Veterinary acupuncture has been receiving greater acceptance in veterinary medical communities throughout the world. Acupuncture is defined as the insertion of needles into specific points on the body to cause a desired healing effect. The technique has been used in China for at least 3000 years to treat both humans and animals. Traditional Chinese Medical theory (TCM) has been the basis for study of acupuncture; according to TCM, disease is the result of an energy imbalance in the body. Acupuncture assists in rebalancing this energy, or Qi.

An increased awareness of acupuncture as a treatment option has resulted in increased research and improved understanding of acupuncture applications and mechanisms of action from a Western medical perspective. We know that acupuncture can affect certain physiologic changes. For example, it can stimulate nerves, relieve muscle spasm and cause the release of hormones such as endorphins (for pain control) and cortisol (for antiinflammatory effects).

Acupuncture is indicated mainly for problems such as paralysis, pain and noninfectious inflammation (such as allergies). Conditions that are helped through acupuncture include arthritis, intervertebral disc disease, asthma, skin problems and gastrointestinal disorders.

Further information may be obtained at the International Veterinary Acupuncture society (IVAS) www.ivas.org. They are the only accredited certification program for veterinarians.

A Guide to Vaccination For Your Dog

Dogs are wonderful companions...

Their outgoing nature may bring them into contact with other animals -- increasing their exposure to disease.

Fortunately for your pet, vaccinations are available to prevent many dog diseases. Vaccinating your dog is the best and least costly way to prevent disease. Prevention assures the best quality of life for your pet, and it costs less than treatment.

Vaccines protect pets against common viruses and bacteria. At some time in their lives, almost all dogs will be exposed to a serious or even fatal infectious disease. Without proper vaccination, they could be unprotected.

The following outlines the primary diseases that can endanger your dog's health and vaccination strategies to help prevent them.

PREVENTION

Rabies

All warm-blooded animals (dogs, cats., livestock, wildlife) can become infected with rabies virus. Because rabies is also a threat to humans, all pets should be vaccinated.

Rabies is caused by a virus that attacks nerve tissue. the disease develops slowly over 10 days to several months. Death always occurs once a rabies-infected animal shows signs of disease.

Rabies generally takes one of two forms in animals:

a) "Dumb" rabies, where the lower jaw drops, excessive drooling occurs, and the animal avoids contact.

b) "Furious" rabies, where the animal becomes unnaturally aggressive.

Distemper & Hepatitis

Each of these dog diseases is easily prevented by making sure your dog's vaccinations are current. Veterinarians will often give a single shot that contains vaccines for both diseases.

Canine Distemper

Canine distemper (D) virus is widespread in the dog population. Unprotected dogs can develop this disease, and many -- especially puppies -- may die. Therefore, all dogs should be vaccinated for D when they are puppies. a dog with D may have diarrhea, fever, respiratory disease, seizures, muscular twitches, and watery discharge form the eyes and nose.

Hepatitis

Most adult dogs that develop infectious canine hepatitis recover, but the disease in puppies is often fatal.  Hepatitis is spread primarily through infected urine.  The virus attacks organs throughout an unprotected dog's body, producing fever, respiratory disease, diarrhea, liver and eye damage, and changes in the blood.  Protection is provided by a vaccine containing a virus (designated A2) similar to hepatitis.

Parvovirus (Viral Diarrhea)

Two viruses commonly cause diarrhea in dogs -- canine parvovirus and canine coronavirus. Sometimes dogs can be infected with both viruses at once, leading to very serious diarrhea.

Viral diarrhea is easily spread, because millions of viral particles remain in the loose, water stood of an infected dog. Adult dogs generally survive viral diarrhea, but in puppies with diarrhea the loss of fluids can easily be fatal. Dogs can be protected from viral diarrhea with vaccines against parvovirus and coronavirus.

Respiratory Disease

When your dog is exposed to sick dogs at a kennel or dog show, it can catch kennel cough. also referred to as "canine cough" or by its scientific name, tracheobronchitis, this stubborn respiratory infection can keep dogs coughing for weeks or months.

Canine respiratory disease isn't usually fatal unless pneumonia develops. It can cause appetite loss, lack of energy, and poor appearance, in addition to the coughing. When infected dogs cough, disease-causing organisms get into the air and can easily infect other dogs. Animals kept at boarding kennels, shelters, pet shops, and veterinary clinics are considered at higher risk. A wide variety of viruses and bacteria can be involved in canine respiratory disease. The three most commonly involved are:

• Canine parainfluenza virus
• Canine adenovirus - type 2 (A2)
• Bordetella bronchiseptica bacteria

Vaccines against all three of these viruses or bacteria are available, sometimes in combination with other vaccines against other diseases of dogs.

Vaccination helps prevent, not cure, disease.

Vaccines contain disease-causing viruses or bacteria that have been changed so they don't cause disease. When your dog is injected with a vaccine, the animal's immune system produces special substances called antibodies that work against the viruses or bacteria that cause the disease. Later, if your pet is exposed to that disease, these antibodies will help destroy those viruses or bacteria.

In many cases, vaccines against several diseases are combined, reducing the number of shots your pet must have. Despite progress to make vaccination as comfortable as possible, some vaccines can occasionally sting when injected.

The protection provided by a vaccine gradually declines after a pet is vaccinated. That is why annual re-vaccination along with a health check up is always recommended.

Why do Puppies Require a Number of Shots?

A nursing puppy receives antibodies from its mother's milk (called maternal antibodies) that protect it from disease during the first months of its life. Unfortunately, these antibodies can also keep a vaccine from being effective.

These maternal antibodies gradually decrease during the first few months of the puppy's life. That is why puppies are given a series of vaccinations. That way, if maternal antibodies interfere with early vaccinations, later doses will still stimulate the puppy to produce its own antibodies to the disease.

Which Vaccinations are Required?

Your veterinarian will have a list of recommended vaccines, which may be changed to meet your pet's needs. Some factors the veterinarian will consider before beginning a vaccination program are:

Age	Most vaccines have limited effectiveness until a puppy is weaned, because the maternal antibodies neutralize vaccine.
Overall Health	Poorly nourished or sick animals or those on some medications may be respond well to vaccination.  That is why a physical examination is required at the same time.
Need for diagnostic tests	An animal with parasites (like worms or fleas) or one infected with a disease may not respond to vaccine.
Risk of exposure	Vaccination against some diseases may not be necessary if the risk of getting them is low.

Information provided by Pfizer Animal Health

Our hospital uses the service of Devonshire Pet Memorial Services. They offer two different choices for the cremation of your pet:

Communal Cremation

The first option is group cremation where the pet is cremated and buried with other cherished pets. We refer to this type of cremation as "Communal Cremation".

Private Cremation

The second option is where your pet is cremated and the cremated remains are returned to you, sealed in a sealed plastic box. We refer to this type of cremation as "Preferred Cremation".

Private Cremation Memorial Products

When you choose "Private Cremation", your pet's cremated remains will be returned to you in a sealed plastic box. If you have interest in other options or services please let our staff know and we will be more than glad to contact Devonshire on your behalf.

Not dealing with a pet's dental problems, like neglecting any infection, can lead to serious consequences. Prompt attention will make a pet more pleasurable to be around, prevent infection from spreading through the bloodstream into the liver, kidneys, and heart valves, help to prevent tooth loss, and prevent the pet from experiencing further pain.

When your pet is in for a yearly health assessment, the veterinarian will evaluate your pet's oral health. If treatment is necessary, the pet's oral health will be graded as follows:

	Grade 1 disease initial gum disease and periodontitis
	Grade 2 disease early gum disease and periodontitis
	Grade 3 disease moderate gum disease and periodontitis
	Grade 4 disease advanced gum disease and periodontitis

Treatment will consist of a professional cleaning, polishing, and fluoride treatment of the teeth to prevent further damage, health risks, and pain.

Also, in many gum disease cases, especially where Grade 3 or Grade 4 disease is evident, extraction of diseased teeth is often necessary to prevent further infection and pain. The difficulty of extracting various teeth depends on the size and number of roots a particular tooth has.

After treatment, it is important to continue preventive care at home.

Canine Dental Care

Preventative care is the most important aspect of good oral hygiene in your puppy. Brushing is a good start and is a relatively simple task you can begin with your new puppy.

Puppies have 28 deciduous (baby) teeth which begin to be replaced by adult teeth at around 14 weeks of age. The full set of 42 adult teeth are usually completely erupted by about 7 months of age. Dental care should start as early as six weeks of age.

To clean the teeth, the lips should be lifted to expose all of the teeth. Start by using a soft cloth or Q-tip and graduate to using a softened angled brush or a finger toothbrush. A dog toothpaste should also be used which has a pleasurable taste (mint, poultry, beef or malt) and is safe to swallow. The teeth should be brushed daily so tarter does not accumulate.

If brushing cannot be done everyday, other products can be used to help. CET chews can be fed once daily. Chew toys such as nylabones or gumabones may be used when your puppy becomes a healthy adult.These products are helpful in removing plaque above the gum line. Ask your veterinary staff about these items.

Without regular dental home care, periodontal disease or tarter buildup will develop. Therefore, a professional dental cleaning may be recommended.

Feline Dental Care

Preventive care is the most important aspect of good oral care in your cat. Brushing is a good start and is a relatively simple task.

To clean the teeth, the lips should be lifted slightly to expose the teeth. Start by using a soft cloth or Q-tip and gradually work up to using a small brush or finger toothbrush.

A specially formulated toothpaste for cats should be used as well. Toothpaste's come in flavors such as malt, poultry and seafood and is safe for your cat to swallow.

The teeth should be brushed daily so that plaque does not accumulate and harden to tartar.

If brushing cannot be done every day, other products can be used to help. Dental chews or treats designed for cats may also be used. Without regular dental home care, periodontal disease or tartar build-up will develop and a professional dental cleaning may be required.

Radiology (x-rays) is routinely used to provide valuable information about a pet’s bones, gastrointestinal tract (stomach, intestines, colon), respiratory tract (lungs), heart, and genitourinary system (bladder, prostate). It can be used alone or in conjunction with other diagnostic tools to provide a list of possible causes for a pet’s condition, identify the exact cause of a problem or rule out possible problems.

When a pet is being radiographed, an x-ray beam passes through its body and hits a piece of radiographic film. Images on the film appear as various shades of gray and reflect the anatomy of the animal. Bones, which absorb more x-rays, appear as light gray structures. Soft tissues, such as the lungs, absorb fewer x-rays and appear as dark gray structures. Interpretation of radiographs requires great skill on the part of the veterinarian.

How will I know when it is the "right time" to say goodbye to my pet?

This is never an easy decision. However, there are some signs that can help you decide when the time has come. It is important to work with your veterinarian to fully understand the disease or injury that is responsible for your pet's ailing condition. The following are some questions to consider asking your veterinarian:

• Do I have all the information about my pet's condition?
• Are there other options for treatment or care such as a specialist or referral institution?
• Does my pet have any chance to recover, improve or at least maintain a good quality life?
• How is the disease/injury likely to progress?
• How much time does my pet have to live a good quality of life while coping with this illness or injury?
• How can I tell if my pet still has a good quality of life?

Generally you can assess quality of life based on your perception of changes in the following: Attitude, Appetite and Activity.

Attitude - Does my pet still enjoy doing most of the activities he/she used to do? Have there been changes in how my pet interacts with other family members?

Appetite - This is often a big indicator. Does my pet still enjoy eating or have a good appetite? Most often, once your pet consistently loses interest in food, the quality of life has diminished.

Activity - Does my pet seem in extreme pain or reluctant to get up and move around? Is he/she able to go outside or to the litter box to urinate or defecate on his/her own?

Discuss your perception of these and other factors with your veterinarian to determine the cause of the decrease in quality of life. Some behaviours that pets display are commonly viewed as "normal aging". Your veterinarian can help determine if this is the case.

Bi-annual examinations for senior pets can help to prevent or manage certain diseases, as well as aid in seeking options for palliative care. There are various treatments, diets and medications available from your veterinarian that may improve your pet's quality of life. Age itself is not a disease, nor a reason for euthanasia.

How can my family and I best prepare to say goodbye?

Take the time to consider:

• Which veterinarian would you like to perform the euthanasia?
• Who in your family would like to be present, if anyone?
• What aftercare options are available for your pet?

Taking some time to consider these issues will help you and your family be more at ease during your pet's euthanasia and will also help facilitate the grieving process.

Should my family be present for the euthanasia?

Whether or not you and your family choose to be present at the time of euthanasia is a personal decision. However, it is important for all family members to have a chance to say goodbye whenever possible. You also have the option to visit your pet after euthanasia, which may help provide closure. Many people avoid this heartbreaking goodbye but often regret it later. Take time to make the goodbye special. For example, go to a favorite location such as a park or just spend time together even if this means visits to the veterinary hospital. Your veterinarian can best advise you about visitation and the amount of time spent with your beloved pet.

What happens during the euthanasia of a pet?

Euthanasia is a term meaning painless death. For an individual animal, it means an intravenous injection of a high dose of barbiturate. Your veterinarian or veterinary technician may first place an intravenous catheter into a leg vein, and your veterinarian may also recommend sedation. The act of euthanasia occurs within seconds. Your veterinarian will confirm that your pet has passed away by listening to the heart with a stethoscope. Even after death, you may notice your pet twitch, gasp, urinate and/or defecate. These are normal releases after a body has expired. The eyes may remain open after death.

What happens to my pet's body after euthanasia?

Rest assured that your pet's remains will be handled gently, with dignity and respect. The body will be kept safe at an appropriate temperature until a designated cremation service arrives to provide for proper cremation.

What options do I have about aftercare for my pet?

There are several aftercare options available for your pet. The deceased pet can be cremated and the cremated remains returned to you, sealed in an urn. There is also group cremation where the pet is cremated and buried with other beloved pets. Some areas have local pet cemeteries. You can check with local government regulations about pet burial laws. Discuss keepsakes with your family and veterinary staff. For example, some people wish to keep a piece of fur or make a clay paw print impression of their pet.

Are there any resources or suggestions to help my family and me with the grieving process?

There are many services and resources available to support you and your family through the grieving process. There are pet loss support lines, pet loss support groups, books for adults and children on grieving and pet loss, and individual grief counselors who specialize in pet bereavement. Engaging in family activities such as planting a tree or flowers in the yard to commemorate your pet; scrap-booking or writing about special memories of your beloved pet may help you and your family to express your emotions and facilitate the grieving process. Remember that grief is normal and you are not alone. Do not hesitate to seek support if you feel it may assist you and your family.

Your veterinarian and staff members are here to help and support you with this decision. Please do not hesitate to ask them to address any questions or concerns you may have.

Cats are independent animals.

Their natural roaming habits may being them into contact with other animals -- increasing their exposure to disease. And research shows that nearly 6 of 10 cats in the United States spend some time outdoors.

Several diseases that cats get are almost always fatal -- feline leukemia, feline infectious peritonitis, and rabies, for instance. Other diseases can be fatal in kittens or destroy the good health of adult cats.

Fortunately, for your pet, vaccines are available to help prevent many cat diseases. Vaccines help protect pets against common viruses and bacteria that cause disease.

Prevention is one of the ways to assure the best quality of life for your pet, and it usually costs less than treatment. Vaccinating your cat is the best and least costly way to help prevent disease. Without a vaccination program, many cats may come down with a serious or even fatal disease.

The following outlines the vaccines veterinarians most often recommend to help prevent infectious diseases in cats:

Prevention...

Feline Leukemia

Feline Leukemia virus (Felv) suppresses the cat's immune system, leaving it unable to fight off other infections, such as pneumonia. Felv can also cause cancer in some cats.

A few cats recover from a brief Felv infection and rid themselves of the virus. But if permanent infections occurs, death almost always results. Any cat that is in continuing poor health or that often becomes sick with infections or fever may have feline leukemia. Your veterinarian can do a simple blood test to find out if your cat is infected with Feline Leukemia.

Feline leukemia vaccination is an important part of cat preventative health programs. Two initial doses are recommended three weeks apart, followed by annual booster.

Rabies

All warm-blooded animals (dogs, cats, livestock, wildlife) can become infected with rabies virus. Because rabies is also a threat to humans, many states require vaccination of dogs and cats.

It is especially important to vaccinated cats against rabies, because most rabies cases in domestic (non-wild) animals occur in cats. For example, in the U.S. since 1981, more cats than dogs have been reported with rabies. In 1996, reported cases of rabies in cats were more than double those of dogs.

Rabies is caused by a virus that attacks nerve tissue. The disease develops over 10 days to several months. Infected animals may withdraw and avoid contact with people and animals. Others become unnaturally aggressive and may attack. Death always occurs once a rabies-infected animals shows signs of disease.

In North America, most rabies exists in wildlife, especially raccoons, skunks, foxes, and bats. Rabies is spread by bites or saliva of infected animals. Therefore, an unvaccinated cat involved in a fight with a wild animal or with wounds from an unknown animals should be suspect for rabies. When rabies is suspected, animals must be quarantined and observed. This may lead to euthanasia to obtain a definite diagnosis by laboratory testing for public health reasons.

If humans are infected, they can be treated in early stages of the disease. Treatment, however, is unpleasant and costly.

Cats should be vaccinated for rabies at 12 weeks or older, boosted 1 year later and again 3 years later.

Feline Panleukopenia

Feline panleukopenia (P), sometimes called feline distemper, is more commonly seen in younger cats, but can affect cats of any age. It's difficult to prevent exposure, so all cats should be vaccinated.

The panleukopenia virus can affect many parts of a cat's body, causing fever, appetite loss, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, weakness, tremors, and incoordination. Death can occur within a week. Estimates range from a 50% to 90% + % death rate in clinical cases of feline panleukopenia.

Panleukopenia vaccines are given to kittens and annual boosters are recommended. Kittens less than 12 weeks old are given boosters several weeks apart until they are more than 12 weeks of age.

Feline Respiratory Disease

Respiratory disease is easily passed from one cat to another by direct contact or droplets in the air from coughing or sneezing. Kittens can die from the disease, especially if they get pneumonia. Cats with respiratory disease may have watery or sticky discharge from the nose and eyes, nose and mouth sores, fever, lethargy and loss of appetite.

Most respiratory diseases are caused by one of two viruses -- feline rhinotracheitis virus or feline calicivirus. Rhinotracheitis tends to be more severe and can cause abortions in pregnant cats. Vaccines against these two viruses are available. Veterinarians can use either an injectable vaccine or one given as droplets in the cat's nose.

Another respiratory disease is caused by an organism called Chlamydia psittaci. Although once called pneumonitis, the disease primarily causes inflammation of the eyes and nose. This disease can also be controlled by vaccination.

How do Vaccines Work?

Vaccination helps prevent infection and / or reduce symptoms of disease. Vaccines contain viruses or bacteria that have been altered so they don't cause disease. When your cat is vaccinated, its immune system produces special substance called antibodies that work against the viruses or bacteria that cause the disease. Later, if your pet is exposed to that disease, these antibodies quickly destroy the disease-causing agent.

The protection provided by a vaccine gradually declines after a pet is vaccinated. That is why a regular booster vaccination along with a health check-up is always recommended.

Why do Kittens Require a Number of Shots?

A nursing kitten receives antibodies from its mother's milk (called maternal antibodies) that protect it from disease during the first months of its life. Unfortunately, these antibodies can also keep a vaccine from being effective.

Maternal antibodies gradually decrease during the first few months of the kitten's life. That is why kittens are given a series of two or three doses spread out over several weeks. That way, if maternal antibodies interfere with early vaccination, later doses will still stimulate the kitten to produce its own antibodies to the disease.

Which Vaccines are Required?

Your veterinarian will have a list of recommended vaccines, which may be changed to meet your pet's needs. Some factors your veterinarian will consider before beginning a vaccination program are:

Age	Most vaccines have limited effectiveness until a kitten is weaned, because maternal antibodies neutralize vaccine.
Overall Health	Poorly nourished or sick animals or those on some medications may not respond well to vaccination.  That's why a physical exam is required.
Need for diagnostic tests	An animal with parasites (like worms or fleas) or one infected with a disease may not respond to some vaccines.
Risk of exposure	Vaccination against some diseases may not be necessary if the risk of getting them is low.  Using the information gained from the physical exam and from asking you questions about your pet, your veterinarian can suggest a vaccination program that will help keep your pet healthy.

Information provided by Pfizer Animal Health

Our veterinarians perform a wide variety of surgical procedures, and our clinic has modern, state of the art anesthetic and monitoring equipment to increase the safety to our patients.

Surgical patients are:

• on intravenous fluids,
• have blood pressure, heart rate, respiration, and various other vital parameters closely monitored,
• on water-heated beds during surgery and recovery
• monitored for hints of pain so that medications can be promptly and appropriately administered.

The health, comfort, and safety of each patient is our greatest priority.

A simple scan could save your pet's life, and save you from a lot of worry. Most people are familiar with the laser scanning of bar codes in supermarkets to identify goods at the check out line, and bar codes are used by the postal service to automatically identify packages and letters. This highly efficient electronic identification (EID) system provides essentially the same capability for the identification of companion animals. With this technology in place, and becoming more widely accepted everywhere, fewer lost pets will suffer a tragic ending.

The Technology

EID uses a low-power radio signal to read a 10 digit alpha-numeric ID number stored in a tiny electronic circuit. These low-frequency radio waves can penetrate all solid objects except those made of metal. Therefore, use of electronic ID allows a unique number to be "stored" inside the animal, where it is permanently held in place.

The tiny electronic device used to store the EID number is called a transponder or microchip. this microchip is about the size of an uncooked grain of rice. The microchip is easily injected into the animal, by a procedure similar to a routine vaccination. The microchip then remains with the animal for life. Each microchip has a unique code number, and owner information for each pet is stored in a central database. Should the pet become lost, and scanned by a compatible EID scanning system, the animal can be quickly and safely returned home.

If you haven't had your pet electronically identified, or if you have any concerns or questions regarding the procedure and its cost, please consult with your veterinarian.

How It Works

The microchip is a passive device. It contains no battery and remains inactive unless being scanned by a compatible reader. The microchip sends the ID number as a radio signal back to the reader, which then decodes the number and displays it on a small screen similar to that on an electronic calculator. Since the microchip contains no battery, there is nothing to wear out.

The microchips are cylindrical measuring 11 mm in length and 2.1 mm in diameter. Inside are only three components. The first is a silicon chip (custom integrated circuit). The silicon chip contains the unique ID number assigned to the microchip and all of the electronic circuitry necessary to send the number to the scanner it receives the radio signal. The second component of the microchip is a coil of copper wire wound around a ferrite (iron) core. This functions as a tiny radio antenna to pick up the signal from the scanner, and to send the encoded ID number from the microchip back to the scanner. The third component is a capacitor used for tuning. The outside of the microchip is a soda lime glass which has been selected for biocompatibility. This glass is hermetically sealed during manufacturing so it is not possible for any moisture from the host animal's body fluids to reach the electronics inside.

In dogs and cats, the microchip is injected in a universal site which is subcutaneously between the shoulder blades on the dorsal midline. Each microchip comes pre-packed inside a needle, and this assembly is packaged in a pre-sterilized plastic envelope. Each needle is discarded after one-time use. This prevents the spread of infection and ensures that the needle is as sharp as possible so as possible so as to cause minimum discomfort to the animal.

Numerous studies have been performed on a wide variety of species to demonstrate the safety of the microchip. These studies have involved mammals, birds, fish and reptiles which have shown no adverse reactions to the microchip, either biological or behavioral.

Orthopedic surgery refers to bone surgery. There are many different situations where bone surgery may be necessary including leg fractures, hip dysplasia, disc disease, etc. Most orthopedic surgeries can be performed at our clinic. Occasionally we refer our patients to a Board Certified surgeon to perform back surgery and other very complex surgeries.

Leg fractures are the most common orthopedic problem presented at our clinic and usually result from a mishap with an automobile. They can be treated in a variety of ways depending on the location and type of fracture.

A cast can be applied to the leg to treat certain fractures; however, many fractures will require surgical intervention.

"Pinning" is a surgical technique whereby a long stainless steel rod is inserted into the middle of the bone. The rod traverses the fractured area.

"Plating" is a surgical technique whereby a flat stainless steel ‘plate’ is attached to the bone using screws on either side of the fracture.

"External fixation" is a technique used to stabilize fractures with a series of pins on the outside of the leg that pass through the skin and into the bone on either side of the fracture.

The method of repair will depend on the location and type of fracture present. We hope you do not have to use our orthopedic services for this purpose. In the unfortunate event that you do, you can be assured that we are able to proceed with a treatment that will enhance your pet’s healing time and reduce the long term potential problems associated with a fracture or other orthopedic surgery.

Although the physical examination is the most basic of the services we offer, it is sometimes the most important one. A thorough examination allows us to pinpoint some conditions before they develop into full blown problems. Palpation of your pet from head to toe, when appropriate, gives the opportunity to locate unwanted guests, feel internal organs, or detect other abnormalities. In some instances, we will still recommend regular blood work to screen for things we are not able to see on a physical exam. It is recommended that your pet receive an annual examination. Some pets with chronic conditions or those that receive ongoing medications or are geriatric may require examinations more frequently.

What is looked at during the physical examination?

• Body condition (overweight, underweight, muscle condition, etc.)
• Alertness, behavior & attitude (is your pet reacting normally to the things around them? moving normally?)
• Eyes, Ears, Nose -- any redness, discharge, swelling, or snuffling/sneezing?
• Lymph nodes are examined for any enlargement.
• Mouth & teeth -- (in those pets who'll allow it) we look in the mouth for any sores or changes to the gums & tongue, but also check the teeth for tartar & signs of decay or infection.
• Haircoat & skin -- Watch for fleas!
• Heart & Lungs -- We listen to breathing sounds as well as heart rate & rhythm. We also try to determine if there is a heart "murmur".
• Abdomen -- we observe & feel the belly to try and detect any abnormalities inside. We can often feel normal structures such as kidneys, spleen, bladder & intestines.
• Temperature -- body temperature is taken by aural (ear) thermometer or rectal thermometer. During this procedure, the tail is manipulated and checked + the perineum (area around the anus) is examined for any changes.

From time to time we get the question “why does my animal need a pre-surgical exam, as my animal is healthy and has never had any problems”? It is very important that your animal is given a pre-surgical exam. If your animal has never been seen by one of our Veterinarians before then a pre-surgery exam is required. Once your animal goes into surgery we need to be sure that your animal is healthy, that all questions are answers and that all surgery processes are confirmed and booked. The following items are covered during a pre-surgery exam:

• Checking the health of the patient
• Confirming the sex of the patient (you would be surprised how many times the client has this information wrong)
• Confirming that female patients are not pregnant
• Confirming that male patients have both testicles descended
• Checking for an umbilical hernia (if found this should be repaired)
• Checking the patient for remaining baby teeth (if baby teeth still remain and the adult teeth is starting to appear then the baby tooth should be removed)
• Checking the patient’s dewclaws (some have to be removed due to complications)
• Answering all client concerns and questions.
• Creating an opportunity for the client to meet the Veterinarian who will be performing the surgery

Answering all of these questions and confirming the patient’s health leads to more successful surgeries without complications. It is important that all these factors and variables are checked before hand and not on the day of surgery. Our surgeries are performed in the morning and the process is very regimented and strict so that we don’t waste time or put a patient at risk for complications. Without a pre-surgical exam we would spend too much time in the morning examining our patients and tracking down clients with questions and concerns.

Compare this requirement to human medicine; would you want a surgery performed on yourself without meeting with a doctor, without knowing the process or without reviewing your options? It is important on the day of your animal’s surgery that your veterinarian is prepared. Without pre-surgical exams many surgeries would have to be cancelled and rebooked as too many questions would be unanswered on the day of surgery.

The proper technical term for the surgical alteration of an animal is "neutering", regardless if it is male or female. The spay, or ovariohysterectomy, is the surgery performed on female animals in which both ovaries and the complete uterus is removed. The castration, or orchidectomy, is the surgery performed on male animals. In this case, both testicles are removed. Most people, however, refer to "spay" for females and "neuter" for male animals, but we will be as technically correct as we can.

For female dogs and cats that are being spayed, a small incision (cut) is made in the middle of the belly, just below the belly button. It is through this small hole that the ovaries and uterus will be removed. The ovaries are clamped and the blood vessels tied with suture, and then the end of the uterus near the cervix is clamped and tied as well. The inside of the belly is checked carefully for bleeding and if everything looks fine, the muscle layer is sutured (sewed) first, followed by the fat layer then finally the top layer of skin. The sutures (stitches) on the inside are special dissolving material so they do not need to be removed.

The procedure for male dogs and cats is a little different. Both testicles are removed through a single small incision and the blood vessels and the vas deferens (sperm cords) are tied with sutures. In dogs we close the inside incision with suture and put sutures in the skin as well. Cats usually do not need sutures in either the inside layer or the skin.

Your pet will require an Elizabethan collar ("lampshade") so that it is not able to lick or chew at the sutures, preventing infection and additional surgery for your pet and cost to you.

Ultrasound is used to create an image of organs and other structures inside the body. This non-invasive, state-of-the-art technology uses sound waves to painlessly examine specific internal organs, primarily the heart and abdominal organs.

Veterinary ultrasound services are provided as a diagnostic tool in preventative veterinary medicine, to detect disease within the body without the need for exploratory surgery and to monitor known conditions. Pregnancy exams are also available.