Veterinary Appointments:
Our normal day rotates around our appointments. Appointments are where we really get to know our clients and their pets. We pride ourselves in keeping reasonable appointment lengths such that we are not rushed and can spend the time needed by your pet. Our clients come from diverse backgrounds, incomes and needs and we strive to find solutions that work for both our patients and their owners. Services we offer include:
• Puppy and Kitten Wellness Program designed to provide a complete foundation for the well-being of your new family member. Participants receive discounted vaccines, parasite control, spays/neuters and other veterinary care.
• Vaccinations, parasite control and Annual Physicals. We tailor our treatment plans to the lives of our patients. An elderly cat just doesn't have the same parasite risk as a young barn cat. We are conservative in our plans and avoid unneeded risks. Annual Physicals are highly recommended as they provide an invaluable tool for the early detection of medical conditions and a way to monitor a patient's health over time.
• Puppy and Kitten Wellness Program designed to provide a complete foundation for the well-being of your new family member. Participants receive discounted vaccines, parasite control, spays/neuters and other veterinary care.
• Vaccinations, parasite control and Annual Physicals. We tailor our treatment plans to the lives of our patients. An elderly cat just doesn't have the same parasite risk as a young barn cat. We are conservative in our plans and avoid unneeded risks. Annual Physicals are highly recommended as they provide an invaluable tool for the early detection of medical conditions and a way to monitor a patient's health over time.
• Diagnostic Services and treatment. We haven't seen it all, but we've seen a lot. While it would be nice if pets could talk and let us know what's wrong, they do let us know in other ways. Sometimes it's the way they are walking, or maybe they tense when touched a certain way. During an appointment, we have numerous ways to diagnose a condition and develop the appropriate treatment. For more details on our in-house diagnostic lab, scroll down this page.
• Dermatology - Skin issues and allergies. We live in a challenging climate for pets with our extensive rainfall. The causes of skin irritation are numerous, but Dr. Lewis has been successfully treating cases for many years. We will work hard with you to find the root cause of the problem and how to make the needed changes to help your pet live comfortably. We strive to find lasting solutions that last a pet's lifetime rather than treatments that are short lived and in many cases, lead to additional problems and risks.
• Dentistry. Healthy teeth are very important for both ourselves and our pets. With proper care, a pet's teeth can last them a lifetime without pain and needless discomfort. We work with our clients to teach how to care for your pets teeth at home through brushing and proper diet. During our annual physical exams, we will review your pets teeth and make recommendations on when and if your pet is due for a professional cleaning. When we perform a cleaning, we go far beyond a simple tooth cleaning. We will thoroughly clean and polish your pet's teeth with the goal of assuring long tooth life. By providing periodontal care, we can remove plaque and tartar from both the exposed tooth enamel and deep along the root, beneath the gum line. Periodontal care is critical for avoiding tooth extractions and keeping a pet's teeth healthy and pain-free.
• Baths, Anal Glands and Toe Nail trims. Good Hygiene is important to a pets health. Keeping your pet's toe nails trimmed is simple with our "Toe Nail Club". As a member of the club, you will receive a punch card that rewards with free trims when full. Better yet, we are happy to teach how to trim nails yourself at home and integrate this into all of our puppy packages.
• Tuesday evening appointments for the convenience of our clients. Everyone enjoys their weekends and having to go to the vet is not how most people want to spend theirs. Every Tuesday we see appointments in the evening to meet the needs of our working clients.
• Dermatology - Skin issues and allergies. We live in a challenging climate for pets with our extensive rainfall. The causes of skin irritation are numerous, but Dr. Lewis has been successfully treating cases for many years. We will work hard with you to find the root cause of the problem and how to make the needed changes to help your pet live comfortably. We strive to find lasting solutions that last a pet's lifetime rather than treatments that are short lived and in many cases, lead to additional problems and risks.
• Dentistry. Healthy teeth are very important for both ourselves and our pets. With proper care, a pet's teeth can last them a lifetime without pain and needless discomfort. We work with our clients to teach how to care for your pets teeth at home through brushing and proper diet. During our annual physical exams, we will review your pets teeth and make recommendations on when and if your pet is due for a professional cleaning. When we perform a cleaning, we go far beyond a simple tooth cleaning. We will thoroughly clean and polish your pet's teeth with the goal of assuring long tooth life. By providing periodontal care, we can remove plaque and tartar from both the exposed tooth enamel and deep along the root, beneath the gum line. Periodontal care is critical for avoiding tooth extractions and keeping a pet's teeth healthy and pain-free.
• Baths, Anal Glands and Toe Nail trims. Good Hygiene is important to a pets health. Keeping your pet's toe nails trimmed is simple with our "Toe Nail Club". As a member of the club, you will receive a punch card that rewards with free trims when full. Better yet, we are happy to teach how to trim nails yourself at home and integrate this into all of our puppy packages.
• Tuesday evening appointments for the convenience of our clients. Everyone enjoys their weekends and having to go to the vet is not how most people want to spend theirs. Every Tuesday we see appointments in the evening to meet the needs of our working clients.
Surgeries:
We know that having your loved pet undergo surgery can be a stressful time. We approach all surgeries with safety and effective outcomes as our primary goal. Because of this focus, Vetters Animal Hospital has maintained an excellent record of pet safety and surgical success. Below are some of the technologies and procedures that we utilize because safe surgery is something that is planned and not taken for granted.
• CO2 surgical laser: The surgical laser replaces a traditional scalpel during surgery. A surgical laser offers the surgeon the ability to perform certain surgical procedures that would be otherwise be excessively painful or have a reduced outcome. Whenever it is used, the laser reduces both the amount of bleeding and pain at the incision site. We currently utilize an Aesculight surgical laser, You can visit the following site for more information on surgical lasers: www.aesculight.com/
• Anesthesia Monitoring. Paramount to safe surgery is the careful use of anesthetic drugs. Prior to the administration of any anesthetic, we will perform an examination and obtain an accurate patient weight. This information allows us to tailor the anesthetic drugs to a specific patient, keeping in mind their health status, prior surgical outcomes and current needs. When appropriate, we continually monitor a patient's pulse rate, ECG, saturated oxygen levels, non-invasive blood pressure, exhaled CO2 and other parameters that help the veterinarian maintain a safe surgery.
• IV fluids support. Intravenous delivered fluids help patients by maintaining hydration and supporting blood pressure. Patients with IV fluid support wake up faster, and recovery faster from anesthetics than without. Patient safety is also improved by having an established site available for the delivery of support drugs if needed.
• Patient thermal support. While under the effect of anesthetic drugs, a patient's ability to regulate their temperature is reduced. This can lead to the lowering of core body temperature which can be a significant risk, especially in small pets such as pocket dog breeds. To combat this effect, we utilize a patient warming system that is comprised of a solid-state controlled thermal heating wrap during surgery and if needed, during recovery.
• Anesthesia Monitoring. Paramount to safe surgery is the careful use of anesthetic drugs. Prior to the administration of any anesthetic, we will perform an examination and obtain an accurate patient weight. This information allows us to tailor the anesthetic drugs to a specific patient, keeping in mind their health status, prior surgical outcomes and current needs. When appropriate, we continually monitor a patient's pulse rate, ECG, saturated oxygen levels, non-invasive blood pressure, exhaled CO2 and other parameters that help the veterinarian maintain a safe surgery.
• IV fluids support. Intravenous delivered fluids help patients by maintaining hydration and supporting blood pressure. Patients with IV fluid support wake up faster, and recovery faster from anesthetics than without. Patient safety is also improved by having an established site available for the delivery of support drugs if needed.
• Patient thermal support. While under the effect of anesthetic drugs, a patient's ability to regulate their temperature is reduced. This can lead to the lowering of core body temperature which can be a significant risk, especially in small pets such as pocket dog breeds. To combat this effect, we utilize a patient warming system that is comprised of a solid-state controlled thermal heating wrap during surgery and if needed, during recovery.
Diagnostic Services:
Vetters Animal Hospital is a modern, well-equipped veterinary practice with a multitude of different technologies being used to diagnose patient conditions. We are continually investing in equipment that we feel best suits our practice needs and our expertise. When technologies exist that benefit our patients, but we do not have the capabilities in-house, we will work with our clients to provide referrals to specialty clinics.
• Digital Radiography (x-rays): Radiographs allow a veterinarian to examine the interior structure of a patient. They provide detailed images of bones and certain foreign objects. We use these images to evaluate possible bone damage from accidents, joint health in backs, elbows and hips. In some instances, diagnosis of soft tissue organ conditions can be made based upon their location, the build-up of abnormal fluids or air, or size variations from normal organs. Our system is a digital direct radiograph plate system, which provides excellent images at the lowest levels of radiation exposure. Digital radiograph systems also allow for computer image enhancement and measurements of critical areas. In the event that a patient is being referred to a specialist, we are able to electronically transfer these images in minutes.
• Advanced in-house laboratory: Accurate lab tests provide invaluable information to a doctor. We utilize these tests to provide information prior to surgery and to help diagnose medical conditions. By investing in this technology, we can have critical answers in minutes. Our laboratory currently utilizes an Abaxis VS-2 blood chemistry analyzer and HM-5 hematology center for most bloodwork; see www.abaxis.com/veterinary for more details. We also regularly use a microscope to view prepared slides of urine and fecal samples. Stool and Urine analysis is performed to diagnose conditions such as salmon sickness, parasite infection, bladder infections, urinary tract infections and similar concerns. When making an appointment, you may be asked to bring a fresh stool sample or to allow our technician to collect urine for these tests. We also work with various outside laboratories to perform various specialized tests.
• Digital Radiography (x-rays): Radiographs allow a veterinarian to examine the interior structure of a patient. They provide detailed images of bones and certain foreign objects. We use these images to evaluate possible bone damage from accidents, joint health in backs, elbows and hips. In some instances, diagnosis of soft tissue organ conditions can be made based upon their location, the build-up of abnormal fluids or air, or size variations from normal organs. Our system is a digital direct radiograph plate system, which provides excellent images at the lowest levels of radiation exposure. Digital radiograph systems also allow for computer image enhancement and measurements of critical areas. In the event that a patient is being referred to a specialist, we are able to electronically transfer these images in minutes.
• Advanced in-house laboratory: Accurate lab tests provide invaluable information to a doctor. We utilize these tests to provide information prior to surgery and to help diagnose medical conditions. By investing in this technology, we can have critical answers in minutes. Our laboratory currently utilizes an Abaxis VS-2 blood chemistry analyzer and HM-5 hematology center for most bloodwork; see www.abaxis.com/veterinary for more details. We also regularly use a microscope to view prepared slides of urine and fecal samples. Stool and Urine analysis is performed to diagnose conditions such as salmon sickness, parasite infection, bladder infections, urinary tract infections and similar concerns. When making an appointment, you may be asked to bring a fresh stool sample or to allow our technician to collect urine for these tests. We also work with various outside laboratories to perform various specialized tests.
