Here at Etowah Veterinary Hospital, we believe that the best care for your pets involves preventing problems before they arise. During our wellness visits we examine your pet from whisker to tail, and everywhere in between. We can evaluate important things like the lungs and heart, monitor dental health and ensure your pet is a healthy weight. We can also discuss and answer any questions or concerns you may have about your loved one’s activity or behavior at home.
Vaccination
As part of the adage “prevention is the best medicine,” we recommend keeping your pets fully vaccinated. We provide pets in Woodstock and the surrounding areas a vaccination schedule that is adjusted for each patient. We base our protocol on your pet’s needs and risk factors so they receive only the necessary vaccines for their personal lifestyle.
Veterinary Ophthalmology
Nutritional Counseling
Obesity is a common problem among pets, as it can be easy to over-feed a pet that knows how to beg. But being overweight is a serious problem for animals, and can cause real health problems as they get older. With proper diet and exercise, all pets should be able to meet their dietary needs and be within a healthy weight range.
Comprehensive Examination
Our staff will get a chance to talk to you and see if you are having any trouble with your pet. We will also go over diet, preventative medicine, and exercise to ensure that your pet is as healthy as possible. Then, one of our veterinarians will do a complete physical examination on your pet. It is always good to have a baseline in case your pet ever becomes ill. We also want to monitor your pet’s weight, ensuring that your pet stays a healthy weight. It is much easier to start a diet when a pet is a pound overweight instead of fifteen! Our veterinarian will also look for any potential problems. Our goal is to catch any problems before they become major ones. The sooner that we are able to catch a problem, the easier it is to treat it and the more likely that your pet will make a full recovery!
Orthopedic surgery refers to surgery involving the bone. Some of the most common orthopedic conditions requiring surgery include medial patella luxation, cranial cruciate ligament rupture, disc disease of the back, and many types of fractures. Cases such as these are generally referred to board certified veterinary surgeons who have advanced training in surgery and are able to perform the most advanced and current procedures to correct these problems. We do perform limited orthopedic procedures at our hospital. These include feline dewclaws, toe and limb amputations, some fracture repairs, and a conservative procedure for anterior cruciate ligament tears. More complicated cases can be referred to a specialist. While there are several methods to performing feline declaws, the only one performed at our hospital is using the carbon dioxide laser. Feline declaw is the only surgical procedure that research has proven the benefit of using the laser. By using the laser, not only is there less bleeding, there is also less pain. Since using the laser for this procedure at our hospital, the difference in the level of post operative pain has been dramatic. These cats tend to have a much quicker and easier recovery.
Soft tissue surgery includes surgeries not associated with bone. Examples of soft tissue surgeries and their benefits are included below. Probably the most common soft tissue surgery performed at our hospital is the removal of masses or ‘lumps’ on animals. Most of these masses or ‘lumps’, once removed and tested, are benign (non-harmful); however, occasionally they are more serious. Early removal and accurate diagnosis of a ‘lump’ is necessary to improve the outcome in your pet if the mass is cancerous.
Declawing
Spaying and Neutering
Neutering refers to the surgical procedure performed on male dogs and cats to render them infertile. There are many benefits to neutering your male companion. First, you will contribute to the prevention of the dog and cat overpopulation. Second, neutering decreases male aggressiveness and undesirable urination behavior. Third, and most important for the health of your male pet, you will help prevent diseases of the prostate, perianal tumors, testicular cancer, and certain types of hernias.
Every year, thousands and thousands of pets go missing. Not knowing where your pet is or how to bring them back can be a helpless, hopeless feeling. It’s a tragedy that happens all too often. But there is a simple, safe, and effective way to ensure your pet’s safety and retrieval should they ever become lost. Microchipping is a standard procedure that implants a tiny chip underneath your pet’s fur. It is a painless and relatively fast procedure, and is completely safe. This microchip is registered with your pet’s vital information, and can be scanned by any veterinarian or animal shelter so that they can return your pet directly to you.