Services
Valley Veterinary Hospital provides a wide range of service from routine vaccinations to advanced diagnostics and surgery. We know it’s never easy when your pet becomes ill, which is why we are always ready to provide top quality service.
Annual and Wellness Exams
The best way to help keep pets healthy and assure a longer, healthier life is with annual wellness exams. This is also the perfect time to discuss your adult dog’s health and lifestyle. We encourage you to speak to us about diet, exercise, dental care, mobility issues, or any age-related changes during your pets next exam. All exams include a thorough nose-to-tail physical examination, dental evaluation, and recommendations for parasite prevention and control (i.e. fleas, ticks, and worms) as well as recommendations on vaccinations based on your pets lifestyle, age, health and exposure risks.
Please note that additional diagnostic testing may be recommended depending on our findings.
A wellness exam helps us to understand your expectations as pet owner and allows us to establish a long relationship with you and your pet. Establishing a baseline of health early allows us to measure changes in your pet over time, enabling us to detect the onset of diseases earlier when treatment and prevention are most effective. Wellness exams play a vital role in the early detection of any future health issues and are critical in preventing illness and disease.
Welcoming a new puppy and kitten into your family is an exciting time, but it can also bring up many questions and concerns – especially for first time pet owners. At Valley Veterinary Hospital, we are here to provide guidance for you and your new pet so that he or she can grow up happy and healthy.
Puppies and kittens are more vulnerable to illness as their immune system is still in development. This is why it’s important to bring your new pet in for their first wellness exam as soon as possible. During the first exam, we will perform a thorough physical examination to look for any underlying health conditions.
The puppy/kitten wellness exam is also the perfect time to ask us any questions you have regarding caring for your pet, such as diet and exercise, behavior issues, or house training. We will also discuss the importance of microchipping your new pet to ensure that they return home safely if they are ever lost.
It is recommended that puppies receive their first DAPP-CV vaccination between the ages of six to eight weeks, and that they continue to receive them every three to four weeks for a total of four vaccinations. If your dog is greater than six months of age when they start their series, they only need a series of two DHPP-CV, a Rabies and Bordetella. Other vaccines are available, and their need is based on lifestyle. We can give you further recommendations at your visit.
It is recommended that kittens begin their vaccination series between six to eight weeks old and that they continue to receive them every three to four weeks for a total of three vaccinations. If your cat is older than six months when they start their series, they only need a series of two FVRCP-FeLV, and a rabies vaccine.
For your pets first exam, please bring a fresh stool sample (ideally less than 12 hours old) and any health information provided to you by the seller or shelter, such as previous vaccinations or deworming. For your pets safety and the safety of others, please arrive with your puppy on a leash and your kitten in a secured pet carrier.
Puppy and Kitten Plans are available. If you are interested in our packages and would like more information, please give us a call or come by.
Senior Pet Exams
At Valley Veterinary Hospital, we believe that caring for your senior pet requires more than simply treating problems as they arise. By emphasizing your pet’s wellness throughout their life with a comprehensive preventative health care plan, we can significantly increase their long term health and comfort.
It’s crucial that your senior dog or cat receives regular preventative care to prevent or treat the diseases that older pets are more prone to, such as bone and joint problems, hormone disorders, cancer, and diseases of the kidney, heart, and liver. Animals age at a much faster rate compared to humans, so biannual wellness visits are strongly recommended to make sure that your senior pet is as healthy as possible.
For senior pets, we recommend biannual exams that may recommend comprehensive blood testing, which helps in detection of diseases such as kidney disease, diabetes, liver disease, and thyroid disorders. By detecting these diseases as early as possible, we can begin treatment and help keep your dog or cat healthy.
Signs of Underlying Illness in Your Senior Pet
The following warnings signs can indicate a problem that should be addressed as soon as possible:
- Sudden weight loss or weight gain
- Significant decrease or increase in appetite
- Failure to eat for more than two days
- Increasing thirst or water intake
- Excess urination
- Vomiting
- Abnormal stool
- Bad breath or drooling
- Lethargy
- Decrease in vision
- Excessive panting or rapid breathing
- Stiffness or trouble moving
- Trouble breathing
- Hair loss (especially if accompanied by scratching in a localized area)
General Medicine
Should your pet become ill or require care for a chronic medical condition, the veterinarians at Valley Veterinary Hospital have the expertise and diagnostic equipment to provide treatment for your pet. Whether your pet requires a routine checkup, specialized treatment for a chronic disease, or emergency care, we are here to provide the highest quality veterinary care for your pet.
Treatment of Chronic Conditions
Our veterinarians are committed to diagnosing, treating, and monitoring your pet’s condition, and our goal is to keep your pet healthy and improve their quality of life. If your pet has been diagnosed with a chronic condition including diabetes, hypothyroidism, kidney disease, liver disease, or thyroid disease, our veterinarians can perform the routine monitoring needed to keep your dog or cat healthy.
Emergency & Urgent Care
We have a veterinarian and personnel on duty 6 days a week who are trained and equipped to handle any urgent care your pet has. Usually an emergency team consists of at least one veterinarian and several technicians working together to save a pet’s life. Emergencies can be things such as mouse bait poisoning, hit by car, and chocolate ingestion. If you ever feel that your pet needs emergency treatment do not hesitate to call or come in immediately.
We understand that hospitalization can be a stressful time for both you and your pet. While in the hospital, your pet’s health and comfort is a priority to us. Our hospital is equipped with veterinary medical equipment to help us diagnose and treat your pet quickly and efficiently. Critical care patients and those recovering from anesthesia are closely monitored at all times. While hospitalized, we will utilize a customized pain management plan to help control pain so your pet is as comfortable as possible during his or her recovery.
Surgery
Valley Veterinary Hospital provides a variety of general surgical procedures for dogs and cats. Before surgery, our veterinarians will discuss why we believe a particular procedure is necessary, what the surgery entails, and expected recovery times. Surgeries performed at our hospital include:
General (soft tissue) surgery is associated with the skin and tissue. Soft tissue surgery includes tumor removal, cystotomy, intestinal foreign body removal, splenectomy, C-section, spay/neuter, and more.
Orthopedic surgery corrects musculoskeletal conditions such as degenerative joint diseases, knee pain, joint injuries and spinal conditions. Traumatic injuries such as broken bones and torn cruciate ligaments can also be repaired with orthopedic surgery. If your pet does require an orthopedic procedure to repair a bone or joint, we will bring in a board-certified surgeon to care for your pet in our facility, so that you don’t have to travel elsewhere.
We perform some types of dental surgery such as tooth extraction, oral tumor removal, and fracture repair.
Typical emergency surgeries we perform include wound repair, laceration repair, and foreign object removal.
Keeping your pet safe is our number one priority. We monitor every surgery patient at all times. A dedicated technician will keep track of your pet’s vital signs, and we can also administer IV fluids to keep your pet’s blood pressure stable and to ensure the distribution of oxygen and nutrients to your pet’s vital organs.
Any surgery requires appropriate after-care to minimize discomfort and promote healing. We will provide you with thorough instructions for taking care of your pet once he or she is home, and, when needed, we’ll send your pet home with any necessary pain medication.
We welcome any questions you might have about our surgical capabilities and your pet’s condition. Please contact us anytime to discuss your pet’s needs.
Anesthesia
There may be a time when your pet will require a procedure or surgery for his continued health. At the time of surgery your pet will require anesthesia which will be carefully administered and monitored by our veterinary staff. Knowing the basics about how anesthesia will be is used in surgery and the recovery basics will help to ease your mind while your pet is under our care.
Anesthesia may be deemed necessary when a procedure needs to be performed where the pet will be immobilized or if the procedure would otherwise cause pain or distress that is beyond what the pet can comfortably tolerate. We want you to feel absolutely comfortable with our hospital, staff and recommendations and anytime a sedative is being recommended we want to reassure you that our veterinary staff is here to answer any questions and provide any assistance that will make the procedure easier for you and your pet.
Because pets have specific needs, it is important to make sure that veterinary anesthesia protocols are followed properly to prepare your pet for surgery. We make it our priority to ensure that your pet is in optimal health before any surgery is performed. Therefore, our veterinarian will always recommend some diagnostic testing before the procedure to ensure that we have a complete picture of your pet’s physical health.
During anesthesia, your pet will be in an unconscious state and will not feel any discomfort.
Your pet may feel sedated for a period of time after it goes home. Our staff will talk to you about your pet’s pain management plan. Your pet may need pain medication for several days and you will receive specific instructions before your pet is released. If you have any questions or concerns, please call us right away.
Dental Care
Dental care plays a vital part in your pet’s wellness care, and our professional dental treatments are among the most common services that we provide for dogs and cats. At Valley Veterinary Hospital, we will perform a dental examination during your pet’s annual wellness exam. Our professional dental cleanings include: hand scaling and ultrasonic scaling; detailed polishing; tooth extractions, if necessary.
Our veterinarians also recommend regular home care to prevent the buildup of plaque on your pet’s teeth. Brushing your pet’s teeth every day will reduce or eliminate plaque buildup. Plaque can progress to periodontitis, which is characterized by pockets of chronic infection, oral pain, and severe infections. If left untreated, it will eventually loosen and destroy the teeth, possibly leading to bone loss. An infection under the gum line can also potentially spread to the liver, kidneys, and heart.
Common signs of dental disease in pets include:
- Bad breath
- Bleeding from the mouth
- Loose teeth
- Discoloration and/or buildup of tartar on teeth
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
- Your pet doesn’t allow you to touch him or her around the mouth
- Red, inflamed, irritated gums
Why Anesthesia?
General anesthesia is necessary to keep your pet comfortable and to allow us to perform a thorough dental cleaning and examination. Anesthesia is also necessary to get a thorough cleaning under the gum line and in between teeth where our pets have the most significant disease which leads to bone loss and systemic illness.
Diagnostics
At Valley Veterinary Hospital, we have diagnostic equipment that can properly and accurately diagnose underlying conditions in your pet. Our hospital offers radiographic imaging and complete laboratory testing to screen for any underlying conditions that your dog or cat may have.
Radiographs (or x-rays) are a common imaging tool used to examine your pet’s internal organs, including the cardiopulmonary, gastrointestinal, reproductive, and urinary systems. Our veterinarians may use x-rays to:
- Find foreign objects or materials within the body that may have been ingested
- Diagnose fractures, bone and/or joint abnormalities, and various injuries
- Screen for abnormalities within the heart, lungs, urinary, and digestive organs
- Screen for certain types of cancer
Our facility features a laboratory that allows us to evaluate your pet’s health using simple testing procedures. With advanced diagnostic technology, we can quickly diagnose the condition and find a solution or treatment as quickly as possible. At our in-house lab, we can perform tests such as:
- Full blood panels
- Coagulation profiles
- Routine heartworm testing
- Microscopic evaluations of stool samples, skin scrapes, ear slides or blood smears
In the event of an emergency, we can perform certain tests to help provide a quick diagnosis and begin a course of treatment. In some cases, we may also consult with a team of internists and pathologists on lab tests submitted to any outside labs.
If your dog or cat requires an ultrasound (a real-time imaging procedure), or an endoscopy (a minimally invasive exploratory procedure), we can refer you to an outside specialist who will perform the procedure.
Pharmacy
The in-house pharmacy at Valley Veterinary Hospital has a variety of prescription medications, treatments, and preventatives for your pet. We make it easily accessible for you to get what you need for your pet right after the exam. We provide the best prescriptions and preventative medications so you won’t need to look anywhere else.
Our in-house pharmacy carries:
- Flea and tick medications
- Heartworm preventatives
- Prescription medications for most pet conditions & ailments
- Shampoos and topical treatments
Microchipping
At Valley Veterinary Hospital, our veterinarians strongly recommend microchip implantation for every dog and cat. Microchips are tiny devices that provide a permanent identifier that is unique to your pet. These safe and inexpensive chips greatly increase the chance of being reunited with your pet if they are ever lost.
Our veterinarians can microchip your dog or cat during their annual wellness exam. It is a simple procedure similar to a vaccination, and no anesthesia is required. If your pet was rescued from a shelter or adopted from another owner, we can also check to see if a chip has already been implanted. Any pet found by a shelter can be scanned for a microchip, and the identifier will allow you to be contacted quickly so that your pet can return home safely.
In addition to performing recoveries, many microchip manufacturers also have support services that will proactively search for pets as soon as they are reported missing, and are available 24/7.
End of Life Care
Coping with the impending loss of a pet is one of the most difficult experiences a pet parent will face. Whether your furry friend is approaching their golden years or has been diagnosed with a terminal illness, it’s important to calmly guide the end-of-life experience and minimize any discomfort or distress. As your pet’s health declines, you may elect to care for your pet at home-with the supervision of a veterinarian-or you may decide to end their suffering with euthanasia. Whatever course you choose, you are not alone and we are here to help.
What Is Euthanasia?
Euthanasia provides a painless, peaceful end for a pet who would otherwise continue to suffer. During the procedure, the veterinarian will inject your pet with a special medication. The animal experiences no awareness of the end of life-the process is akin to undergoing general anesthesia for a surgical procedure.
Vaccination Clinic
Our vaccine clinic is held every Monday 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM, 2:00 – 5:00 PM, and Saturday 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM. We offer many vaccines, which ones your pet needs are based on lifestyle. For pricing and questions on vaccines, please give us a call.
Ready to come see us?
We’re here to help. To learn more about our services, please don’t hesitate to give us a call: