Preventative Medicine

One of the major concerns of Gentle Touch Animal Hospital is prevention of disease. We emphasize annual wellness visits. These visits include a complete physical examination, annual fecal parasite check, any necessary vaccinations, and annual heartworm prevention for dogs. We pay particular attention to dental health and the weight of the patient. Maintaining proper dental health and weight can increase the longevity of our furry friends. As our patients begin to age, we also recommend annual testing of blood and urine so that we can detect changes in metabolic function early.

Internal Medicine

Our clinic has state of the art in-house laboratory equipment that can be used to diagnose metabolic disease in a timely fashion. We also utilize an outside animal laboratory for specialized testing. In addition to out patient treatments, we are equipped to hospitalize patients who require more extensive therapies such as intravenous fluids and medications for diseases such as kidney disease, liver disease, heart disease and diabetes. If a patient is in critical condition or requires therapy that we our unable to provide, we do not hesitate to refer to a specialty or emergency practice.

Dentistry

Greater than 50% of animals over 5 years of age have some form of dental disease. Without proper care, dental disease can lead to oral infections and tooth loss, as well as systemic disease that can affect the internal organs. All of our patients undergo laboratory testing prior to being anesthetized for the dental procedure. We place then on intravenous fluids and monitor the blood pressure, heart rate and rhythm and blood oxygen levels. We also use an anesthetic protocol that allows for a very quick recovery. Our patients go home at the end of the day as if they never had an anesthetic procedure. If a patient has a bad tooth, we have the necessary equipment to take dental x-rays and thoroughly evaluate the tooth in order to determine if the tooth can be preserved or requires extraction. We also provide extensive pain management if an extraction is necessary. In addition to our in hospital dental services, we strive to educate our clients on home dental care options.

Surgery

We have a full surgical suite that allows us to perform standard surgical procedures such as spays, neuters and declaws, as well as more complicated surgeries such as an abdominal exploratory or bladder surgery. We also perform minor procedures such as biopsies, removal of growths, repair of lacerations and abscesses. All of our procedures include pre anesthetic blood panels, intravenous fluid therapy, anesthetic monitoring (as above for dentals) and proper pain management. We also employ the services of more experienced surgeons to come into the hospital to perform more complicated soft tissue surgeries and orthopedic procedures such as cruciate ligament repair and fracture repair. We will refer to specialty practices for procedures that cannot be performed in hospital.

Radiology/Ultrasound

We have the necessary equipment to take x-rays to help aid us in the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases. We are also able to call in a board certified veterinary radiologist to perform ultrasounds and review x-rays when needed.

Behavior Therapy

Many of the patients we treat are suffering from behavior problems such as inappropriate litter box use, anxiety, aggression and inappropriate behavior. We have the ability to diagnose and treat these disorders by utilizing behavior modification techniques and medical therapy. We work closely with clients, and try to offer realistic solutions to these common problems.

Retail Services

We have an extensive pharmacy that includes therapeutic medications, heartworm prevention, eye and ear medications, topical medications, arthritis medications, allergy medications and over the counter products such as joint therapies, skin therapies and prescription diets. We also work closely with outside pharmacies if a patient requires a special medication that we do not stock.