- Dental CareDogs have 42 smile generators. Keeping those 42 teeth strong, healthy, and happy is essential to preventing illness, pain, and may extend longevity. Each February, U.S. veterinarians celebrate National Pet Dental Health Month to raise awareness about the dangers of oral diseases such as gingivitis, tooth abscesses, and mouth tumors. While I’ll be the first to admit it’s not a thrilling party theme, it is an incredibly important topic that directly affects every dog’s quality of life. To get this party started, I’d like to share five of my top tips for a healthier dog smile!
- Vaccination1. Make sure your dog is at least 4 months old and current on all vaccinations. Dog parks can be very dangerous for a dog that isn't fully vaccinated or is too young to be exposed to certain infectious diseases and parasites.
- Behavioral CounselingIf your dog continues to chew on household objects, furniture, or clothing, you need to see your veterinarian. If you return from work and find a cushion eviscerated, do not punish your dog. A dog’s sense of time can’t link the earlier destruction with your later screaming or spanking. Ask your veterinarian about using taste and odor aversion tools, household behavioral booby-traps, and training tactics. I’ve had success in complex cases with alarm mats, motion detector sprays, bitter tasting sprays and coatings, and some very creative trip-wires. For severely stressed pets, prescription anxiolytic medications may be used along with behavior modification training.
- Nutritional CounselingDog Diet & Nutrition We often hear about foods we can’t share with our dogs: chocolate, grapes, raisins, fatty foods, onions, foods with the artificial sweetener xylitol, macadamia nuts, etc.
- Comprehensive ExaminationThis usually depends on your pet's age. The goal here is to maintain good health. As a puppy or kitten, wellness exams are recommended on a monthly basis, while for the average adult, annual wellness examinations are the norm, and for middle aged or geriatric pets, semi-annual examinations are recommended.
- Parasites Treatment and ControlAll animals must be free of external and internal parasites (fleas, ticks, giardia, whipworms, hookworms, etc.) If they are found to have any while boarding with us, they will be treated at your expense.
- Pain ManagementLow-level laser therapy (LLLT), also known as photobiomodulation, is a painless treatment that uses clinically tested wavelengths of light to stimulate natural biological processes leading to faster healing and pain relief. Like plants absorbing sunlight through photosynthesis, cells in the body absorb laser energy that stimulates the body to release pain relieving compounds, increases circulation and energizes the cells to participate in the healing process. There are no side effects and many times laser therapy can take the place of pharmaceuticals and surgery to treat long-term, degenerative diseases.
- Vomiting Treatment
- Diarrhea Treatment
- Skin Condition and Allergy TreatmentBesides being a great source of protein, dogs love to eat meat. In order to prevent an upset stomach, or worse yet—a pancreatitis—it is safer to feed dogs lean meats such as turkey, chicken, and fish. Fish is not only a good source of protein, but can also be a great source of omega-3 fatty acids—especially salmon. Omega fatty acids are purported to have anti-inflammatory properties, are a major component of the mammalian brain, and can help with skin and coat problems. When giving your pets meat, remember to remove the skin and fat; if it’s not healthy for you, it’s not healthy for your dog. Finally, be sure you also remove all bones. Beef bones can chip a tooth, poultry bones can splinter, and any bone can get stuck in your dog's throat or intestinal tract.
- Feline Retro Virus TreatmentIf your new pet is a cat then feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) and feline leukemia virus (FeLV) tests are essential. FeLV and FIV are important disease causing viruses in cats. FIV is sometimes called feline “AIDS” because like HIV, it attacks the immune system and makes the host vulnerable to opportunistic infections. FeLV also weakens the immune system, but in addition to predisposing them to infections, it increases their risk of lymphosarcoma, a highly malignant cancer. Testing cats for FIV and FeLV is important for 2 different reasons. If you already have a cat, you want to make sure that your new cat is free from FIV and FeLV. FIV can be transmitted by a bite or scratch from an infected cat and FeLV can be transmitted by sharing food and water bowls or even a litter box with an infected cat. If you know your cat carries one of these viruses take measures to limit exposure to other cats to reduce transmission.
- Ear Infection Treatment
- Arthritis TreatmentDr. Ernie Ward writes, "The number one medical condition associated with excess weight is osteoarthritis (OA). Both large and small breeds of dogs are typically affected, but cats are developing crippling arthritis at alarming rates. If your pet is carrying as little as one or two extra pounds, remember those pounds are stressing tiny joints not designed to carry extra weight. Making matters worse, fat cells produce harmful chemicals known as adipocytokines that damage even non-weight bearing joints. There is no cure for arthritis; we can only minimize the pain." Learn more about arthritis and pets here >>>
- Hip Dysplasia TreatmentAnaplasmosis: Carried by the deer tick or black-legged tick. Can cause low platelet and white blood cell counts, as well as chronic joint pain and possible neurological signs if left untreated.
- Obesity TreatmentSome people might look at an overweight pet and say, “oh, how cute.” While it’s true that any pet can be cute, pet obesity is nothing to be fawned over. It’s not healthy and will ultimately lower a pet’s life expectancy. Here are 5 reasons why pet obesity is a big concern. If you think your pet might be overweight, talk with your veterinarian.
- Diabetes TreatmentPreventable disease is on the rise since 2006, there has been a 36% increase in canine diabetes and a 16% increase in feline diabetes. Heartworm disease, dental disease and the diseases associated with fleas and ticks are also increasing in prevalence.
- Thyroid Disease TreatmentIf you are adopting an older cat or dog, it is always a good idea to get screening blood tests. By definition, a screening blood test is a test done to detect disease before it shows manifestations and becomes symptomatic. So even if the cat or dog you are adopting looks healthy, it is ideal to get a screening blood test to make sure they don’t have problems like diabetes, kidney disease or thyroid disease. Screening tests are also important for animals of all ages if they will be undergoing surgery.
- Heart Disease TreatmentKeep your dog at a slim, trim body weight. Obesity dramatically contributes to ever so many age-related, debilitating issues such as arthritis (a huge problem for way too many dogs), diabetes and heart disease. Feed your dog as little as it takes to maintain an ideal body condition score. Remember, in general, older dogs require approximately 30 percent fewer calories to maintain a healthy body weight. If your dog is overweight, ask your veterinarian to help you devise a plan to tackle this problem.
- Kidney Disease TreatmentRaisins and grapes-- Raisins and grapes can also be toxic and cause severe vomiting that leads to kidney failure a day or so after ingestion.
- Periodontal Disease TreatmentMouth and teeth - looking for tartar build-up, periodontal disease, retained baby teeth, broken teeth, ulcers in or around the mouth, etc.
- Wound and Fracture CareFeline Immunodeficiency Virus: Primarily spread through bite wounds, FIV is a virus that attacks the immune system, impairing its ability to fight infections. Approximately 2-5% of healthy indoor cats in the US are infected, but the incidence can be as high as 24% in free-roaming outdoor cats.
- Veterinary SurgeryWe are a full service, small animal hospital in the heart of Virginia Beach. Our caring veterinarians offer a combined experience of over 60 years of knowledge and passion, and we are looking for a like-minded individual to complete our practice. We are dedicated to the highest quality care of our patients as well as the ongoing education of our pet owners. Our hospital is comfortable, kid-friendly, and provides a spacious lobby and pleasant atmosphere for pets and pet parents alike. We offer an array of services including physical exams, preventative medicine, dental and surgical services, cold laser therapy, and bath and boarding. We also provide excellent care to walk-in emergencies during our regular business hours. Our practice is equipped with an in-house laboratory, digital radiography, updated dental and surgical equipment, as well as a knowledgeable team.
- Declawing
- Spaying and NeuteringIf you've ever visited any animal shelter, you've seen some of the thousands of pets each year who are homeless, and many of them run out of time and are euthanized. You can't save them all, but you can help prevent pet overpopulation by spaying or neutering your pet.
- Cropping
- Laboratory ServicesSuch as a complete blood count (CBC), a blood chemistry profile, and a urinalysis. Your veterinarian will advise you about how extensive the testing should be. In younger animals without noticeable health complaints, relatively simple testing may be adequate. In middle-aged or geriatric pets, more comprehensive testing is advisable. For older pets, additional wellness screening tests may include chest or abdominal x-rays to assess the size and appearance of the internal organs (heart, lungs, kidneys, liver) or x-rays of the skeletal system to look for degenerative changes in the bones or joints.
- X-Ray
- MicrochippingTaking your new pet to the veterinarian is probably the most important thing you should do. Your veterinarian will do a complete physical exam to ensure your new pet is healthy or address any medical issues. They will also make sure your pet is protected from preventable illness by recommending vaccines and parasite preventatives. Your veterinarian may also suggest microchipping your pet and spaying or neutering them if it hasn’t been done already.
- Boarding
- Grooming
- Senior Pet CareDuring senior wellness exams: Labwork is usually recommended for mature, senior and geriatric pets as part of their periodic wellness exams. These are extremely beneficial, as we often see senior pets return to a more youthful state of being when blood tests identify an issue that can be easily treated.
- Dog Training