Small Animals

Looking for another way to make sure your pet makes it safely back to you in case it gets lost. It is highly recommended that all pets be microchipped. Collars can get lost and tags can break off. 

Your pet needs a form of identification that can’t get lost or damaged. A microchip is a safe way to identify your pet and the best part is, it can’t get lost. 

Application of microchips is very safe and very quick. They are the size and shape of a grain of rice and they are placed underneath your pet’s skin between the shoulder blades. Each microchip contains a code that is linked to your name, address, and phone number.

Once you have registered through our office it is up you to update any change in your contact information with the microchip company and with our office. Registering the number on the microchip includes your pet in a national pet recovery database.

Veterinary hospitals, animal shelters, and animal control offices across the country all have electronic scanners that can read the microchip number. As long as there is current contact information on file with the national database the pet owner can then be contacted and reunited with his or her pet!

There is no wrong age to microchip your pet. Even indoor pets can accidentally get outside and not know how to find their way home.

At all animals clinic we provide microchips made by, HomeAgain.

Here are some common questions and misconceptions about pet microchips.

Q: Will it hurt my pet when he gets the microchip implanted?

A: It won’t hurt any more than a routine vaccination. The procedure can be performed during your pets regular wellness visit.

Q: Will a microchip last for my pets entire life?

A: Since there’s no battery and no moving parts, there’s nothing to keep charged, wear out, or replace. The microchip will last your pet’s lifetime.

Q: Isn’t microchipping only for dogs?

A: Both cats and dogs need to be microchipped.

Cats often do not wear collars, and may not have any other form of ID. A recent study showed that less than 2% of cats without microchips were returned home. However, if a cat is microchipped, the return-to-owner rate is 20 times higher than if the cat was not microchipped.

**It is vital to keep your contact information up to date with your veterinarian and with the microchip company so that you can be reached.**

From routine surgical procedures, such as spaying and neutering, to more complex surgeries, we look forward to the opportunity to care for your pet’s surgical needs. 

We focus on patient safety and pain management. Our staff carefully monitors your pet before, during, and after your pet’s procedure to ensure that they recover properly.

We will also address any questions or concerns you may have about surgery, including concerns about anesthesia, pain management, or postoperative care.

When your pet is ready to go home, our staff will review postoperative care and any medication instructions there may be. We will also contact you in the days following your pet’s procedure to ensure that they are recovering well.

If you have any questions or concerns following your pets procedure we are here to help.

Spaying your pet has many benefits such as eliminating unwanted litters and reducing the risk for pyometra (a life-threatening uterine infection) and various reproductive cancers.

The optimal time to have your pet spayed is at 6 months of age before their first heat cycle. With each heat cycle, the chances of your pet developing reproductive cancer in the future drastically increases.

Spaying, also known as an ovariohysterectomy, consists of making a small incision just below the umbilicus and removing the ovaries, uterine horns, and uterine body. On average, this surgical procedure lasts less than 20 minutes. From the preoperative phase through recovery, we ensure that your pet’s pain will be well controlled through multimodal pain management.

On average, the recovery time is 2 – 3 weeks after surgery. During this time, your pet must remain calm to heal properly.

We have created some FAQ’s that we are often asked by owners and the answers.

Dog Spay and Neuter >

Cat Spay and Neuter >

If you have any questions or concerns following your pet’s procedure, we are here to help.

Neutering your pet has many benefits such as reducing breeding instincts (decreased roaming and spraying) and reducing reproductive cancers and prostate infections.

The optimal time to have your pet neuter is around 6 months of age, but can be done earlier if breeding instincts occur. Neutering, also known as orchiectomy, consists of making a small incision either on or by the scrotum and removing the testes.

On average, this surgical procedure lasts less than 10 minutes. From the preoperative phase through recovery, we ensure that your pet’s pain will be well controlled through multimodal pain management. On average, the recovery time is 2 weeks after surgery. During this time, your pet must remain calm in order to heal properly.

We have created some FAQ’s that we are often asked by owners and the answers.

Dog Spay and Neuter >

Cat Spay and Neuter >

If you have any questions or concerns following your pet’s procedure, we are here to help.

Have you ever noticed a foul odor coming from your pet’s mouth? This odor can be a sign of issues with your cat or dogs mouth. Bad breath is caused by bacteria. This bacteria leads to reddened gums as well as plaque and tartar buildup. The result is bad breath.

As tartar continues to build up you may notice excess drooling, dropping food while chewing or refusal to eat hard food, and loose or missing teeth. Even if you’re using treats and chews to help control tartar, these are frequently not enough to keep dental disease in check.

Checking your pet’s teeth is a normal part of their yearly wellness exam. If you feel in between exams that your pet is exhibiting signs of dental disease let us examine your pet’s teeth and gums.

After a brief visual examination, we may recommend a dental cleaning. Dental cleanings in animals are similar to how a dentist cleans our teeth however we have to have your pet under anesthesia so that we can take a closer look.

Call today to discuss your pet’s dental care needs and how we can help!

Fleas, ticks, and worms… Oh my!

Parasites are not only a nuisance in our pets, they can cause serious illness and even death in pets. For example, ticks can transmit infections like Lyme disease, and fleas can transmit tapeworms and Bartonella – the bacteria that causes “cat-scratch fever” in humans.

Another type of parasite, called a heartworm, is transmitted by mosquitoes. Heartworms live in your pet’s lungs and heart, causing congestive heart failure and eventually death. Intestinal parasites, like roundworms and hookworms, also threaten pets and are even transmissible to humans.

You may not always be able to tell if your pet has parasites. Fleas can hide under your pet’s fur, and some ticks are very tiny. Intestinal parasites like roundworms can cause diarrhea and other problems, but many infected pets don’t show any signs of illness at all.

Our staff and doctors can recommend tests to tell if your pet has parasites or is at risk. We can also examine your pet for evidence of fleas, ticks, or other external parasites. Our expert staff can recommend medications to help control and even prevent fleas, ticks, heartworms, and intestinal parasites as well as what signs to look for.

Parasites are not just a nuisance. They can carry serious diseases that affect your pet’s overall health and longevity. Let us help you protect your pet.

Have you noticed that your pet has not been as active or is not wanting to eat or drink as well lately?

Because animals cannot tell us what they are thinking or feeling there are some subtle changes that may indicate that your pet needs to be seen by one of our veterinarians.

Some diseases can be diagnosed with an examination and simple diagnostic tools like bloodwork. If you feel that your pet is feeling under the weather please call and talk to our staff.

We can help you make the decision on what may be the next best step for your pet.

Radiographs are an important tool that can help us make a correct diagnosis for your pet.

A radiograph (sometimes called an x-ray) is a type of procedure that can look inside the body and give us information that we may not be able to see from the outside.

Radiography can be used to evaluate almost any organ in the body, including the heart, lungs, and abdominal organs, as well as the bones.

This tool is a safe and painless way to help determine what may be causing problems in your pet. Our doctors may recommend this tool for aiding in the diagnosis of your pets illness or chronic issues.

Yearly veterinary examinations are important for every stage of your pet’s life. Just as our health care needs change as we age, your pet’s health care needs also change.

The best way to help protect your pets as they age is to let us examine your animals yearly and to ask questions about any changes you have noticed in your aging pet.

Even if your senior pet is already being treated for a medical condition, treatment recommendations can change as a condition progresses or as other diseases present themselves.

Our doctors may recommend your pet have routine wellness blood work and other routine diagnostic testing that may be important for senior pets because these tests allow us to evaluate how your pet’s health is either responding to current management strategies or changing with age.

Many diseases or illnesses can be diagnosed early with these routine diagnostics and therefore are living longer that ever.

We welcome your questions and concerns about your pet and encourage you to be involved in decisions regarding your pet’s health care.

Our clinic strives to provide compassionate and loving care at the end of your pet’s life. We promise to provide timely support during the decision making process.

Telemedicine is now another option to communicate your pets health issues or concerns from the comfort of your own home via Airvet. You will be able to send picture and text messages or schedule a phone call. There will be times when a veterinarian will be available for On Demand calls as well.  Examples of instances where this can be beneficial for your pet are: 

– To communicate with a doctor and send pictures of the patient for a post-operative follow-up examination and discussion, general wellness care and questions, after-hours care, hospice care, concerns about a potentially sick animal, and recheck examinations. 

Telemedicine, is a fairly new service offered in veterinary medicine but has been used in human healthcare for more than 25 years. Through this service you will be able to communicate with one of our veterinarians about your pet for up to 3 days via text message. Use the app to review recent activity, doctor’s notes and recommendations. A valid veterinary client patient relationship (VCPR) is required for one our veterinarians to be able to diagnose and create a treatment plan via telemedicine. See below for the definition of a valid VCPR.

If one of our veterinarians is not available the AirVet network will allow you to access a large network of veterinarians to help you determine if your pet needs to be seen in person ASAP or if it can wait until the next business day.

Teletriage

Has your pet not ever been seen at our clinic or has it been a while?  If it is after hours we are still able to assist you in deciding if your pet needs to be seen right away or if you can avoid and emergency clinic feed.  AirVet has a network of over 3,000 veterinarians that can support you with general medical concerns and emergencies.  A valid VCPR is not required for teletriage, this service will assist you in deciding if a trip to the emergency clinic is needed.