Surgery
We offer the most advanced surgical techniques and equipment. All patients are carefully screened for safety, and anesthetics are specifically tailored to your pet. We assign a licensed technician to your pet in order to closely monitor him/her during anesthesia and recovery. Each patient will receive an IV catheter and fluid support, as well as pre-surgical blood-work when indicated. Our veterinarians are focused on providing the highest quality surgical techniques while maintaining the lowest amount of anesthetic time necessary. Dr. Tracht and Dr. Caputo are also extremely dedicated to ensuring the absolute best in pain control for every one of their surgical patients. Surgical services include:
- Fully trained veterinary and technical staff to ensure the safest, most efficient, state-of-the-art procedures for your pet
- Constant, comprehensive anesthetic monitoring performed by a licensed veterinary technician, including:
- ECG
- Heart rate
- Blood pressure
- Oxygen saturation
- Heated surgical table in our dedicated, sterile surgical suite
- Highest quality surgical instruments and suture material
- Pre-anesthetic sedative to allow for comfortable IV catheter placement and anesthetic induction
- General anesthesia maintained by a licensed veterinary technician.
- IV catheter with fluid administration during surgery and throughout recovery. This allows for a safer, more stable plane of anesthesia as well as a safer, smoother recovery.
- Advanced sterilization techniques
- Intensive post-surgical care and monitoring
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Spays and Neuters
We offer significantly discounted prices on all spays and neuters while maintaining the highest quality care for our patients. Canine spays/neuters and feline spays include:
- Advanced surgical monitoring with a trained surgical assistant. (See list of surgical monitoring equipment under general surgery description.)
- Advanced sterilization
- Heated surgical table in our dedicated, sterile surgical suite
- Highest quality surgical instruments and suture material
- Pre-anesthetic sedative to allow for comfortable IV catheter placement and anesthetic induction
- General anesthesia maintained by a licensed veterinary technician.
- IV catheter with fluid administration during surgery and throughout recovery. This allows for a safer, more stable plane of anesthesia as well as a safer, smoother recovery. At many hospitals this service is offered as optional and becomes an additional charge on the day of surgery. We are including it in our spays / neuters at no additional cost
- Pain injection with a 24 hour period of efficacy, so that your pet wakes up from surgery as comfortable as possible. At many hospitals this service is offered as optional and becomes an additional charge on the day of surgery. We are including it in our spays / neuters at no additional cost
- Intensive post-surgical care and monitoring
- Suture removal 10-14 days after surgery
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Ultrasound
It could save your pet’s life!
Some of the many indications where ultrasound is useful:
- Preventive health screening to detect and treat problems early on
- Kidney and liver problems
- Chronic urinary tract infections
- Heart murmurs
- Cardiac disease
- Vomiting patients
- Unexplained weight loss
- To avoid surgery – We can do ultrasound-guided biopsies!
This state-of-the-art technology uses sound waves to examine specific internal organs in the abdomen and the heart. It is safe and painless for your pet, as there are no known side effects with the use of diagnostic ultrasound. There is no radiation exposure, as with x-rays. General anesthesia is not needed for an ultrasound exam unless we are using ultrasound to obtain a biopsy, (in order to avoid surgery on your pet.)
Our experienced ultrasonographer, Dr. Susan Caputo, is able to identify many diseases that would otherwise be missed on x-rays or blood work. Ultrasound also allows us to see the heart valves in motion, and is the only way we can measure the size of heart chambers and the walls of the heart. This is essential to diagnose the cause of heart murmurs and other cardiac conditions, and get your pet on appropriate medications.
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Dental
Regular professional cleaning is important to maintaining your pet’s oral health and overall well-being. Periodontal disease develops when plaque and tartar build up under a pet’s gum line, separating gum from teeth to form pockets of bacterial growth. This can not only be very painful, but can cause infection, abscess, bone loss, and loss of teeth. This damage is irreversible, and can lead to other disease processes such as kidney disease and/or kidney failure. Therefore, we strongly recommend regular dental cleanings as well as preventive home care for all pets. Dr. Caputo in particular has extensive training in advanced canine and feline dentistry, performing procedures such as surgical extractions, crown reductions, bone grafting, care of stomatitis and abscessed tooth roots, and more.
Dental cleaning requires general anesthesia because of the necessity to clean under the gum line, where periodontal disease causes the most problems. Dental cleanings performed on awake animals are purely cosmetic, as they do not treat or prevent periodontal disease in any way. In fact, the process of chipping off tartar in an non-anesthetized animal can actually damage tooth enamel and cause further problems later in life. We offer discounted dental packages which incorporate the most advanced techniques in dentistry and anesthesia, including the following:
- Pre-anesthetic sedative to allow for comfortable IV catheter placement and anesthetic induction
- General anesthesia maintained and monitored by a licensed technician, (as listed above under our general surgery description.)
- IV catheter with fluid administration during anesthesia and throughout recovery. This allows for a safer, more stable plane of anesthesia as well as a safer, smoother recovery
- Circulating hot water blanket to maintain your pet’s temperature while under anesthesia.
- Modern and safe ultrasonic scaling to clean each tooth thoroughly above and below the gum line
- Trained dental technicians polish teeth to create a smooth, lustrous tooth surface more resistant to plaque buildup
- Fluoride treatments to help strengthen enamel and reduce tooth sensitivity
- Antibiotic injection to treat/prevent infection
- Digital dental x-rays (when indicated) to further determine the health of a pet’s teeth and whether extractions are needed.
- Pain injection for patients with more advanced dental disease to prevent sensitivity/pain associated with the cleaning and/or tooth extractions
- Extractions (only when indicated by x-ray findings). Most extractions are actually considered surgical procedures. They may require a surgical incision to expose tooth roots and allow for easy sectioning and extraction of each individual root. As with any surgical procedure, these extractions are performed only by our trained, experienced veterinarians – not veterinary technicians. We administer not only a 24 hour pain injection, but also a local anesthetic at the site of extraction. This allows us to maintain a lower level of gas anesthesia, and reduces post-surgical pain in your pet. When we find a significant amount of bone loss at the site of an extraction, we replace this with bone grafting material. In the case of severe infection or abscess at the root of a tooth, we administer a local antibiotic in addition to our routine systemic antibiotic injection. Extraction sites are healed within 2 weeks, after which a pet’s ability to eat should not be affected. Clients have often told us that their furry friend started acting acting like a puppy or kitten again, once their dental pain was relieved.
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Behavioral Medicine
Illness doesn’t always have a physical cause. Dr. Tracht, owner of All Tails Wagging Veterinary Clinic, has advanced training in animal behavior. Through behavioral consultations she can help determine the cause of such disorders as separation anxiety and obsessive behavior, then develop a treatment regimen that works for both the client and their pet.
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Immunization and Wellness Care
We strive to provide the best medicine not only to your sick or injured pets, but also to those who are healthy. We recommend yearly wellness exams to monitor your pets health as they age. This helps us to establish a baseline when they are well, allowing us to better care for them when they are ill. Senior pets (over 7 years of age) may be recommended for 6 month wellness exams, as they age faster and may have more significant changes in their health over a shorter period of time.
We individually tailor vaccination protocols based on your pet’s lifestyle, making sure your pet is fully protected while avoiding any unnecessary vaccines. All our vaccines are of the highest quality, designed for safety and a lower potential for reaction. In addition, we refrain from giving multiple vaccines at the same time, further lowering the risk of reaction.
Yearly blood-work is recommended for pets over the age of 7 to establish a healthy baseline as well as identify diseases before they become symptomatic. Animals are typically stoic, and often will not show signs of illness until they are very sick. If we can diagnose a disease before it reaches this point, we are often able to improve the quality and longevity of your pet’s life.
Fecal parasite analysis is recommended yearly for all pets. This testing will identify internal parasites such as roundworms, hookworms, coccidia, giardia, and more. It is important to diagnose and treat these parasites as they can impair not only your pet’s health, but also the health of your family, particularly children. Parasites such as roundworms and giardia can be transmitted to humans, and may cause symptoms ranging from severe gastro-intestinal upset to blindness. Puppies and kittens are most often the carriers of such parasites, but pets of any age may be exposed.
Heartworm testing should be performed once every 2 years on all pets who receive consistent monthly heartworm prevention. For pets that are not on heartworm prevention, testing should be performed yearly. It is also important to test prior to starting heartworm medication for any pet who has not previously been receiving it, or those who have lapsed in their monthly treatment.
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Puppy and Kitten Packages
Bringing home a furry new family member is such a joyful experience. Our pets provide us with companionship and love throughout their lives, while asking very little in return. One of the ways we can thank them for this lifetime of friendship is to establish healthy habits starting from day one. Our puppy and kitten packages are designed to not only provide all necessary initial medical treatments, but to give you one-on-one time with our doctors and technicians at each visit. We will offer education on topics such as nutrition, behavior, dental care, internal and external parasites, grooming care, and more. We will spend time thoroughly answering any questions you may have regarding the care of your new friend.
Puppy and kitten packages here at All Tails Wagging include three main visits. During these visits your pet will receive:
- Examination/consultation with a doctor
- All initial vaccination series including rabies
- Fecal parasite analysis to identify internal parasites
- Deworming for roundworms
- Nail trims
- First dose of flea control
- Heartworm prevention
- One bag of puppy or kitten food appropriate for your pet’s breed and size
- Tote bag with samples and educational information
- Free 30 day trial with Trupanion pet insurance
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Radiology
Radiology (X-ray) helps our veterinarians evaluate muscular-skeletal, cardiovascular (cardiopulmonary), gastrointestinal, reproductive and urinary systems. We are currently implementing a new digital x-ray machine. This will eliminate the more time consuming elements of taking radiographs such as manual film processing. It will also diminish the need to re-take images due to poor picture quality. X-ray images will instantly be available for viewing on a computer system, and our veterinarians will be able to manipulate the image via computer software to focus on problem areas. Your pet will spend less time in the process of being diagnosed, and more time being treated.
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Boarding
Pets are like our children – we feed, nurture and lavish attention on them. Our highly qualified staff does the same when you can’t be there. We provide tender loving care (such as brushing and cuddling), along with supervised playtime in one of our enclosed exam rooms to keep them happy and active. We offer boarding to cats, and have many references for wonderful canine boarding facilities. In addition, many of our staff members are available for house/pet-sitting if you prefer to keep your pets at home while on vacation.
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Hospice / Euthanasia Services
Saying goodbye to a long-time friend is painful. We work hard to ensure a pet’s comfort and dignity as well as offer support to our clients during this difficult time. Often, we will sedate a patient prior to euthanasia and place an IV catheter, allowing the injection to be free of any struggle or difficulty. Your pet’s final moments will be peaceful and pain-free.
Services include two types of cremation: Private cremation allows your pet’s ashes to be returned in a cedar urn. Group cremation will mean your pet’s ashes are spread at a memorial park near the site of cremation.
We also offer “Paw Prints in Stone.” We take an impression of your pet’s paw print and have it engraved in a stone along with their name. You may also include dates and/or a saying/phrase of your choice.
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Microchipping
Microchips have helped reunite thousands of pets with their families. We offer Home Again microchips, and include their registration fee in the cost of initial implantation. This means that you don’t need to worry about sending in a registration form and additional check to the microchip company; Instead, you will be emailed instructions on how to input your pet’s information into the Home Again website. Your pet will immediately be a part of the Home Again network, and will receive the following benefits (If your pet does become lost, be sure to inform the Home Again company immediately in order to be eligible for these benefits):
- Veterinarians/shelters in your local and surrounding areas will be emailed and/or faxed a report regarding your lost pet. It will include a description and picture of your pet, the date your pet was reported lost, and the area in which this occurred.
Home Again does require a small, yearly fee in order to receive these benefits, though you may choose not to participate in this aspect of the Home Again program. In this case, your pet will still be a part of the Home Again network, and will maintain the ability to be tracked and identified through his/her microchip. However, you will not be eligible for the benefits listed above.
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Nutritional Counseling
All pets benefit from a balanced diet. Our trained, well-educated, licensed technicians are available to help you choose the right diet for your pet to keep him or her happy, healthy and active. Our veterinarians have both received extensive additional education on animal nutrition, and are extremely well qualified to make recommendations for prescription diets when your pet is in need of a more specialized type of food.
The following is a list of certain conditions which require specialized diets:
- Kidney disease and/or failure
- Diabetes
- Gastrointestinal disease
- Food allergies
- Obesity
- Urolithiasis (bladder stones) and crystalluria (crystal formation in urine which can lead to bladder stones.)
- Degenerative joint disease (DJD)
- Liver disease
- And many more…
A proper diet not only maintains your pet’s health and comfort when one of these diseases is present, but can extend his or her life.
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Pain Management
Our pets feel pain and discomfort just as we do, but their survival instinct often prevents them from showing us that pain until it is severe. We know that recognizing and alleviating this kind of pain is the essence of good patient care. Our veterinarians evaluate your pet’s entire physical status yearly or every 6 months during their wellness exam. Included in this evaluation is an assessment of joint mobility, which can identify painful diseases like arthritis and degenerative joint disease. Once identified, these diseases can be treated with an appropriate anti-inflammatory/pain medication, and/or dietary supplementation to improve joint health. All pets are screened for safety before starting any of these prescriptions, and monitored closely for changes in physical status. Once chronic pain is controlled, we often find that pets return to the kind of activity seen when they were puppies or kittens.
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