Ancillary Services

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is often used to treat dogs with arthritis, joint inflammation, and it helps with pain management.

Acupuncture can:

• Stimulate nerves
• Increase blood circulation
• Relieve muscle spasms
• Cause the release of hormones and endorphins

What is a typical acupuncture session like?
The first appointment begins with a general medical assessment. The veterinary acupuncturist will perform her own physical examination, discuss treatment options, and explain exactly what happens during an acupuncture session. Even though your pet may be a little nervous, most become very relaxed after needle insertion. Depending on the conditions addressed, the actual session may last 20-30 minutes. The doctor outlines a treatment protocol that may involve one to three sessions per week for several weeks. Often, the number of sessions is tapered off as the dog improves, so visits are scheduled less frequently. The effects of acupuncture treatment are cumulative so there is a benefit to repeated sessions, but the goal is to achieve the greatest degree of improvement and maintain that level with the fewest treatments necessary. There are few side effects with acupuncture, but some dogs may be sore or stiff following a treatment session, while other patients appear tired. These symptoms usually resolve within 24-48 hours.

Digital Radiology

If your pet is suffering from a fracture, other injury or an internal condition, our digital radiography equipment enables our veterinarians to rapidly diagnose the problem.

Using radiography, we can detect the following problems in your pet: Hip dysplasia, Fractures and other injuries, Foreign objects, Bladder stones, Cardiac or respiratory issues, Tumours, And more…

We will provide a preliminary interpretation on the spot. In some cases, we send out the radiographs for a second opinion from a specialist in order to confirm the necessary treatment.

In-house Laboratory and Blood-work

When investigating a disease or condition, we often need to run tests to get more information on what may be causing the problem.

We run most of our testing “in-house”, which means that we have the necessary equipment to diagnose and treat your pets faster. The following diagnostics are run in clinic: Complete Blood Count, Serum Biochemistry Panels, T4 (Thyroid) Testing, Snap 4Dx Testing (Heartworm, Lyme disease, Anaplasma and Ehrlichia), Snap* Combo Testing (Feline Leukemia Virus and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus), Blood Pressure, SPO2, Blood Glucose (Curve or Spot Check), Microscopic Cytology (Fecal, Skin, Blood Smear, Fine Needle Aspirate, etc.), and Urinalysis.

Ultrasound

Ultrasound technology, a complement to radiography, offers a precise three-dimensional image of an animal’s internal organs.

Our veterinarians use ultrasound to confirm a condition detected by x-ray and deliver a more precise diagnostic. We also use ultrasonography to evaluate the bladder while performing a cystocentesis (sterile urine collection). This allows us to detect abnormalities within the bladder, such as, neoplasia, stones, sediment and inflammation.