Behavior
Dentistry - Veterinary Dentistry
Diagnostics
Imaging - Ultrasound and Radiology (Digital X-Ray and
Digital Dental X-Ray)
Laparoscopy - Minimally Invasive Surgery,
Laparoscopic Spay
Microchipping
Nutrition
Preventative Care / Wellness
Puppy Classes
Puppy Wellness Packages
Senior Pet Wellness
Surgery
Video Otoscopy
Behavior
Behavior problems are the number one reason pets are relinquished.
Many behavior issues are rooted in health issues, and others may be improved
through specific techniques and training. After a complete physical,
our doctors will be able to recommend a course of action to help you with
your pet's problematic behaviors. PCAC also offers puppy classes to
help puppies and their people get off to a great start.
-top-
Dentistry
It is estimated that 80% of pets suffer witrh dental disease by age 3.
Pets feeling pain from broken teeth, periodontal disease, or other dental
problems usually are unable to communicate their pain. In addition,
the bacteria present in dental disease has easy access to the blood stream
and can lead to heart disease, kidney problems, and other health issues.
PCAC's physical exam includes a dental exam to detect dental disease and
other painful mouth conditions.
A complete dental cleaning (prophylaxis) is a surgical procedure done under
anesthesia. At PCAC, it includes: a thorough dental exam under
anesthesia including measuring gum pockets (periodontal probing) and
charting of each tooth; Digital dental x-rays as needed to detect dental
issues below the gum line; Hand scaling as needed and ultrasonic scaling and
polishing above and below the gum line of each tooth; Fluoride treatment to
strengthen enamel.
As with all surgical procedures at PCAC, dental procedures include: full
panel pre-surgical blood work; IV catheter and fluids while under anesthesia
(improves patient safety);
comprehensive anesthetic monitoring (ECG, pulse oximetry, blood pressure,
etc.); pain meds administered before, during, and after the procedure; pain
meds and antibiotics to take home as needed; all of this included in your
quoted estimate - it's our standard of care.
-top-
Diagnostics
At PCAC, we utilize a range of diagnostics available in-house or performed
by an outside lab depending on the urgency and the tests required. Our
veterinarians understand that excellent diagnostics allow us to more
accurately diagnose your pet and provide appropriate treatment most
efficiently. Additionally, routine blood work (preventative) provides
a more complete picture of our pets' health, since symptoms are often not
apparent until advanced stages of many diseases. We offer complete
blood work including CBC's, chemistries, heartworm tests, and drug
maintenance screening. Urinalysis, Early Renal Disease screening (ERD),
fecal analysis, skin scrapings, biopsies, aspirates, and other diagnostics
are utilized as well.
-top-
Imaging - Radiology (Digital X-Ray, and Digital
Dental X-Ray) and Ultrasound
Along with diagnostic testing, imaging allows us a more complete look at
your pet's health. We offer the latest x-ray technology - digital
x-ray. Besides the improved environmental and health impacts of not
using film and the chemicals required to develop x-ray films, digital x-ray
also allows us many diagnostic advantages. With digital x-ray, our
doctors may enlarge images and adjust contrasts to better diagnose from an
x-ray. Additionally, digital x-ray allows us to e-mail x-ray images to
specialists for faster consultations allowing us to begin treatment more
quickly. Our digital dental x-ray allows more complete dental care for
your pet.
-top-
Laparoscopy - Minimally Invasive Surgery -
Laparoscopic Spay
The new standard for many human surgeries, laparoscopy is also available for
pets. Now performed at PCAC, and only found at the most advanced animal hospitals, laparoscopic
assisted surgery is available for spays, gastropexies, liver biopsies, and other select
surgeries. Using this technology, the veterinarian uses a camera and
instruments inserted through a dime-sized hole to perform surgeries that
previously would have required a larger incision and a much more invasive
protocol. The result is reduced pain, reduced trauma, and easier
recovery. A recent pain study showed a 65% reduction in pain for dogs
spayed using laparoscopy versus the standard technique. Please let us know if you would like more information about
laparoscopic surgery for your pet.
-top-
Microchipping
A Microchip provides permanent identification for your pet. It is a
small device, about the size of a grain of rice, that can be implanted under
your pet’s skin and has a barcode that can be read by a scanner -much like
the scanners at the grocery store. You then register your contact
information linked to that barcode with a national database. If your
pet is separated from you and taken to a shelter or veterinarian’s office,
it will be scanned to check for a microchip. If one is present, they
will call the database to get your information and can then contact you to
reunite you with your pet! As helpful as microchips are, it is still
important for your pet to wear a collar with it’s ID tag and rabies tag at
all times.
-top-
Nutrition
Better nutrition, along with better medicine, has led to longer lives for
our pets. Our doctors can recommend an appropriate diet for your pet,
and many prescription diets are available at our hospital.
Prescription diets can help control many health issues including sensitive
stomachs, urinary and kidney problems, arthritis, aging, and weight issues.
A recent study showed that pets who are at a healthy weight live an average
of two years longer! Because so many pets are currently overweight,
many people believe their pet is at a healthy weight when it is actually
much heavier than desirable. Diabetes, heart disease, and joint issues
are just a few of the problems that are more prevalent in overweight pets.
Ask our veterinarians about your pet's ideal weight, and the best diet and
amounts to feed to get to that ideal body condition. We want to
partner with you in offering the best nutrition for your pet's specific
needs.
-top-
Preventative Care / Wellness
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." This may be even
more true for our furry friends who cannot tell us when they are starting to
feel a bit off. Routine wellness exams (yearly for pets aged 1-6
years, and every six months for pets 7 and older), along with appropriate
diagnostics, can help us diagnose problems in their early stages when they
are more likely to respond to treatment. For example, arthritis may be
diagnosed by physical exam, or sometimes even earlier by x-ray, while the
symptoms of arthritis often develop so gradually they may be difficult for
owners to detect until it is in advanced stages. However, if caught
early, a combination of diet, supplements, and medications may significantly
slow the progression of the disease, allowing your pet many more years of
comfort.
Exams and preventative diagnostics and imaging may allow us to diagnose
diseases long before symptoms would become apparent. Wellness exams
are also a great time to ask questions about your pet's health, flea and
tick issues, nutrition concerns, or any other questions you may have.
At PCAC we recommend year round heartworm prevention in the form of a once a
month chewable tablet or topical application for dogs and cats. In
addition to protecting against the fatality of heartworm disease or the
excruciating treatment for heartworm disease (no appropriate test or
treatment is currently available for cats), monthly heartworm preventative
also protects your pet (and therefore your family) from many other parasites
such as roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms.
Lastly, vaccines are an important part of wellness care for our pets.
Our veterinarians will help you determine your pet's risk and develop a
vaccine protocol appropriate for your pet. Typical vaccines for adult cats
include Rabies every three years, Feline Distemper Combo (rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, and panleukopenia)
yearly, and Feline Leukemia yearly for cats who go outside or have contact
with outdoor cats. Typical vaccines for adult dogs in our area include
Rabies every three years, Distemper Combo (distemper, parvovirus,
adenovirus, and parainfluenza) yearly, and
Bordetella (kennel cough) every six months. Please note that
bordetella is not only contracted while boarding, but may be transmitted
through any dog to dog contact including sniffing through the fence.
-top-
Puppy Classes
The puppy period is a very important time in the life of your dog. Things
that are learned during this time often stick for good. Because of
this, we offer puppy classes to help get you and your pet off to the right
start. This four week
series is held on Saturdays at our hospital. The puppy classes offer
socialization with both people and dogs to allow your pup to learn the rules
in both the dog world and the human world, as well as offering
basic training, and a chance to get your health and behavior questions
addressed in an intimate and fun environment. Each class is limited to
6 puppies and their people, so please register now if you are interested.
For more information, please call our hospital at 303-841-8833 and ask for
Shelly.
-top-
Puppy Packages
Puppyhood is an exciting time filled with lots of love, lots of learning,
and lots of preventative wellness. At PCAC, we offer puppy packages to
help take care of your puppy's needs during the first year. Our
standard puppy package includes all the necessary wellness exams and
vaccinations as well as discounts on other services. Our "Top Dog"
puppy package is the most cost effective option and includes the wellness
exams and vaccinations, as well as the spay or neuter, and puppy classes.
Please ask us for more information about our puppy packages at (or before)
your puppy's first visit. If you have not yet chosen your new puppy,
we would be happy to help you with breed and breeder/shelter selection.
-top-
Senior Pet Optimum Wellness
Because pets age more quickly than we do, most pets seven years and older
are considered senior pets. As they age more quickly, their diseases
also advance more quickly; that's why we recommend wellness exams every six
months for pets seven and older. We have even put together a Senior
Optimum Wellness Program, a yearly package that includes our recommendation
for pets seven and older for one price. Included in the Senior Optimum
Wellness Program are diagnostics to screen for diseases of the heart,
kidneys, liver, urinary tract and more. Many symptoms that are
considered "just part of aging" can be improved with age optimized
nutrition, medications, or other treatment options. Please call to
schedule your pet's senior wellness appointment today.
-top-
Surgery
We understand that your pet's surgery may be a frightening experience for
you. At PCAC, we take pride in making that experience as safe as
possible while your pet is in our care. We utilize the latest proven
anesthetic and pain management protocols. Surgical procedures at PCAC
include: full
panel pre-surgical bloodwork; IV catheter and fluids while under anesthesia
(increases safety of anesthesia);
comprehensive anesthetic monitoring (ECG, pulse oximetry, blood pressure,
etc.); pain meds administered before, during, and after the procedure; pain
meds and antibiotics to take home as needed; all of this included in your
quoted estimate - it's our standard of care.
Laser surgery using a CO2 laser for cutting instead of a scalpel is an
available option for many surgeries. It results in less bleeding and
less pain for your pet as the laser seals tissues as it cuts and does not
tear or crush tissues as a scalpel does. Because of the improved
results using the laser, some surgeries - such as feline declaws -
will only be performed using the laser. Please ask us for more
information, or let us know that you would like the doctor to use the laser
for your pet's surgery.
Laparoscopy is an advanced surgery technique available for spays,
gastropexies, liver biopsies, and some other surgeries. Laparoscopic
assisted surgeries result in smaller incisions and less internal trauma,
inflammation, and bleeding, and less pain. Please see the
Laparoscopy lsection above, or ask us for more
information about laparoscopy.
-top-
Video Otoscopy
Video otoscopy allows you to see what the doctor sees during a thorough ear
examination, and also magnifies that image for the veterinarian. It is
used to diagnose ear infections, foreign bodies (foxtails, grass awns,
etc.), mites, etc. The magnification provides better ear canal
visualization improving diagnostic capability, and at the same time
providing client education. Scratching at ears, foul smelling ears,
and shaking the head are all signs of an ear infection, and an exam is
recommended. Please let us know if you would like more information
about video otoscopy.
-top-
Parker Center Animal Clinic, PCAC, is a full service veterinary animal hospital located in Parker, Colorado.
