Services Offered by Links of Love
Dental Cleaning & Care
Caring for your pet's teeth and gums plays a critical role in helping them to enjoy a long, happy and healthy life! According to the American Veterinary Dental Society, 80% of dogs and 70% of cats show signs of oral disease by age 3. Bacteria, saliva, and food accumulate on your pet's teeth, leading to the formation of plaque. If plaque is not removed with frequent brushing, gingivitis and tartar can develop.
A bit of good news is all of this can be prevented through routine dental care. The staff at Links of Love Veterinary Clinic is well-trained in the most modern veterinary dental techniques, from teeth cleanings and polishing to x-rays and tooth extractions, as needed. We will also work closely with you to provide guidance and advice on brushing techniques you can use at home, in between vet visits, to help keep your pet's mouth clean and healthy. As a team we will work hard to help your pet enjoy a lifetime of good oral health.
Diagnostics
Sadly, when our animal companions are not feeling well, they can't tell us what's wrong or where it hurts. That's why veterinary diagnostics are so important. These invaluable tools allow us to delve below the surface to quickly and accurately identify, diagnose, and treat whatever is ailing your pet. Having a diagnosis as soon as possible can help improve the chances of a quick and full recovery for your pet.
Our clinic uses state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment for quick and accurate results to many diagnostic tests. We also maintain a close relationship with a veterinary diagnostic lab to assist with more complex tests, and we can even arrange consultation with clinical pathologists if needed.
Our in-house laboratory allows us to perform many diagnostic tests with rapid results, aiding in the prompt development of appropriate treatment options for our patients. We can perform basic blood panels to evaluate general health and organ function, as well as special blood tests to assess for such conditions as erhlichia, parvoviral infection, heartworm disease, feline leukemia, and pancreatitis. Using a microscope, we have the ability to evaluate for skin and ear infections, blood-borne parasites, and cancerous masses, just to name a few.
By utilizing our reference laboratory, we can perform an incredibly vast array of special testing; and daily pick-ups of the samples allows for rapid results.
In addition to standard diagnostic and dental x-ray services, we can arrange ultrasounds and videoscope services (for examining the ears and nasal passages) as well as endoscopy, colonoscopy, and bronchoscopy by a Board Certified Internist on a case-by case basis at the site of the clinic. Onsite CT-scans can also be arranged. A veterinary radiologist can also be consulted to review our advanced ultrasound or xray studies.
Health Certificates
Links of Love Veterinary Clinic offers Health Certificates for the transfer of ownership of pets, for interstate travel, as well as for travel abroad. Only Certified veterinarians are able to offer this service, and we are proud to be one of the few. It is recommended that you determine the requirements of the place to which you are travelling prior to scheduling your Health Certificate appointment.
The Health Certificate is only valid for 10 days after it is issued, therefore you will want to plan appropriately and carefully. It is also our recommendation that we test the pet's fecal for parasites 2 weeks prior to the Health Certificate appointment to make certain there are no delays in your travel. For instance, if a pet is found to have fecal parasites such as hookworms, it will have to be reported on the certificate, and your pet may be denied travel.
An equally frustrating alternative is that the certificate is postponed for treatment resulting in financial losses due to changes in your travel plans. If we discover this at least 2 weeks prior to your Health Certificate appointment, and then retest to find the fecal negative, your plans will not be altered.
Register your pet online and request an appointment today.
Mobile Services
Our service to visit your pet in the comfort of your home is invaluable to almost everyone. The time saved by having your veterinarian come to your home or office is tremendous. Likewise, the comfort that your pet feels jumping aboard our cabin is heartwarming to experience. It is essentially an extension of your home and yard. In instances where the pet is unable to be brought aboard, we will make every attempt to see your patient inside of the home.
One of our goals is to help special groups such as the elderly and disabled, who may find it inconvenient to bring their pet in to be seen, or to send another person in their place. With our service, you wont miss a beat keeping up with the care of your pet.
If your office or place of business allows, we can come to you there for services. In fact, we promote "bring your pet to work days" where we will offer specials to groups who participate. (See our Specials tab for more details).
Currently, we are scheduling these visits on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. We are looking forward to expanding these scheduling opportunities as we continue to grow.
Surgery
Our pets from time to time require surgical procedures. Elective procedures are those performed usually on relatively healthy pets, and include routine surgeries such as spays and neuters. We recommend that unless a pet will be breeding, they be neutered or spayed for health reasons. Whenever these procedures can be done at an early age, certain medical and behavioral problems can be avoided. The other great thing about having these procedures performed is that the population of uncared for animals is lowered.
Other elective procedures are those such as declaws, soley performed on cats when conservative methods fail to resolve scratching other indivudals or their furniture. Another common instance in which declaws may be required is when an owner is immune-compromised and would like to keep his or her pet without risk of serious disease transmission from scratches.
Non-elective procedures are those surgeries are required to be done such as to remove tumors, repair skin wounds, remove the spleen or ingested foreign material, etc.
Whenever your pet requires any of these procedures, anesthesia or some degree of sedation may be required. As in humans, anesthesia is never without risk, therefore it is understanding that this is a difficult time for clients.
Links of Love Veterinary Clinic seeks to minimize this risk for your pet by adhering to strict surgical protocols before, during and after the surgical procedure. Your pet will get a full physical exam before surgery of any kind. Pre-surgical blood work to ensure your pet is healthy enough to withstand anesthesia will be done in most cases. Safe drug protocols individualized for your pet will be used. Dr. McNair is experienced in a wealth of general surgical procedures. This includes soft tissue and some minor orthopedic procedures.
During surgery, cutting edge monitoring equipment and instruments will be used. Your pet will be monitored during recovery up until he or she goes home. Pain medications will be given in most situations. At discharge we will give you all the information you will need to care for your furry friend during recovery. And of course we will at all times be only a phone call away.
Register your pet online and request an appointment today.
Vaccinations
We offer all core vaccinations for dogs, cats and ferrets. These include Distemper virus, Parvo virus, and Rabies virus for dogs and ferrets; as well as FVRCP and Rabies virus for cats. We also offer vaccinations that protect pets against respiratory infections in communial facilities such as Influenza virus and Bordetella, commonly known as 'Kennel Cough'. For cats who spend times outdoors, we recommend Feline Leukemia virus vaccination as well.
Over the past several months, there have also been outbreaks of Leptospirosis, which is a disease that can affect people as well, damaging kidneys and liver as well as other organs in both humans and pets alike. We strongly recommend this vaccine for dogs,
For many years, it was believed that this was best recommended for dogs who are most likely to encounter the bacterium (shed in the urine of wild animals and found in stagnant water). However, there are many pets who are mostly indoor that are contracting this disease. Speak with us about whether this vaccine is appropriate for your pet.
We also offer a number of other vaccines by request such as against Lyme disease, especially for travelling pets. Please let us know if you may be interested in this or other specific non- core vaccines before your scheduled appointment.
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