as 30 species of mosquitoes can transmit heartworms.
Heartworm prevention is simple. For dogs, a once-a-month heartworm treatment is recommended to prevent infection. These prophylactics not only prevent against heartworm; they also kill and prevent many other types of worms that can infect your dog. Heartworm treatment may be used up to 5 months of age, after which a heartworm test is required before continuously using the preventative.
If you would like to have your pets tested for heartworm disease, or if you would like additional information on how best to protect your pet and your family from these dangerous parasites, please call us today for an appointment.
DIAGNOSTICS
Digital Radiology
Radiographs (x-rays) are extremely helpful in diagnosing and monitoring many medical and surgical conditions. X-rays are useful in examining your pet’s bones, lungs, heart, abdomen, oral cavity and other areas of the body. An x-ray can spot a fractured bone, detect tumors, help with the diagnosis of heartworm disease, or locate an obstruction or foreign body in your pet’s intestine or stomach. When used in conjunction with other diagnostic procedures like ultrasound, x-rays can accurately diagnose problems, making treatment faster and easier for your pet and your veterinarian.
In order to provide your pet with the best medical care, Angel Care Pet Hospital uses the latest in Digital Radiology equipment as part of your pet’s diagnostic care. Digital radiographic images offer far more detailed images and a range of features that enhance our ability to make an accurate diagnoses. This tool also reduces the exposure of your pet (and our staff) because fewer images need to be taken.
Laboratory Services
Performing preventative medicine, as well as diagnosing emergent internal health issues, requires the ability to perform a wide range of laboratory tests on blood, urine, feces, and biopsied tissue. Without timely access to precise laboratory test results – blood testing, biopsies, microscopic examinations, bacterial culture sensitivity, and more – it is difficult to make an accurate diagnosis or assessment of your pet’s health. Laboratory testing allows our veterinarians to obtain additional information to assess your pet’s overall systemic health without the need for invasive and expensive procedures.
Regular Blood Testing
A complete physical exam includes a heartworm test, parasite screening, and a full blood workup. Not only can a full chemistry panel and complete blood count identify the presence of underlying disease processes, but these tests help create a baseline should your pet become ill between routine examinations. Additionally, blood work is necessary if your veterinarian recommends a dental cleaning, removal of skin masses, or any other procedure that requires anesthesia. We also recommend comprehensive blood work annually for all pets over the age of 5.
ULTRASOUND
Multiple dimension imaging may be acquired using ultrasound technology, helping diagnose more serious and deeper tissue lesions, specifically in the body cavities. We offer this service on scheduled basis. Specialist consultation is available if necessary.
ELECTROCARDIOGRAM
EKG (Electrocardiogram) is available to compliment the cardiac ultrasound. A cardiologist consult will also be available if necessary.
ORTHOPEDIC & SOFT TISSUE SURGERY
The decision to allow your beloved companion to undergo surgery is never an easy one. At Angel Care Pet Hospital, we strive to ensure your pet’s procedure is as comfortable and stress-free as possible. Our veterinarians are trained, skilled, and experienced surgeons that approach this aspect of their profession with a deep sense of compassion for every patient.
The most important pre-surgical step we take is to discuss with you why we believe a particular procedure is necessary and what it entails. Post-operation, our doctors and staff will provide you with information on proper post-operative care and answer any question you may have.
We offer a range of orthopedic and soft tissue surgeries that include, but are not limited to:
• Mass (tumor) removals
• Splenectomy
• Cystotomy
• Gastropexy/enteropexy
• Abdominal exploratory
• Perineal Urethostomy
• Hernia repair
• Amputation
• Spays and neuters
• Entropion/Ectropion surgery
• Laceration/Wound repair
• Fracture repair
• Ear cropping
• Tail docking
• Soft palate surgery
• Anterior cruciate ligament repair
• Patella luxation surgery
ANESTHESIA
Monitoring is extremely important while a pet is under anesthesia – including EKG, blood pressure, and pulse oximeter monitoring. Ensuring the health and safety of your pet before, during, and after surgery is of the utmost importance to us.
Prior to surgery, your pet is examined and a pre-surgical blood screen may be performed. The results of these tests and your pet’s past anesthetic history, breed, pre-existing conditions, and age are used to create an individualized anesthesia protocol for your pet.
While under anesthesia, your pet is cared for by a well-trained and experienced veterinary technician using our monitoring system that tracks blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, body temperature, and oxygen level.
After surgery, your pet is continually cared for and monitored by a veterinary technician.
REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE & SURGERY
ACPH is proudly one of the few veterinary clinics that practices reproductive procedures on a regular basis. We do daily artificial inseminations either vaginally or via surgical implantation and, to compliment and facilitate these procedures, have a state-of-the-art progesterone machine available to produce highly accurate readings in real time.
Caesarian sections are done regularly as well and owners have the opportunity to view the procedures so they can be a part of this amazing event. Semen evaluation and shipment services are also available.
DENTAL SERVICES
The centerpiece of good dental care is a complete oral exam followed by a thorough cleaning. Dental cleanings include ultrasonic scaling followed by polishing and a mouth rinse, the combination of which is designed to remove plaque and slow its buildup.
Should we find any issues, such as evidence of gum or tooth decay, gingivitis, or excessive plaque buildup, we will discuss this with you and provide treatment options. We are experienced dental practitioners and capable of offering a number of dental procedures and oral surgeries.
We offer:
• Oral examinations
• Diagnosis and treatment of periodontal disease
• Ultrasonic scaling
• Tooth extractions
• Polishing
• Irrigation
• Fluoride application
You should also be able to recognize the signs of poor oral health.
If you notice any of the following, you may want to contact us:
• Persistent bad breath – one of the first signs of dental disease
• Plaque buildup (ask your veterinarian how to identify this)
• Yellowish-brown calculi deposits on the teeth near the gum line
• Red and swollen gums
• Pain or bleeding when your pet eats or when the mouth or gums are
touched
• Pawing at the mouth
• Decreased appetite or difficulty eating
• Loose or missing teeth
USDA ACCREDITED VETERINARIAN
Our veterinarians are qualified and accredited to prepare and sign government documentation to enable your pet to travel. If your airline requires a health certificate for domestic travel we are also happy to provide that at the time of your visit.