Veterinarian Services

Spay & Neuter:

Spaying or neutering your pet can help them live a longer, healthier life, minimize behavior problem and helps control the population of unwanted pets. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, nearly 12,500 puppies are born in the United States each hour. Spaying or neutering your pet eliminates unwanted litters, which contributes to thousands of euthanasia procedures and millions of stray animals. It is important to consult with your veterinarian to determine the best age to spay your pet. Your pet’s safety and comfort are our primary concerns when performing a spay or neuter. We use advanced pain management techniques, in conjunction with anesthesia, to make sure your pet is as comfortable as possible during the procedure and after they are discharged. Our spay and neuter patients receive injectable pain medications during the procedure, and always go home with oral pain medication. Proper pain management makes the procedure as comfortable as possible and allows for faster recovery. All of our surgery patients have IV catheters placed and receive IV fluids. We use several monitoring devices during your pet’s anesthetic and a veterinary technician continually assesses your pet’s vital signs during the procedure. Although the risk of an anesthetic death in a normal healthy pet is very rare, our monitoring devices and procedures allow us to respond to an anesthetic emergency faster. Faster responses can save lives.

Gastropexy: In addition to the  spay and neuter, we encourage owners of large breed canines to consider this additional procedure at the time of spay or neuter. Canine gastropexy is a surgical procedure  to prevent gastric dilatation volvulus (GDV), commonly known as bloat. GDV is a life-threatening condition in which the stomach flips over and expands, trapping air and gases in the stomach. Circulation to the stomach and spleen is subsequently interrupted, resulting in shock which can be fatal.

In gastropexy, the stomach is tacked to the side of the abdominal wall, so it cannot shift or twist.

Gastropexy is an effective preventive against death from GDV in large dogs. In studies of dogs treated for GDV, of those with gastropexy, only 4.3% had a re-occurrence of GDV, compared to 54.5% of those dogs that did not have a gastropexy.

Euthanasia:

Deciding to euthanize a pet is an agonizing process. You will likely experience a wide range of complicated emotions as the time comes. It is important that you are prepared for this event and deal with the feelings as they come. There is great fear in not knowing what will occur on the day of the euthanasia.  At AMC we understand the difficulty of this choice and endeavor to make this process as comfortable as possible both for you and your pet. Whether you choose to be with your pet during the procedure or not, be reassured that you have given them a lifetime of love and whatever decision you make is appropriate.  We also offer cremation services through Ada Animal Crematorium(internet link) with the option of having the ashes of your pet returned to you in a container of your choice.

Dental Care:

Imagine never brushing your teeth. How would your teeth look? How would your mouth feel? Studies show that 50% of all dogs and cats have some form of periodontal disease. That number jumps to 75% when you look at pets over age three. Left untreated, periodontal disease can cause infection, pain, and tooth loss over time. It can also lead to microscopic changes in the heart, liver, and kidneys, and can cause serious health problems for your pet.

At Animal Medical Center, we are committed to our patients’ dental health and implement the highest quality dental care. A dental exam is part of our annual health exam.  We take a comprehensive approach to dental care including dental health assessment, treatment, and prevention.

We have state of the art dental equipment, including digital x-rays, to help diagnose disease that is below the gum tissue, and therefore not always visible to the eye.