Exam: An annual physical examination to assess the general health of your pet is essential. The doctor will evaluate your pet from nose to tail, looking for any abnormalities, and go over recommended treatment/preventative plans as needed. During this visit, we can discuss any concerns that you may have and answer any questions. This is a great time for the doctor to catch any early changes in your pet’s health.

Core Vaccinations:

• Rabies: This is a state-required vaccine that helps with the prevention of the Rabies virus. This is a “core” vaccine that is done annually. We use the Purevax Rabies vaccine that is safer for cats.
• FVRCP: This is a combination vaccine that protects against Feline Viral Rhinotracheitis, Calicivirus, and Panleukopenia; three common viruses that could be very harmful to your pet. This is a “core” vaccine that, if boostered appropriately before, can be given every 3 years.

Lifestyle Vaccinations:

• FeLV: This non-core vaccine that your pet may need depending on their lifestyle. If your cat will be going outdoors at all or will be put into a situation where he/she will come into contact with strange cats, then we recommend that your pet be vaccinated for Feline Leukemia. If this vaccine was boostered appropriately previously, then it’s done annually.

Fecal Check: A stool sample is brought in and centrifuged with a fecal solution in order to check for intestinal parasites. We will typically send this test out to our lab. Still, we will also do a thorough evaluation in-house if your pet is experiencing gastrointestinal issues or if they have recently been in a shelter/breeder quarters.

Annual Wellness Lab Work: Our lab offers a discount on healthy wellness visits to help us identify any issues early on. This lab work bundles the heartworm test, fecal check and also includes a Complete Blood Count (CBC) and Chemistry evaluation. This test checks many things to help find abnormalities in your pet’s blood and organs. It also gives us a good baseline to compare to if there are any issues in the future. If your pet is getting older, we may recommend a “senior” panel that checks some additional values and also includes a urine evaluation, which will help us further evaluate the kidneys.

Exam: An annual physical examination to assess the general health of your pet is essential. The doctor will evaluate your pet from nose to tail, looking for any abnormalities, and go over recommended treatment / preventative plans as needed. During this visit, we can discuss any concerns that you may have and answer any questions. This is a great time for the doctor to catch any early changes in your pet’s health.

Core Vaccinations:

• Rabies: This is a state-required vaccine that helps with the prevention of the Rabies virus. This is a “core” vaccine that is done annually. This is a “core” vaccine that is usually done every 3 years if it was boostered appropriately.
• DHPP: This is a combination vaccine that protects against Distemper, Hepatitis, Parvovirus, and Parainfluenza; four viruses that could be very harmful to your pet. This is a “core” vaccine that is usually done every 3 years if it was boostered appropriately.

Lifestyle Vaccinations

These are non-core vaccines that your pet may need depending on their lifestyle. Some of these vaccines do need to be boostered at 3 – 4 weeks for them to be considered effective for one year. If you have any questions, or if you are unsure if your pet should get a certain vaccine, please let us know. We don’t like to challenge their immune system with too many vaccines at once, especially for our young or smaller breed dogs. For these reasons, we may ask that you come back to get some vaccines at different times if there are many due at once.

• Bordetella: You may have heard this vaccine referred to as the “kennel cough” vaccination. This doesn’t completely eliminate the risk of your pet contracting it (although it is worth mentioning that no vaccine is 100% effective), but if your pet does get it then they will improve much quicker than if they had not received this vaccine. We carry an oral form of this, so your pet will not have to be poked again. This vaccine is automatically good for 1 year. However, some boarding facilities require it every 6 months.
• Leptospirosis: Recently, we have seen more leptospirosis cases, we suspect due to Harvey and the high rainfall we’ve had these past years. We recommend this vaccine to patients who go to the dog park, daycare, or who may be in a situation where they might drink water that wildlife may have access to. Leptospirosis vaccine (needs to be boostered in 3 – 4 weeks, then annually).
• Canine Influenza: H3N2 (commonly referred to as the “new strain” of canine flu) and H3N8 (the “original” canine flu) can be given together in a bivalent vaccine or separately depending on your pet’s needs. We recommend checking with your boarding/daycare facility to see if they have seen any cases and to see if they require these vaccines. We have not seen many cases of either strain in recent years, so it is not a highly recommended vaccination for this area.
• Rattlesnake: This vaccine is recommended if you take your pet on hikes or anywhere that they could be in danger of a rattlesnake bite. This vaccine DOES NOT mean that you do not need to pursue treatment if your pet gets bitten, but it does help give them more time to find a veterinarian in the area. This vaccine needs to be boostered in 3 – 4 weeks, then becomes an annual vaccine.

Heartworm Test: A small blood sample is collected to test for heartworms, a blood parasite that could be extremely harmful to your pet if left untreated. Please ask us about our heartworm preventative options, which are recommended year-round in this area.

Fecal Check: A stool sample is brought in and centrifuged with a fecal solution in order to check for intestinal parasites. We will typically send this test out to our lab. Still, we will also do a thorough evaluation in-house if your pet is experiencing gastrointestinal issues or if they have recently been in a shelter/breeder quarters.

Annual Wellness Lab Work: Our lab offers a discount on healthy wellness visits to help us identify any issues early on. This lab work bundles the heartworm test, fecal check and also includes a Complete Blood Count (CBC) and Chemistry evaluation. This test checks many things to help find abnormalities in your pet’s blood and organs. It also gives us a good baseline to compare to if there are any issues in the future. If your pet is getting older, we may recommend a “senior” panel that checks some additional values and also includes a urine evaluation, which will help us further evaluate the kidneys.

Congratulations on your new addition to the family! Now that you have a new puppy or kitten, we want you to keep them happy and healthy. The best way to do this is to start at the beginning with an examination soon after they join your family. As your puppy or kitten grows, the Midtown team will work with you to help support your pet, strengthen your bond, and provide you both with the tools necessary for your pet to live a long and happy life.

Puppy: Your new puppy will receive a complete physical examination and a fecal screening during their first visit with us. The doctor will assess the general health, age, and developmental progress of your pet before vaccinations. At this time we will discuss any abnormalities, treat for common intestinal parasites, dispense heartworm preventative if it has not already been given, provide you with nutrition information, and discuss a vaccine schedule appropriate to their age and previous vaccine history.

Kitten: Your new kitten will receive a complete physical examination and fecal screening during their first visit with us. The doctor will assess the general health, age, and developmental progress of your pet before vaccinations. At this time we will discuss any abnormalities, treat for common intestinal parasites, perform a blood test for FeLV/FIV (if it has not already been done), provide you with nutrition information, and discuss a vaccine schedule appropriate to their age and previous vaccine history.

As your pet ages, they may be faced with some health challenges. We will be here for you and your pet throughout the years to help prevent, treat, and talk you through these issues. We take the time to make sure that you have the information you need to keep your pet happy and healthy.

Exam: An annual physical examination to assess the general health of your pet. The doctor will evaluate your pet from nose to tail, looking for any abnormalities and go over recommended treatment / preventative plans as needed. During this visit, we can discuss any concerns that you may have, and answer any questions. This is a great time for the doctor to catch any early changes in your pet’s health.

Vaccines: We will discuss the core and lifestyle vaccine options for your pet. Your pet’s lifestyle and needs may change over time – we will discuss these changes and any new recommendations during your visit.

Senior Wellness Labwork: Our lab offers a discount on healthy wellness visits to help us identify any issues early on. This labwork bundles the fecal check, heartworm and/or FeLV/FIV test, a Complete Blood Count (CBC), Chemistry evaluation, Thyroid check, and Urinalysis. These tests check many things to help find abnormalities in your pet’s blood and organs. For our senior patients, the Thyroid and Urinalysis tests are added to check some additional values that help identify problems that are more common in older pets. Preventative medicine is the best medicine, as it increases the chance of successful treatment.

As your pet ages, we will be extra attentive to the following issues; arthritis, abnormal kidney and liver function, heart disease, diabetes, thyroid problems, and hypertension. The doctor may make additional recommendations if they suspect that your pet has any of these conditions.

We take pride in our high standard of care and an excellent anesthetic team here at Midtown. We monitor your pet’s heart rate, EKG waves, SPO2 Oxygen concentration, carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration with an interpretation of capnography, respiratory rate, inspiratory CO2, blood pressure (systolic, diastolic, and MAP), mucous membrane color, capillary refill time, and other values continuously throughout the procedure. During surgery, the doctor is always present and there is a technician solely dedicated to monitoring your pet’s vitals, recording them, troubleshooting any issues, and communicating those values to the doctor. Your pet will receive an antiemetic injection to help curb any nausea, as they are prone to feel this way after surgery. IV fluids will be administered constantly to help maintain blood pressure and keep your pet hydrated, and they will stay on constant heat support to prevent hypothermia. Once your pet is fully awake, they can go home or stay with us until closing. We will give them a small meal to get their digestive system moving and to prevent hypoglycemia, offer a small amount of water, and take them on a walk (depending on their species!). Typically we will offer them some GI canned food, as it is easy on their stomach. However, if you have a specific diet that you’d prefer we give, feel free to bring some with your pet at drop off.

Spay & Neuter Procedures: Although there are shelters that perform these procedures in bulk, we are happy to be able to offer your pet individualized care and thorough monitoring before, during, and after surgery.

• Mass removals
• Oral Surgery
• Cystotomy Procedure
• Foreign Body Removal
• And More!

Surgeries we DO NOT perform:

The following surgeries are not recommended and not performed at this facility. Our goal is to provide your pet with excellent care, and that includes recommending against unnecessary or harmful surgeries. Feel free to visit the links below for more information on why these procedures are not recommended.

• Feline Declaw: https://www.avma.org/resources/animal-health-welfare/declaw-or-not
• Ear Cropping: https://www.avma.org/policies/ear-cropping-and-tail-docking-dogs
• Tail Docking: https://www.avma.org/policies/ear-cropping-and-tail-docking-dogs
• Devocalization (De-barking): https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/literature-reviews/welfare-implications-canine-dev ocalization

Radiographs: X-rays will be done of every tooth to help find any cavities, periodontal disease, fractures, “dead” teeth, unerupted teeth, FORLs, abscesses, or other abnormalities. Dogs & Cats are less likely to get cavities and more likely to have periodontal disease (bone loss, abscesses, etc. underneath the gum-line). These things cannot be fully evaluated without dental radiographs. The radiographs, coupled with the oral probing and evaluation, tell us the whole story. This highlights why it is so important for us to only do dental cleanings while our pets are under anesthesia. In order to take full mouth radiographs, they need to stay completely still and not bite down on the sensor, which can only be accomplished during general anesthesia. Additionally, we would not be able to use our ultrasonic dental scaler underneath the gumline in order to get ALL the plaque and tartar off if the patient were awake.

Doctor’s Oral Exam: The doctor will evaluate each tooth to identify any crown fractures, mobility, large pockets, or other abnormalities. The doctor will also do a complete oral evaluation. They will make sure that your pet’s tongue, cheeks, hard palate, soft palate, tonsils, frenulum, and facial structures are normal.

Scaling: We use an ultrasonic scaler to quickly remove the plaque and tartar on the teeth and underneath the gumline. Once the scaling has been completed, your pet’s teeth will be coated with a substance, called ICPlaque, which allows us to easily see if there are any areas of plaque (the white substance that later hardens and turns into tartar) that need to also be removed. Once the teeth are completely clean, they are polished. Polishing them will make the surface of the teeth smooth. A smooth tooth makes it harder for plaque and bacteria to adhere to. This will help maintain your pet’s dental health.

Oravet: Once everything is completed, we are excited to be able to apply Oravet to your pet’s teeth! Oravet works as a barrier that basically coats the tooth surface and makes it slicker, so that plaque and tartar cannot adhere as easily. The initial application lasts 2 weeks. After that, you can keep it up with either an Oravet chew once a day or a swab on the teeth once a week.

Extractions: We are in the business of saving teeth. However, sometimes a tooth is compromised enough that it is recommended to be extracted. We will follow your instructions on the drop off form concerning extractions, and we can always give you a call and discuss this recommendation with you mid-procedure.

Periodontal Treatments: Sometimes a tooth looks like it’s on it’s way to being removed, but doesn’t have enough bone loss to warrant extraction. These teeth typically have large pockets but are otherwise healthy. Here at Midtown, we are able to usually save these teeth with a product called Doxirobe. Doxirobe is a filler that contains an antibiotic. This filler hardens to form a seal between the tooth and gum. This protects the pocket from further infection and helps facilitate gingival growth so that the affected tooth is no longer in danger of extraction.

Eye issues can be very painful. Our goal is to diagnose the issue quickly in-house so that we can bring your pet comfort that same day. Signs of an eye issue include; excessive blinking, keeping the eye(s) closed more than normal, redness, or rubbing their eye(s) and face.

Fluorescein Stain: If we suspect that a corneal abrasion/ulcer could be present, this test will give us an answer. The “stain” will only stick to the layer beneath the cornea, highlighting the problem.

Schirmer Tear Test: This will help us diagnose Dry Eye (KCS). Dry eye can be painful for your pet and usually requires continuous treatment to keep them comfortable.

TonoVet Glaucoma Screen: We are able to check your pet’s eye pressures in-house. This will help us check for pressure abnormalities in relation to glaucoma.

Ear infections can be common in some pets. Allergies, floppy ears, certain breeds, and recent moisture in the ears (from baths, swimming, or high humidity) can all cause ear infections. We recommend that you clean your pet’s ears regularly to help prevent infection. Using a cleaner for dogs that cleans and dries the ear canal is important. We would be happy to show you how to clean your pet’s ears at your convenience. Signs of an ear infection include; brown discharge from the ear(s), redness, scratching, and shaking the head.

Ear Swab Modified Wright’s Stain: Commonly referred to as an “ear cytology”. We will get a swab of the ear discharge and check for yeast, bacteria, and other signs of infection. The swab contents are placed onto a microscope slide and submitted to a 3 part stain to highlight yeast, bacteria, and other signs of infection, and then evaluated underneath a microscope. The treatment depends on what kind of bacteria we find if yeast is found, and how many organisms of each are appreciated.

Microscopic Ear Mite Exam: An ear swab is taken of the discharge if ear mites are suspected. Then, the contents are fixed to a slide with mineral oil and evaluated underneath a microscope to check for the actual mites, and their eggs.

Video Otoscope / EARigator: Does your pet have chronic ear problems that won’t resolve with routine treatments? Our doctors are able to look deep within the ear canal, taking snapshots and videos along the way. During this service, the doctor can evaluate the ear fully to see if the eardrum is intact, look for any masses, and take a biopsy if needed. The EARigator is an irrigation machine made for your pet’s ear. We can use this in conjunction with the Video Otoscope to completely flush out the ear canal, remove any debris or stubborn discharge, and input medication directly where it’s needed.

Common skin tests include the ones listed below. We are able to do more complicated skin tests when using our outside lab, so please contact us if you have a specific test in mind. A food trial is a more detailed diagnostic test that is recommended sometimes and can vary based on your pet’s needs. If this test is recommended then you and your doctor will discuss this in detail during your visit.

Skin Cytology: This test is done to assess what kind of organisms are present on the skin so that we can treat them appropriately. A skin sample is taken with either a blank slide, an adhesive slide, a saline cotton-tipped applicator, or all three. The sample(s) are then stained using a three-part stain that will highlight any bacteria, yeast, blood cells, and other signs of infection, and then evaluated under a microscope.

Skin Scraping: You may also hear this referred to as a “mite check”, as it is done to check for skin mites. This test requires that we get a sample of hair and skin in the affected area. Unfortunately, some mites prefer to be deeper in the skin, so this test typically draws a small amount of blood. Once the sample is collected, we look at it under the microscope in order to identify any mites that may be present.

Fungal Culture: If ringworm is suspected, or if we are trying to rule out ringworm as a cause, then we will collect samples of hair and skin flakes from the affected areas and place them on a ringworm culture. The culture is then placed in a warm dark area and is monitored daily for any suspicious growth.

Below are some common fecal tests that are performed in-house. They are typically performed on fresh samples (collected in the past 12 hours). Every fecal exam is sent to the outside lab for thoroughness, and may also be completed in-house if your pet is having GI issues or is a puppy/kitten.

Fecal Exam: A stool sample is centrifuged with a fecal solution in order to check for intestinal parasites such as hookworms, roundworms, whipworms, coccidia, and more. We will typically send this test out to our lab, but will also do a thorough evaluation in-house if your pet is experiencing gastrointestinal issues, or if they have recently been in a shelter/breeder quarters.

Fecal Direct or Smear: This test is also run with stool, but instead of being centrifuged it is either stained, or mixed with a saline solution onto a microscope slide, and evaluated with a microscope. This allows us to evaluate things that we cannot see with the centrifuged sample, such as bacteria, clostridium, and more.

Giardia: This test is performed by taking a sample of feces, mixing it with a solution, and then placing the mixture into an IDEXX Snap Test reservoir. This will tell us if the test detects the giardia antigen, which would confirm that your pet has been exposed to giardia.

We are able to run many different tests in-house so that we can help your pet as soon as possible with the appropriate treatment plan.

CBC: A Complete Blood Count checks your pet’s red and white blood cells for quantity abnormalities. This will help tell us if your pet is anemic, has an infection, a platelet disorder, and more.

Chemistry: This will test your pet’s blood chemistries, which will help tell us if your pet’s organs (such as their liver and kidneys) are functioning properly.

T4: This test will evaluate your pet’s thyroid function. This is especially important in senior pets.

SDMA: Checking an SDMA is a fairly new practice that helps identify any acute, or early, kidney abnormalities.

Urinalysis: A Urinalysis will test many components of your pet’s urine to check for signs of infection, crystals, evaluate pH value, concentration, and more.

Urine Culture: In some cases, your doctor may recommend something called a Urine Culture test. This is where we inoculate a bacterial culture with urine and place it in an incubator for up to 3 days. These cultures are monitored daily for growth. This test allows us to thoroughly rule out a bacterial infection, as sometimes they do not show up on a regular urinalysis if there is not a large concentration of the bacteria.

Heartworm: This is a blood test that checks for the adult female heartworm antigen. If your dog has been on heartworm prevention routinely (without missing any doses), then we check this value annually. If your dog has not been given regular, consistent doses of prevention, then we may check this value initially and then again in 6 months. Due to the lifecycle of Heartworms, it can take up to 6 months for us to be able to detect the adult heartworm antigen. This is why we test a second time at 6 months for dogs who have an unknown or inconsistent heartworm preventative history.

Parvo: This test allows us to quickly check for Parvovirus in-house. This disease is more common in puppies but can happen at any age- especially if the pet’s Parvovirus vaccine was not boostered properly.

Lepto: This test allows us to quickly check for Leptospirosis in-house. Sometimes it is preferable that this test is sent to the lab, and that depends on the situation and your doctor’s recommendations. Leptospirosis is contracted by a pet coming into contact with infected water, such as a stagnant puddle of water that has been contaminated by wildlife.

cPL/fPL: These tests are species-specific and allow us to test for Pancreatitis in both canine and feline patients. Pancreatitis usually happens from a pet eating something fatty, but in some cases can happen even though no diet changes have occurred.

FeLV/FIV: This is a feline specific test that allows us to test for both Feline Leukemia Virus and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus. We always test for these viruses in postadoption kittens, and again after 6 months of age. We also may test for this if your cat has a history of exposure to strange cats.

Ear Cleaner: There are several different ear cleaners that we recommend depending on the pet’s ear health history, but Epi-Otic Advanced is the most common. Feel free to ask us for an ear cleaning demo anytime!

Nail Trimmers: You can purchase veterinary-grade nail trimmers from us. Let us know if you would like the same ones we use and, depending on your pet’s size, we will order either the small or large nail trimmers for you to purchase.

Shampoo: While we have many medicated shampoos here, we also have some shampoo that can be used to maintain your pet’s skin health. The type of maintenance shampoo can depend on the history of your pet’s skin health, so let us know if you’re interested and we’ll discuss these options with you.

There are many different pet insurance options available to you. While we try to keep our recommendations current, policies change over time and so our recommendations may vary. Let us know that you are interested in pet insurance and we can give you a current list of recommended companies. However, at any time you can visit Pawlicy Advisor for further information.

Care Credit: Midtown Veterinary Hospital accepts Care Credit. This is a credit card company that focuses on providing credit that can be used immediately after approval for health care payments. More information is available at https://www.carecredit.com/howcarecreditworks/prospective/.

Scratch Pay: Midtown Veterinary Hospital has recently begun working with Scratch Pay! This is another company that helps you pay for veterinary services. However, it does not perform a credit check because it is not technically a credit card. Instead, you apply for a certain amount to be used within 7-14 days, typically for one visit. This is convenient if you don’t want your credit checked and only need financial help for a specific visit. This can also be used immediately after approval. More information is available at https://scratchpay.com/.