- Dental CareDental exams are always FREE....just call for an appointment with Dr. Pam or one of our technicians. At the appointment we will perform a brief exam of the teeth and give you a written estimate for a dental cleaning if needed. Keep in mind that no dental exam is complete until your pet is under anesthesia, and each tooth's integrity can be inspected more closely. (515) 276-4549
- Vaccination
- Behavioral Counseling
- Comprehensive ExaminationA very important part of your pet's visit is a thorough physical examination. Whether your pet is a new puppy or kitten or a geriatric pet, a physical examination can detect many potential problems. During any examination our goal is to look the pet over from nose to tail. We use a stethoscope to listen to the heart and lungs. We check their teeth, eyes and ears. We use our hands to feel for abnormalities and lumps or bumps. We look for external parasites such as fleas and ticks. We look at the skin and coat for signs of allergies or infections. We watch them move around the room and look for signs of a normal attitude and mentation. An important part of our examination is also input from the owner. A history is asked for because the pet may exhibit behaviors at home that are not present at the visit. Dogs and cats experience adrenaline when at the doctor, the same as some humans can. This hormone can prevent them from feeling pain, take away a limp or gimp and make them appear more active than what an owner may see at home. Please write down any potential concerns before your visit so you don't forget to ask about them.
- Parasites Treatment and ControlDuring an annual visit, we will be asking for certain samples from your pet. We request owners to bring in a small sample of fecal material to their appointments at least once a year. Reason for this is that dogs and cats can have/carry intestinal parasites. You will not see signs of most worms in the pet's stool as they only live internally and produce microscopic eggs. Our fecal testing is done via floatation in a special solution that causes the eggs to rise to the surface and adhere to a glass microscope slide. We then look under the microscope for these eggs. In addition to causing health problems for your pet, many intestinal parasites can be contagious to humans, particularly infants and young children or immunocompromised adults.
- Pain Management6. Trigger Points and Acupuncture Points Laser therapy stimulates muscle trigger and acupuncture points without mechanical invasion to provide musculoskeletal pain relief.
- Vomiting Treatment
- Diarrhea Treatment
- Skin Condition and Allergy Treatment
- Upper Respiratory Illness Treatment
- Injury Treatment
- Ear Infection TreatmentIn October, 2016 we purchased our first therapy laser. Laser is a cutting edge technology allowing us to treat pain and inflammation without using drugs. We have seen exciting results in our first month of use treating canine and feline degenerative joint disease (arthritis) as well as injuries to joints and spine, surgery sites, allergies, ear infections, periodontal disease, wounds, burns etc. For more information or to set up a free consultation, please call us at 515-276-4549. Here is a link to information on how laser works presented by the manufacturer of our laser unit: www.litecure.com/companion/for-pet-owners/
- Urinary Tract Infection Treatment
- Hip Dysplasia Treatment
- Diabetes Treatment
- Thyroid Disease Treatment
- Epilepsy Treatment
- Heart Disease TreatmentWe have a large surgery suite with a new, heated V-top surgery table that can accommodate the smallest and largest of patients. We have an anesthetic monitoring machine that can allow us to monitor a pet's ECG, heart rate, respiratory rate, body temperature, oxygen saturation and blood pressure. We have an IV fluid pump and a gas anesthetic machine.
- Kidney Disease Treatment
- Periodontal Disease TreatmentSome pet owners don't realize the importance of pet dental care in keeping their pet healthy. Nearly 85% of pets over age four suffer from periodontal disease. Periodontal disease damages teeth and the supporting structures that keep your pet's teeth in place and healthy. At Northwest Veterinary Hospital, we value education of our clients very highly. This page is dedicated to helping clients understand pet dental health and the reasons we recommend regular dental care.
- Wound and Fracture Care
- Dental Surgery
- Veterinary Surgery
- Spaying and NeuteringDogs and cats are born with a full set of reproductive organs. These organs are the ovaries and uterus in a female and the testicles in a male. Pets who are not sterilized can undergo changes in personality and other problems related to maturing into adults. Reproductive hormones start to be produced between 6 months and a year of age in dogs and 4 months and 8 months in cats. If left intact, male dogs and cats can start to "mark their territory" by urinating on furniture, walls and other things in your home. If allowed to continue very long, this behavior can become permanent. Also testosterone can increase aggression in male animals. Female dogs and cats will go through heat cycles starting between 4 months and a year of age. Female dogs will pass blood and attract male dogs to their area. If left unattended for even 5 minutes they can be bred by a stray male and become pregnant. Female cats will vocalize and howl as well as being overly "pesky" at all hours of the day and night. Spaying female pets or neutering male pets is an important part of providing them with the essentials for living a long and happy life.
- Laboratory ServicesThere are many reasons pets, both young and old become ill. At Northwest Veterinary Hospital we understand your worries about a pet that just isn't himself. We have state of the art in-house diagnostic equipment and testing allowing us to quickly determine what the problem is. We can run blood work, many more specific tests and perform ultrasound and radiographs as needed. We also will make time to quickly get your pet in to be evaluated. If you are worried enough to call us about a problem, we will simply get you an appointment, or work your pet into our schedule. We will compassionately take the best of care of both you and your companion. Guaranteed.
- X-RayWe love our Fovea Direct Digital Radiography unit. It is a great asset to our hospital as we can take an x-ray and see it on the computer screen in less than 3 seconds. No more waiting while radiographs are put into a processing machine, just to find out the shot wasn't perfect and must be retaken. We can perform many of our radiographs without sedation as the unit is so fast, we can position the pet and get a radiograph before they move.
- Microchipping
- Senior Pet CareAt Northwest Vet Hospital we want to see your pet live as long and healthy a life as possible. No matter how good our physical examination is there are things that can be going on internally that we cannot see signs of on examining your pet. Because of this we offer to perform a blood chemistry profile and a red and white blood cell count once a year on most pets. It is important at all life stages to keep on eye on organ functions such as liver, kidney and blood sugar levels once a year. Remember your pet cannot tell us how they feel and if things are changing for them. Many diseases set in very slowly and owners can take years to pick up on subtle changes in their pet's appetite, water consumption and behaviors. By the time an owner has noticed that the pet is not acting themselves, the illness is already out of control. By watching the blood chemistries every year, we can determine an upward trend before it even leaves the normal range. Many organ-related problems can be dealt with via a change in diet or addition of a supplement. These blood tests are important for all pets but can be life saving for our senior pets over 7 years old.