These are the services that The Animal Clinic provides

The Animal Clinic welcomes you and your pet into a spacious reception area equipped with fresh coffee, soft drinks, water, and we always have snacks available for your enjoyment. Our client relation's team will welcome you with smiles and will be available to answer any and all of your questions. We strive to make sure that we keep on schedule with your appointment time; we understand that your time is very valuable and appreciate you trusting us with the care of your pet.

Surgery

Exam Rooms:
The Animal Clinic has 5 spacious exam rooms that allow privacy and allow us to give you individual service and the ability to answer all of your questions. Our qualified nurses will obtain a history on your pet, take temperatures and talk with you about any concerns you may have. After the nurse is done taking her/his notes for the doctor, the doctor will them examine your pet, head to toe and prepare a healthcare plan for your pet. Our doctors are here to answer your questions, understand your concerns and help you with your decisions. Our doctors and staff are always ready to show you how much they care.
General Surgery:
Our surgical suite is equipped with state of the art equipment. We use a very safe anesthesia and follow the strict regulations that are required by The Animal Hospital Association. Since no two pets are alike, we treat each pet as an individual, and our goal is to assure that every precaution has been taken to provide a high quality level of care. To provide the best possible care, patients requiring anesthesia services are required to have an examination, blood work and an electrocardiogram prior to surgery to evaluate the health status of the pet. Since we are a pain free hospital, each pet is given pain medication prior to, during and after surgery. Our nurses are with your pet monitoring them throughout recovery and to make sure that your pet's safety comes first.
Overnight Patients:
We do not have staff on premise after hours so, for the safety of the patient, any pet that is on IV fluids in critical condition will be transferred to The Veterinary Emergency Clinic, located at 17829 Murdock Circle in Port Charlotte.
Orthopedic surgery:
The Animal clinic offers orthopedic services associated with bones, joints, ligaments, muscles and tendons. Because all of these structures must work together and be healthy for our pets to have a healthy lifestyle, it is important that conditions affecting these tissues be appropriately managed. Broken bones are caused most often by accidents and the most comfortable road to recovery is often surgical stabilization of the bone. Surgery may be the best approach to ensure that the bones heal straight and solid and that the leg functions well afterwards. Fractures involving joints nearly always need surgery to avoid severe arthritis. Hip Dysplasis: This condition causes pain in the hip joints in puppies and ending in often-significant arthritis as the animals gets older, there are a number of surgical options that can help prevent, reduce or eliminate the joint degeneration. Note: Some surgeries may be referred to board certified specialist.
Laser Surgery:
The laser is ideal for a wide variety of surgical procedures for dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, exotics, horses and other pets. Laser surgery is commonly used in soft tissue surgical procedures. The laser is a device that generates an intense beam of coherent light that can cut, seal or vaporize tissue. The Animal Clinic has been using laser surgery for many years now, and our doctors have completed advanced continuing education courses in this field. We are very excited since we have been using laser for sometime and can now appreciate the difference in many types of elective surgeries and the difference the laser makes in the following areas:
1. Pain Reduction- our patients feel less pain postoperatively.
2. Swelling Reduction- the laser beam effectively cauterizes the lymphatic system so there is much less postoperative swelling.
3. Minimal Surgical Bleeding- the laser beam is a highly effective coagulator of small blood vessels. Less bleeding during surgery means less anesthetic time and faster recovery time.
Laser surgery is an option for the surgical removal of cysts, tumors, warts, oral surgeries and amputations of small extremities, ear hematoma, ear tumor, mammary tumor, cat declaws, spays, neuters, and dermatology. We also use it on small animals, especially birds, because of the laser's great effectiveness at minimizing bleeding.
Declaws:
Prior to the introduction of laser, all declaws were done with a scalpel blade. In the past that procedure proved to be painful, and most pets had to stay in the hospital for several days for pain management. Since most indoor cats are candidates for the declaw procedure, we have found that the use of the laser has helped to minimize complications associated with this surgery. Most cats have so little pain or discomfort they are jumping and running before nature has had time to complete the healing process. We always provide pain management and recommend restricting their activity at home for the first few days to prevent any problems.

Laser Surgery emits a high-energy beam of infrared (invisible to the human eye) radiation in the form of light waves that has many veterinary applications. The use of laser has improved our capabilities by allowing us to provide better pain management, less bleeding, and a faster recovery time. All of this is included in the value-added service that we provide to our clients and the safety level we provide to the patient.

For more information on laser surgery visit www.accvet.com.
Anesthesia:
One of our core values is to make sure that all of our patients receive the highest quality level of care and that we minimize anxiety and eliminate pain. One of the most important tools that we have available is to painlessly treat pets in the advent of modern day anesthetics. These anesthetic agents allow us to sedate and anesthetize animals with negligible chance of serious side effects. The lack of significant complications from anesthesia is due to a combination of expertise, thorough pre-anesthetic testing, and state of the art anesthetic and monitoring equipment. We understand that it is a real concern to most pet owners, and they may be hesitant about the anesthesia, but just like human medicine, every precaution is taken before the pet is anesthetized.

We make sure that you are fully informed of any risks, and we have mandatory protocols in place that have to be accomplished and then evaluated prior to any anesthesia procedure.

One of the best precautions we take to minimize the risk of anesthesia is to perform pre-anesthetic diagnostic testing. Since pets cannot tell us what they are feeling or what problems they may be experiencing and their threshold of pain is so much greater in comparison to that of people, these pre-anesthetic tests are designed to alert us to internal problems that are occurring without any symptoms.

Diagnostic tests are very important in our profession since we are in a unique position. The patients that are presented to us are ill but cannot tell us. We have to depend on their caretakers to obtain a history, and we rely on testing to help the doctors make their diagnosis. These tests can be done right in our hospital or we also have the ability to send the blood work out for evaluation.

Another core protocol we follow requires that any pet undergoing sedation will have an I.V. (intravenous) catheter placed; these catheters allow us to administer medication directly into the venous system for rapid distribution to the whole body. If your pet is ill and staying in the hospital, or about to undergo anesthesia for any reason, an I.V. Catheter will be inserted to allow fluid administration and can literally be life saving.

Injectable anesthetics are used for many purposes, mostly to sedate pets before giving the actual anesthesia (called pre-anesthetic). Sedating the pet ahead of time helps to minimize anxiety, cause a smoother recovery, and minimize how much anesthetic we need to administer during the actual procedure. In addition, some injectable anesthetics minimize vomiting, a common problem when waking up from anesthesia. The primary anesthetic we use at The Animal Clinic is Propofol, which induces anesthesia rapidly, and pets wake up almost immediately.

Gas Anesthesia is very safe and highly controllable, The Animal Clinic uses the most effective gas anesthesia available called Isoflrane. All pets put under gas anesthesia are given 100% oxygen from the moment they are anesthetized until they wake up.

Monitoring your pet during surgery involves the whole surgical team, and older pets with medical problems are given intravenous (IV) fluids prior to and during the anesthetic procedure. Giving fluids prior to the surgery greatly reduces anesthetic risk. This is particularly important in older pets and those with kidney or liver disease. Pets with significant dental disease will also be given IV fluids. During the procedure your pet will be monitored in several ways. One of the best monitors is the surgeon because the surgeon is literally visualizing the blood in the circulatory system. Our anesthetist nurse is always in the surgical suite monitoring the oxygen flow and anesthetic settings on the precision vaporizer, along with the heart rate and respiratory rate, and this is done with the Pulse Oximeter. The pulse oximeter is an instrument that measures the oxygen saturation of your pet's red blood cells; it is an extremely sensitive instrument that gives us an accurate update of your pets vital signs. Our surgical nurses also perform a monitoring technique called capillary refill time (CRT). The technique is preformed by pressing on the mucous membranes in the mouth and noting how long it takes for the blanched area to turn pink again. This allows us to do a basic assessment of your pet's cardiovascular status. The Animal Clinic also monitors the blood pressure when pets are under anesthesia for longer surgical procedures or if they have other health factors that may require this monitoring.

We will complete the anesthetic process by giving your pet a pain injection before it wakes up from the anesthetic. This allows for a very smooth and pain free recovery.

Upon returning home after anesthesia, it is helpful to follow the Home Care Instructions. Try to keep your pet confined and keep contact with other pets and children to a minimum for at lease the first 12 hours. Confine your pet to an area where it cannot hurt itself, for the pet may be groggy the first night due to the pain injection it was given. Even though your pet has probably been phased for the anesthesia, feed it only a small amount of food and water when first returning home. Give more later if it eats well and does not vomit (emesis). Most pets return to a normal appetite within 24 hours. If your pet has not fully recovered from the anesthetic by the next day then please call our office.

DIAGNOSTICS

Radiographs:
The Animal Clinic is dedicated to providing high quality care and is strongly committed to providing our patients with new technology to provide better diagnostics and healthcare.

The Animal Clinic has invested in a new DXR System that provides the highest resolution digital radiographic images available in seconds without the use of x-ray films or cassettes. The ability to produce high-resolution digital images within seconds, allows us the capability of defining positioning verification and diagnosis. Digital images are processed and ready to send to a printer, or disk for immediate review by client, referring veterinarian, or specialist. Telemedicine access allows images to be reviewed by specialist anywhere in the world.
Ultrasound Imaging:
There are times when radiographs cannot give us the whole picture. This is a very helpful tool in diagnostics; it is pain free to the pet and gives the doctors information about what is going on inside the pet's body. It can see images that a radiograph cannot show.

When imaging a pet's abdomen or chest, it is very important to include radiographs as well as ultrasound images. Radiology advantages include imaging the whole abdomen and chest on one radiograph. Radiology may pick up organs in abnormal positions that would facilitate the ultrasonagrapher to get better images. Radiographs may pick up pathology in the lung fields that ultrasound may not image. Radiology gives you a 2-D image, which has its limitations.

Ultrasound has the advantages of imaging organ systems in a 3-D fashion. Vascular integrity can be evaluated as well as enhanced by Doppler. Ultrasound technology gives detailed image and is able to calculate size and volume of each organ system, which enables the veterinarian to diagnose and start treatment, especially in heart disease.
EKG:
An electrocardiogram monitors the minute electrical activity within the heart. The electrocardiogram can help diagnose a heart that is having a problem but appears normal during a physical exam. Every senior pet and all pets undergoing anesthesia will have an EKG performed. It is a painless procedure and is done right here in the hospital and read by the doctor. In some cases, it is sent off to a board certified veterinarian radiologist for further consult. This test is a great precaution for any underlying problems a pet may have that cannot be determined by an exam.

Dental Imaging:
Digital Imaging is a recent technical advancement in dental radiology. The Animal Clinic now has a state of the art digital imaging machine that is used with the computer to capture and enhance images to help the doctor diagnose and create a dental treatment plan for your pet. Digital Imaging is an important part of dental care. During you pet's oral exam under anesthesia, our experienced staff will measure the depth of the pockets that have disease. If the depth is more than 3mm we will take a radiograph of the tooth to make sure the underlying jawbone and root are healthy. Our dental digital imaging machine is designed specifically to radiograph animals. This machine is automated, allowing us to rapidly take high quality radiographs. The high definition of these radiographs allows us to see problems that are not apparent during the oral exam.
Laboratory:
Diagnostic tests are crucial to our diagnosis, and since we are advocates of preventive care, we have incorporated standard blood profiles into our junior and senior health packages. Our laboratory is especially important when your pet is not feeling well and cannot tell us about how they feel. Diagnostic tests have been refined to the point that they allow us to get a clear picture of the inner workings of animals. There are many different type of tests that are offered and most of the routine tests are:
- Cytology: this test requires the microscope
- Fine Needle Aspirate: this test requires using a very tiny needle and inserting it into a growth, allowing small amounts of cells to be aspirated into a syringe. These cells are then put onto a slide and sent to a pathologist for analysis.
- Skin Scraping:
Dentistry:
Why dental care? Dental care of dogs and cats is one of the most commonly overlooked areas of pet healthcare. The American Animal Hospital introduced guidelines for the practice of companion animal dentistry for the veterinarian profession. Dental care is necessary to provide optimum health and quality of life. Diseases of the oral cavity, if left untreated, are often very painful and can contribute to other local or systemic diseases.

Because oral hygiene is one of the most overlooked areas of medical care for animals, our doctors and the staff are advocates of proper dental care. We believe that proper dental care can make a tremendous difference in the quality of life and can often prolong your pet's lifespan. Dental disease does not just affect the mouth; it can lead to more serious health problems including heart, lung and kidney disease. As we increase our knowledge of animal health, we realize that proper dental care does not only make your pet's breath smell better; it is mandatory for your pet's long term quality of life.

Dental disease is a treatable and preventable problem, and since your pet cannot tell you how it feels, it is up to all of us, as members of your pet's health care team, to address this problem.
Dental Diagnosis:
Dental disease is diagnosed by one of our veterinarians only after a complete exam is performed. There are two critical components of your pet's veterinary dental care: oral examination and dental cleanings. Veterinary dental care begins at the puppy and kitten stage.
Assessment by Life Stage:
The American Animal Hospital Guidelines focus on age-related dental conditions and common abnormalities in the dog and cat. From birth to 9 months of age, the patient is evaluated for problems related to the deciduous teeth, missing or extra teeth, swelling, and oral development. From 5 months through 2 years, the patient is evaluated for problems related to developmental anomalies, permanent dentition, and the accumulation of plaque and calculus. Periodontal disease may begin at this time, especially in small-breed dogs and cats. The onset and severity of periodontal disease varies widely with breed, diet, and homecare. In a small-breed dog without homecare, periodontal disease can start at 9 months of age. In a large breed dog, it may not start until years later. Most small dogs have periodontal disease by 3 years of age. Our veterinarians will continue to evaluate for progressive periodontal disease and oral tumors in your pets as they age.

Our doctors can perform a basic oral examination on patients that are awake; however, a short lasting, safe anesthetic is required in order to provide a complete and thorough examination as well as to perform dental cleanings. The oral exam is not complete until we examine your pet's mouth under anesthesia. Only then can we check for tumors, ulcers, gum disease, foreign bodies and infections.
Home Dental Care:
Your pet's dental care doesn't rest with your veterinarian alone. As a pet owner, you play an important role in helping to ensure your pet's dental health through regular teeth brushing.
For more information please visit the following websites:
www.avdonline.org
www.avdsonline.com
www.healthypet.com

Also see our "Pet of the Month" on "Hannah." She has made us all believers in the importance of dental care and dental radiographs.

MEDICAL CARE

Medical Care:
Even with preventive medicine there are times when you pet is just not feeling well. If so, a physical exam will be done along with some diagnostic procedures to help diagnoses and treat your pet as efficiently as possible. We understand the need of communication between the owner, staff and doctor to help determine the needs of the patient. We feel very rewarded when we can relieve the discomfort and pain that illness may cause.
Pain Management:
The Animal Clinic is a pain free hospital; we give you no choice on pain management. As veterinarians, we pledge to use "scientific knowledge and skills for the relief of animal suffering." Pain comfort is our team's highest primary objective. Continual pain is detrimental to the overall healing process as well as the general well being of a pet. Unrelieved pain leads to suffering, stress, anxiety, and diminished quality of life.

Management of animal pain is advancing to a new era with the introduction of safer analgesic drugs and the development of improved approaches to rehabilitation.
Dermatology:
Skin disease, although rarely life-threatening, is extremely frustrating to treat. The most common types of allergy affecting the skin include: reactions to food ingredients, air-borne substances (pollens, molds, dust mites), and bites of insects (flea, mosquitoes, gnats.) Most types of allergies can be diagnosed and treated with hypoallergenic diets trials and intradermal skin testing. However, in some cases, in an effort to provide our pets with the best possible quality health care we may refer you to a veterinary board certified dermatologist.
Chemotherapy:
When considering the use of chemotherapy in the tumor-bearing patient, the approach to therapy will vary greatly depending on the therapeutic intent. Since all tumors are different the therapeutic goal may be to cure or palliation. Since most localized primary tumors which have minimal risk of metastasis are most commonly treated with surgery there may be times that a pet will be referred to have treatments of radiation or chemotherapy.

WELLNESS CARE

Exotic/Avian Care:
Dr. Fiore and Dr. Marks both have a special interest in exotic/avian care. Since these pets have different health problems as our furry four legged friends they need to be given the same quality healthcare. Dr Fiore has been the Charlotte County Chief of Staff at the Peace River Wildlife Refuge located in Punta Gorda. You can view her weekly article in the Charlotte Sun every Wednesday. The staff loves helping the center because you never know what you are going to see.
Healthy Exams:
The Animal Clinic strives to prevent illness and enhance the quality of life for each of our patients. The time and effort invested in our Wellness Programs has rewards for both pet and owner. We design our programs specifically for your pet which includes parasite screening, heartworm test and prevention, dental care, vaccinations, nutritional advice, flea control and a overall health history and physical exam.
Vaccinations:
Our goal at The Animal Clinic is to provide an individual heath care program for your pet. We understand that there is no one plan that fits all. There have been a lot of changes in the vaccine protocols and together, with your input and the recommendation of the doctor, a plan can be implemented.

The first guidelines from The American Animal Hospital Association were published in 2003. Those guidelines, for the first time ever, provided valuable information for the veterinary practitioner that could be used to design vaccination programs to meet the needs of the pet and most of all to protect the health of the whole family. The philosophy of the guidelines simply downplays the practice management aspect of vaccination and emphasizes the preventive medicine aspect of this highly important "medical," not "management," procedure. Unlike a "Management Tool" where every animal receives the same treatment, a "Medical Procedure" must be tailored to the needs of the individual pet.

There are many core vaccines and again, in 2006, the AAHA task force emphasizes the practice of core vaccines with the emphasis on individualized care and a higher quality of medicine. The vaccination exam is no longer just filled with injections, it now consist of educating the client on a healthcare plan that includes baseline and geriatric blood tests, nutritional advice, behavioral consultation and parasite prevention.

For more information on vaccines:
AAHA
AVMA
ZOONOTIC DISEASES:
In sunny Florida we are not the only species that loves the warm climate, the vegetation, sand, and water. We share our yards, beaches, parks and other places with parasites. Florida is exposed to this year round and with simple precautions and an understanding of the factors involved in preventing the transmission of zoonotic, diseases your pet and family will lead a very safe and healthy lifestyle. Most zoonotic diseases are quite treatable and preventable, and you should never be discouraged from owning a pet due to these diseases--what you need do is make them preventable. Our veterinarians will help to protect you by recommending twice a year visits for your pet to set up a risk assessment program.

For more information visit: www.npwm.com

Pet owners may not be aware that parasites are more than just irritating to the pet, but they can also cause disease in the animal and even transmit diseases to people, called zoonotic disease.

It is estimated that each year 3 to 6 million people are infected with Toxocara (roundworm), which causes a condition called larva migrans. In humans, roundworm infection may cause tissue damage that affect the nerve or even lodge in the eye. Hookworm larvae moves within the skin, causing inflammation and there is a type of hookworm that can penetrate into deeper tissues and cause serious damage to the intestine and other organs.

Zoonotic diseases can affect anyone, but children seem to be the most highly affected due to the fact that they are more likely to encounter a contaminated outdoor area. Children are also more likely to get roundworm eggs on their clothes or toys, then their hands and eventually, in their mouth.

To reduce the risk of zoonotic disease transmission:
- Do not allow children to walk barefoot where there is likely to be animal feces.
- Have kittens and puppies dewormed at an early age
- Keep play areas, lawns and gardens around your home free of animal waste.
- Keep your pets healthy and protected from hookworm and roundworm, and other harmful parasites, with a monthly preventive medicine.
We at The Animal Clinic urge you to use preventative year-round medicine on your pet monthly because your pet is susceptible to parasite infection and infestation any place at any time.
Heartworm Prevention:
The Animal Clinic is committed to your pet and believes that heartworm prevention begins with starting your pet off with a good preventative healthcare program. Your pet's health depends on you and us, and they are at risk for different infectious diseases throughout their lives. Heartworm is 100% preventable with just giving your pet an easy treatment once a month. We carry both Revolution and Heartgard Plus for both your dog and cat.

NEED MORE INFORMATION......
www.capcvet.org
www.npwm.com
Safe Pets, Safe Clients:
Fleas have come to love Florida for the wonderful weather and because they can enjoy a longer, warmer lifestyle. Flea control is a major component in your pet's healthcare. When it comes to flea and ticks, there is no compromise. That's why at The Animal Clinic we have done a lot of research and decided to carry only the products that would help in the prevention of flea and tick control. We stock Frontline and Revolution and have a strong relationship with both companies to make sure that our clients and pets are protected. Advantage is another good product that can be ordered through our website pharmacy. There are many look-a-likes out there in the market, and we would like you to check with us as your primary healthcare providers before purchasing any other products for your pet. We also have some great values that are not offered on the Internet.

Fleas and Ticks:
Fleas are wingless, bloodsucking insects that may cause excessive grooming, hair loss, anemia and tapeworm infection in your pet.

Did you know?
- Flea infestations are the most common parasite problem of dogs and cats in our area.
- The life cycle for a flea can be up to 180 days.
- Only 5 percent of a home's flea population is the what you see
- Only 10 percent of the flea life cycle occurs on the pet, the other 90 percent occurs off the animal and is found within the house and lawn.
With more than 2,000 different species of fleas, it's not hard to understand how these common insects can affect the life style of not only our pets, but that of our family.

Since most fleas are very hard to detect and in some coats of hair may be very hard to see the best ways to test your pet is to:
- Look for black specks on your pet or in your pet's bed known as "flea dirt"
- Use a flea comb (which you can purchase from us, or bring your pet in for a complimentary flea check). These combs go through the pet's hair and reach the skin through the coat. If black specks are on the comb, then the chance of your pet having fleas is very high.If infested with fleas, your pet may become very nervous, annoyed and short tempered due to being very uncomfortable. We carry many products that can help you keep your pets flea free without any hassle. It is also important to frequently vacuum the areas your pet is around, wash your pet's bedding regularly, and treat your lawn.

Flea Allergy Dermatitis (FAD):
This is the most common veterinary dermatological condition in the world. It begins with the bite of a flea. When a flea bites your dog or cat, it deposits a small amount of saliva in the skin. Some pets will get a severe reaction, which causes excessive scratching or biting around the tail, groin or backside. Scabs or bumps may also appear on your pet's neck or back.

Tapeworm:
Dogs or cats may become infected with tapeworms by digesting an infected flea. Pets may experience intense itching. Many of the tapeworm segments may be seen around the anal area.

The most common tapeworm of dogs and cats in the United States is called Dipylidium Caninum (DIE-pih-LID-ee-um K-nine-um). Infection is common and found throughout the world. Most pets get tapeworm by swallowing a flea infected with tapeworm larvae. Tapeworms can be passed to humans if undetected and, in most reported cases, involve children. The most effective way to prevent infections in pets and humans is through flea control.

For more information on associated diseases connected to fleas:
www.cdc.gov

Flea Life cycle:
Fleas and butterflies have the same life cycle: Adult, Egg, Caterpillar, and Cocoon.

The adult flea emerges from the cocoon full-sized and ready to go. After finding a home on your pet, the female flea will take two or three blood meals a day and soon begin laying eggs, about 150 to 300 eggs per week. Once the eggs are ready to hatch, baby fleas use their tiny egg tooth to cut their way out of the eggshell. When fully grown, the flea caterpillar makes a little cocoon where it is protected.

EGG STAGE: A female lays about 2,000 eggs in her lifetime. The eggs are not sticky and they quickly fall off your pet and into areas of your home. In 2-10 days, the eggs hatch.

LARVAL STAGE: After hatching, the larvae heads towards dark places around your home and feeds on "flea dirt"--flea feces containing partially digested blood from your pet. The larvae grow, molt twice, then spin cocoons, where they grow to pupae.

PUPA STAGE: Immature fleas spend approximately 8-9 days in their cocoon. During this time, they continue to grow to adulthood, waiting for the signals that it is time to emerge.

ADULT STAGE: Full-grown adults detect heat, vibrations and exhaled carbon dioxide from inside instinct that tells them a host is nearby. The adults leave their cocoons, hop into a host, and the life cycle starts all over again.

THE ENTIRE LIFE CYCLE CAN BE AS SHORT AS 2-4 WEEKS
Ticks:
Ticks are a problem virtually everywhere in the United States. They are not only annoying pests, but also they are capable of transmitting diseases to your dog or to your family. To help protect you and your pet, we offer Frontline and Revolution Products that not only help with flea control but also protect your pet form tick-related illnesses like Lyme disease.

We urge you to contact us immediately if you have any reason to believe your pet has been bitten or infected by a tick. If you remove any ticks from your pet, save them in a bottle and let us examine them in order to determine what type of ticks they are. Always remember to remove ticks with tweezers, never with your hands.

Remember to check your pet thoroughly every day for ticks.
Baths:
We offer bathing and will be happy to shave off the matting hair on your pet. We have a caring staff that will make your pet feel like it has just been to a spa.

OTHER SERVICES

Behavioral counseling:
We at The Animal Clinic are dedicated to providing total patient care. Each pet has the right to be evaluated and to suggest solutions to rectify the problem. We have exams designed for behavioral evaluations in which we observe your pet's behavior in relation to his/her daily life, his/her environment, and the animals and people with whom he/she interacts. Our approach is to provide our clients with the techniques and tools that they can facilitate the desired changes in their pet's behavior. The goal of the consult is to review the history and make the recommendations that will subsequently benefit all members of the household.

The first step to a behavioral consult is to rule out any medical factors that might be contributing to behavioral signs. In addition to the medical assessment, the behavioral assessment requires an intensive review of your pet's history, along with an interactive consultation with involved parties, observing and assessing the pet during the consultation.

Common Behavioral Problems:

Diagnosing and Treating Separation Anxiety:
Anxiety disorders are among the most common disorders we see at our practice and it represents over 19% of the behavioral cases seen within the United States. Pets with separation anxiety are classified either as primary or acquired.

Primary separation anxiety is a result of an attachment as a puppy and as it matures into adulthood is unable to break the bond with its owners.

Acquired separation anxiety occurs in adult dogs that develop fears and phobias that may be due to changes in their environment, household, and mostly routine. Unlike noise or storm phobias these pets seem to become increasingly anxious whenever the owners are not accessible.

Behavioral problems are a common compliant among clients with companion animals. It is stated that over 90% of pet owners complain about their dog's behavior and sometimes the results are owners relinquishing their dogs and cats to shelters. Studies are now showing that dog owners who receive behavioral advise from their veterinarians was more likely to keep their pets.

Clinical Signs of Separation Anxiety:
Vocalization
Destructiveness
Household soiling
Hyper salivation
Vomiting/Diarrhea
Licking and self-mutilation
Shaking, or jumping at objects
Depression/Refusal to ear

A U.S. report study indicates that dogs in single owner households were 2.5 times more likely to experience separation anxiety than those in multi-owner households.

When signs are consistent with separation anxiety, any medical problem that might cause or contribute to the specific sign should be ruled out. A consult, physical exam, laboratory test and urinalysis are performed to make sure your pet is healthy before prescribing any drug therapy.

Separation anxiety can be treated medically in conjunction with behavioral modification. Concurrent use of drugs may reduce the pet's anxiety and improve response in training. Successful treatment usually takes many weeks to months.

Two of the most critical components in determining the prognosis include: safety, and the owner's ability or willingness to implement the prescribed program. The treatment program must be tailored to the individual pet, which may include the following: preventing recurrence, behavior modification, modification of the environment, medical therapy (including drugs and products) and surgery (such as neutering). Therefore, the focus of behavioral modifications must be to reduce the fear and anxiety so that a positive outcome can be achieved.

We use a questionnaire that includes our initial history screening to review details of the problem as well as to obtain background information about the family, the home, the schedule, the type of care, training and social interactions. If you are interested in obtaining questionnaires, please feel free to ask us.

One of The Animal Clinic's core values is to help each pet individually and to provide behavioral advice. Each behavioral case is taken seriously by following through with an assessment so that the treatment program can be planned and developed based on the pet's response, as well as to determine the success of the consultation.

Our approach is to provide our clients with the techniques and tools with which they may directly facilitate the desired changes in their pet's behavior. We are here to answer any questions you may have and understand that behavioral management is an integral part of companion animal practice because the human-animal bond is forged through interactions between pets and owners.

Behavioral problems are a common compliant among clients with companion animals. It is stated that over 90% of pet owners complain about their dog's behavior and sometimes the results are owners relinquishing their dogs and cats to shelters. Studies are now showing that dog owners who receive behavioral advise from their veterinarians was less likely to relinquish their pets.
Pharmacy:
Our pharmacy area is well stocked to handle most of your pet's medication needs. Living in Florida, we have to protect our pets against heartworm disease, fleas and ticks. We offer a full range of products that will help keep your pet healthy and comfortable through the warm climate. Be careful of look-a likes in flea products, make sure the products you choose are safe and recommended by your veterinarian.
Day Care:
Going away for the day? No need to worry about your pet! Bring them in, and we will entertain them. Our convenient hours make it easy for drop off and pick up.
Microchipping:
Microchips have helped reunite thousands of pets with their families. At The Animal Clinic we believe very strongly in microchipping and use the most widely recognized microchip products. Ask our staff and we will gladly give you the information to increase the chances of a safe recovery.