 Whether neutering a young cat or performing surgery to correct a twisted stomach in an aging great dane, our goal is to offer the highest level of care. This care begins before surgery with pre-operative examinations and in-house lab work. During surgery it involves use of circulating water pads to maintain body warmth, monitors to check vital signs and the safest anesthetics. It continues after surgery with pain management and close observation. |
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 The cornerstone of companion animal care is a thorough annual examination. Generally part of a pet's "annual" (examination, parasite test(s) and vaccinations), an examination allows us to give a skilled evaluation of your pets health. Considering the rapid aging of pets relative to humans, an annual examination for a dog or cat is the equivalent of a person having a medical examination done every five to seven years.
Early detection of disease or behavioral problems provides the best opportunity for successful therapy, often with less expense. Annual vaccinations (click here for chart) may also be provided during the visit. These vaccinations aid in preventing contagious diseases including rabies, canine distemper, parvo virus and kennel cough (bordetella, parainfluenza and adenovirus). The State of Texas allows triennial rabies vaccination after two consecutive years of annual rabies vaccinations. |
 Used as a diagnostic tool, in-house or out-sourced laboratory testing is an integral part of medicine and surgery at Lake Olympia Animal Hospital. Tests that are commonly performed in-house range from the highly refined ELISA blood test for heartworms to the simple fecal flotation for intestinal worms. Likewise,the evaluation of itchy skin may include a skin scraping which is a simple test to look for sarcoptic or demodectic mange mites. Another test commonly performed in-house is the dermatophyte culture, where we inoculate hair and skin onto special media to isolate the fungus that causes ringworm.
At the more complex end of the spectrum is blood testing which was once the domain of large hematology laboratories. Whether a complete blood count (CBC) which evaluates the blood cells, a chemistry panel which evaluates various organs or an electrolyte panel which measures sodium, potassium and chloride ions, these tests can be run quickly and accurately in-house. For example, a CBC, ALT (liver enzyme) and BUN (kidney test) are tests which comprise a minimum data base we recommend prior to anesthesia and surgery. On our blood analyzers, this blood profile can be run within about 20 minutes, the day of the procedure. Availability of an in-house laboratory is especially useful when presented with a critically ill or injured patient needing immediate attention. Fast, accurate information can allow prompt, appropriate treatment which may make the difference between life and death. Of course, large veterinary clinical pathology laboratories are available which perform the same tests. Turn around time can be as short as 12 hours, but is usually within twenty-four to forty-eight hours, and may be longer for some tests. In cases where time is not critical, this may be the best choice. But the real strength of the outside lab is the range of services it offers. Such laboratories provide the ability to culture bacteria, isolate viruses, check for toxins, evaluate tumors for malignancy or do neuromuscular studies to name a few. |
 Immunizations
recommended for adult cats and dogs are listed below. Ask our staff about
appropriate vaccination schedules for all ages of dogs and cats.kittens
and puppies. |
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Preventable Diseases through Vaccination
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| Allowing the clinician to visualize the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract and the airway, this tool can be useful in identifying foreign bodies, malformations, parasites, infections and tumors in a non surgical way. |
Dental x-ray imaging is now available. |
| This use of this diagnostic tool has grown dramatically in veterinary medicine. It is a noninvasive method for doctors to "look" at a patient's internal organs, such as the heart, liver, kidneys, spleen, urinary bladder, gall bladder, stomach and intestine. It offers a less invasive way to biopsy some of those organs. |
| Many diseases our pets develop can cause hypertension (high blood pressure) leading to lethargy, poor appetite, or even vision loss. We now have the ability to measure our patients' blood pressure fairly easily and quickly, enabling us to prevent the effects of hypertension when it is caught early. |
| Tonometry involves measurement of intraocular pressure (fluid pressure in the eye) required to diagnose eye conditions such as glaucoma or uveitis. The instrument used to test the pressure is called a Tonopen®. Having this capability allows a more thorough eye exam and enables breeds predisposed to glaucoma (cocker spaniels, basset hounds, and some toy breeds) to be screened for these problems. |
Food should be withheld after 8:00 pm on the eve of surgery. Water limitation is generally not needed.
Radiography
involves the use of x-rays which penetrate the body to make a picture
of internal organs. This noninvasive imaging is the method of choice to
"see" the bones of the body, but can also be used for evaluating soft
tissue such as heart, lungs and organs of the abdominal cavity.