It has been estimated that nearly 80% of the dogs and cats that visit veterinary hospitals around the United States have serious dental problems. When you look in your pet’s…
Vaccination
Being a veterinarian isn’t just about giving vaccinations and doing surgery. It is about caring for the welfare of domestic animals and passing that knowledge on to the children of our community. It is also about volunteering services to show our support for groups that like us, are concerned about the welfare of the animals in our area, both domestic and wild.
Comprehensive Examination
As a veterinarian and cat lover it concerns me a lot that our feline friends are skipping their annual exams and wellness visits. According to the national average only 23% of cats visit the vet yearly. Annual checkups and routine health monitoring is an important part of maintaining the health and wellness of your cat. Yearly exams offer us the opportunity to identify early signs of disease. It is proven to extend the life of our companion pets, yet so few are getting it. I think part of the problem getting cats into the clinic is many cats seem to dislike the cat carrier, the travel experience, and the veterinary office. How can you make this a more pleasant experience for you and your cat?
The last sixteen years have ushered in a number of revolutionary flea and tick products. No longer are we stuck with sprays and foggers that killed some adult fleas and flea eggs but never solved the problem.
Pain Management
Kirkwood Animal Hospital strives to provide excellent medical care for our patients. Controlling pain is a big part of providing excellent medical care. At Kirkwood Animal Hospital we believe that proper pain control is achieved when our patients, clients and doctors apply the following four principles to your pet’s medical plan.
If the kennel you are visiting is dirty, smells bad or appears disorganized, do not purchase the pet! A dirty environment equals a dirty pet, which can lead to parasite problems, viral infections and a sick kitten.
1. Early intervention- many painful animal problems can be avoided with early surgical intervention. For example, it has been estimated that up to 50% of small dogs have knee caps that pop out of place or “dislocate.” When the dog is young it does not appear to be a problem for the puppy, but as the dog gets older painful osteoarthritis develops. Osteoarthritis is a chronic, progressive disease that no one can cure. Medication will be needed for the rest of the dog’s life. Surgery to correct the problem, when the dog is young and has no symptoms may avoid many years of painful arthritis.
Hip Dysplasia Treatment
Hip Dysplasia is probably the most commonly known hereditary disease known to affect dogs. However, there are many other known diseases that are genetic and as a result, are common in specific breeds.
Diabetes Treatment
2. Prevention-a number of different medical conditions can be controlled if preventative measures are considered in a patients lifelong care plan. For example diabetes mellitus can result in a painful neurological condition in cats called dropped hocks. The hock joint breaks down because of tendon and muscle weakness. Many cases of diabetes in cats can be avoided if the correct food is fed to the cat. Proper nutrition can be used to avoid excess weight which is one of the leading causes of diabetes in cats and dogs. Please make sure to ask our doctors about preventative measures for your puppy of kitten.
Heart Disease Treatment
Foods are available that help to control: kidney disease, heart disease, allergies and intestinal problems. There are also diets available that help to control one of the major companion animal health problems, obesity.
Kidney Disease Treatment
Cancer Treatment
No questions asked: cancer is a 5-letter word no pet owner wants to hear. And as pets live longer, diseases that come along with aging, like cancer, can occur. National Pet Cancer Awareness Month was…
We have been performing Laser Surgery at Kirkwood Animal Hospital since 1997. It is just one more way that we have set the standard in veterinary care. Why Laser Surgery?…
Kirkwood Animal Hospital provides all veterinary services for companion animals. Services include laboratory testing, digital radiology, digital dental radiology, dentistry, ultrasound, anesthesia & surgery, laser surgery, cryosurgery, laser therapy, prescription diets and more.
Senior pets end up in shelters for a variety of reasons. They are often mistakenly thought of as ‘problem pets’, but they lose their homes for a variety of reasons: they were the pets of elderly…