Services

Services We Offer

• LASER THERAPY

  We believe in a multi-modal approach to address illness and pain in animals, which is why we offer laser therapy in our hospital.  Our class IV laser therapy unit can be used in surgery as well as to treat many common ailments in pets.  Laser therapy is a drug-free, non-invasive treatment that uses light energy to help accelerate the body’s natural healing processes.  It is used to alleviate pain, reduce inflammation, and accelerate recovery in many acute and chronic conditions such as arthritis, lameness, ear infections, post-surgical pain, and wounds, to name a few.  Treatments can be done once or continued long-term to help with chronic painful conditions – just ask us about our packages that we can specifically tailor to your pet’s needs.  Most treatments take less than 10 minutes and can be done while you wait and even watch!

• CARDIOLOGY

  In order to provide you with as many services as possible in our facility that your pets know and are comfortable in, we have a Cardiologist who comes to evaluate your pet right in our hospital.  This service allows us to gain more information about your pet’s heart if we hear a murmur, arrhythmia, or any other concerns during their physical exams.  An echocardiogram takes only about 30 minutes and your pet does not need to be sedated.  After the cardiologist examines your pet, we can either discuss the results with you or have the cardiologist discuss the findings if you are waiting at the hospital during the exam to come up with an appropriate treatment plan

• ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY

  If your pet is in need of an orthopedic surgery, such as fracture repair or cruciate ligament surgery, in many cases we can have an Orthopedic Surgeon who comes to our hospital.  They can perform initial consults as well as perform the surgery right here at Pennridge Animal Hospital.  This allows us to continue to care for you pet throughout the recovery process in a facility they know and are comfortable with, as well as keeping your pet close to home.

• SOFT TISSUE SURGERY

  We offer a variety of soft tissue surgeries, both routine and emergency.  These surgeries include:  lump removal, foreign body removal, bladder stone removal, splenectomy, and gastric dilation and volvulus (bloat), just to name a few.  For smaller skin tags and lumps, we have an electrocautery unit that can be used to remove these growths with local anesthesia, and we also now have a surgical laser for declaws and other surgeries where a laser is indicated.

  Our knowledgeable staff can answer any questions you have about specific surgeries and the recovery process.  Prior to surgery we offer pre-anesthetic blood work that is performed in our own laboratory with immediate results to check your pet’s organ function and clotting to make sure they will be safe under anesthesia.  During all of our surgeries, an experienced technician will be monitoring your pet’s heart rate, ECG, breathing, and blood pressure.  Your pet will receive fluids through a catheter to help keep their blood pressure stable and also to maintain his/her hydration.  We will keep in touch with you throughout the day to let you know how your pet’s blood work is prior to surgery and how your pet is doing as they recover.  Any soft tissue surgeries that require a specialist or a surgeon to perform them are still something we can offer, as we work with traveling surgeons who are able to provide these surgeries at our facility.  This allows you to seek out further care, without the inconvenience of travel to another hospital, or the inflated cost with being seen at a specialist facility.

• SPAY AND NEUTER

  At visits with your new puppies and kittens we will discuss all of the benefits, including behavioral and health benefits, of spaying and neutering your pet.  We generally recommend these surgeries when your pet is around 6 months of age.  Our knowledgeable staff can answer any questions you have about the surgery and the recovery process.  Prior to surgery, we offer pre-anesthetic blood work that is done in the hospital with immediate results to check your pet’s organ function and clotting to make sure they will be safe under anesthesia.  During all of our surgeries, an experienced technician will be monitoring your pet’s heart rate, ECG, breathing, and blood pressure.  Your pet will receive fluids through a catheter to help keep their blood pressure stable and to maintain hydration.  We will keep in touch with you throughout the day to let you know how your pet’s blood work is prior to surgery, and how they are doing as they recover.  We also strive to keep our surgery prices reasonable, so you can have excellent care and monitoring of your pet, at an affordable price.

• DIGITAL RADIOLOGY

  We offer a brand new state of the art digital x-ray machine at our practice. We use radiographs to get a better look inside the body at your pet’s major organ systems – such as the heart, lungs, liver, spleen, bladder, intestines, and bones, to help diagnose diseases quickly.  Our x-ray machine takes images of your pet in seconds and displays them on a screen to allow us to evaluate these images immediately.  We can also quickly e-mail these images to specialists if needed for their advice on certain conditions so we can offer your pet the best care available, at the touch of our finger tips.

  Radiography is very safe, emitting very low doses of radiation, and non-invasive.  We can typically take radiographs without the need of sedation.  With this technology we are able to diagnose conditions such as tumors, intestinal blockages, broken bones, arthritis, and bladder stones.  Our radiology services are just one way we can combine our expertise with state of the art equipment so we can diagnose diseases quickly and get your pets the care they need.

• Preventative Health Care

  During your visit we perform a full “head-to-tail” examination.  Examining all of your pet’s major organ systems provides us with the opportunity to make sure your pet is in good health, and free from any medical problems that will affect his/her quality of life.  Bringing your pet in for yearly visits when they are healthy will allow us to pick up subtle changes in your pet’s health before they become a bigger problem, and to be able to intervene!

  Our wellness exams are not only looking at your pet, but talking with you as the owner.  We will discuss together your pet’s behavior, diet, exercise habits, and any other questions or concerns that you have about pet.  Together as a team, we will come up with a plan that is best for your pet – including which vaccines they need to stay healthy based on their lifestyle, as well as any preventative care blood work panels that they may need.  Our blood work panels allow us to test for things such as: fecal parasites that can be transmitted to humans, heartworm disease, tick-borne diseases (like lyme disease), and general organ function.  Getting these health screen done when your pet is healthy gives us a baseline as to what is normal for your pet, and will allow us to identify mild changes before your pet starts showing any illness.  The sooner we pick up on a disease process, the easier it is to treat!  It is important to us that you are involved in all the decisions regarding your pet’s health, and that is why we focus so much on education.

• Senior Care

  Did you know that pets are considered seniors around age 7?  Your pet’s health care needs – such as nutrition, exercise, and daily routines – change as they age.  We will help you identify the difference between “normal” aging changes and potential medical issues.  Continued regular exams and preventative care are an important part of identifying any changes, as well as assessing our pets as they age for changes we need to make.  Identifying subtle changes in your pet’s health before they become a serious problem and affect your pet’s quality of life is important for senior care!

  We encourage you to bring your senior pets in at 6 month intervals so we can make sure as their body is changing, we can keep up on their health.  As a team, we will discuss any behavior changes, appetite or drinking changes, pain, and any other questions or concerns you may have.  Together we will decide if any blood work panels should be run to monitor changes in their organ function and identify common problems in aging pets – such as kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, and thyroid disease.  The earlier we identify any disease, the easier and less expensive it is to treat and most importantly, treating these conditions early will allow your pet a longer and happier life.

• Hospice and End of Life Care

  We know how difficult end of life decisions and care regarding your pet can be for you and your family.  If your pet is suffering from a terminal medical condition that causes pain or a declining quality of life, let us help you through this process.  We can discuss together ways to keep your pet more comfortable at home, or decide together if the suffering is too great for your pet and it is time to say good-bye.  We know this is one of the most difficult decisions you will be faced with as a pet owner and our caring and compassionate staff will be there for you to help you through the process.  We know that bringing your pet into the office can be difficult when they reach this stage in their life and this is why our house call service is available for you to perform this care at home if needed.

  Making decisions about hospice care and euthanasia are very personal and private decisions, but do not feel that you have to struggle to make these difficult decisions on your own.  We will help you through every step in the process and are here to answer and questions or help with any special requests you may have.  We will treat you and your pet with respect and ensure that your pet’s final days are ones of comfort and dignity.

• Dentistry

  Does your pet have bad breath?  Although this may just mean to you that you don’t let your pet lick your face anymore, bad breath is a sign of an unhealthy mouth full of bacteria.  A full oral exam is always part of our complete physical exam, where we will look for tartar, gum disease, abscesses, and loose or fractured teeth.  If left untreated, dental disease can lead to significant pain, oral infection, and even worse, bacteria in the mouth can spread through the bloodstream into other organs such as the heart.

  In order to treat oral disease, a full oral examination and dental cleaning is often needed.  This does include full sedation/anesthesia for your pet.  During the process your pet will be monitored by an experienced technician who will be monitoring your pet’s heart rate, ECG, breathing, and blood pressure.  Your pet’s teeth will be scaled with a brand new state of the art scaler to remove plaque and tartar, and then polished to smooth the surface of the teeth.  Not only will your pet’s breath improve, but their overall health will as well.  Any teeth that are diseased, or that have root disease requiring extraction, will be extracted during the examination and cleaning as well.

  We also offer a variety of products to help prevent the build-up of plaque and tartar and to decrease gum disease.  These products can help prevent the need for frequent dental cleanings, and are available for sale in our hospital.

• Behavior Training

  Having a well behaved pet can enhance and strengthen the bond you have with your pet.  We are happy to help in any way we can.  Please call us or bring your pet in when a behavior problem first arises.  This allows us to examine your pet to make sure there are no medical problems that may be causing their behavior issue.  If they appear healthy on physical exam we can work together as a team to discuss the behavior and try to figure out why it is occurring and what we can do to correct it.

  If we are unable to answer or help with your pet’s specific problems or they need more individualized behavior programs at home, we can recommend a trainer for your pet’s specific problem.  We work with several trainers that can address all aspects of your pet’s behavior – from puppy training up to aggressive behavior, and even offer training classes at our facility.

• In-House Blood Work

  If your pet is sick or injured, we have the ability to quickly check your pet’s organ function right in our hospital.  We are able to evaluate your pet’s liver, kidneys, pancreas, blood sugar, electrolytes, red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in less than an hour.  In healthy patients, we are able are able to run simple screening tests during your appointment to check for tick-borne disease, heartworm disease, feline leukemia, and FIV to make sure you have answers before you leave the hospital.

• Hospitalization

  If your pet is sick or injured and needs additional care and medication that cannot be provided at home, we offer a large hospitalization area with cages that can comfortably hold everything from a large mastiff to a small kitten.  Patients that are hospitalized are closely monitored by our experienced and compassionate staff.  We strive to keep your pets as comfortable as possible while they are in our care, and we treat them as if they are one of our own pets.  While hospitalized, your pets will be given top of the line care so they can return home to you as quickly as possible.  Our staff values continuing education and is always learning new cutting edge medicine to make sure your pet is receiving the best care possible.

• Microchipping

  Did you know that 1 in 3 pets will go missing in his/her lifetime, and 90% of those pet’s without proper identification will never get returned to their home?  We can help so your pet does not become a statistic by implanting a microchip to significantly increase the chances that your pet will return home to you safely.  We do recommend that your pet always wears an ID collar with their information tags, but collars can unfortunately break and tags can get worn down and fall off, and a microchip never will!

  A microchip is a form of permanent identification that cannot be lost or damaged.  It is about the size of a grain of rice and can be easily and safely implanted under the skin between your pet’s shoulder blades.  It only takes a few minutes to implant and feels the same as when they receive a needle for a vaccine.  If your pet gets lost and has a microchip, a quick scan at a local police station, veterinary hospital, or shelter will link your pet back to you and he/she can be returned home to you quickly.

• Full Pharmacy

  We know there are a lot of options out there for purchasing medications for your pet and we know that cost is an important factor when deciding where to purchase medication.  We strive to provide you with the best value for your money, as well as offering a personalized service for your pet.  With our relationship with you and your pet and their complete medical history, we are able to discuss possible drug interactions and any other concerns that should be considered when deciding on medications or treatments.

  Our fully stocked pharmacy allows you to get medications immediately from us after your pet is diagnosed with a condition.  That means you do not have to drive to a pharmacy and wait for their prescriptions to be filled.  Immediately after your appointment, our friendly staff will fill your medications; explain what the medication is and how it works, and any side effects you should watch for.  We also follow up with you to ensure the medication is working properly and that you do not have any additional questions.  We also stock medications for pets that have chronic medical conditions.  If there is a medication we do not have, please let us know and we can special order it for you to arrive in less than 2 days in most situations.  In the event of a reaction or any medications being ineffective, we have a relationship with the companies we purchase from and can get you the support that you need.

• Online Pharmacy

  Our online pharmacy is a great option for you if your pet is on chronic medications or you need a way to easily remember to order more food or medication before you run out.  We provide you with the same care and guarantee that we do when selling our products to you at our hospital.  The online pharmacy is easy and quick to use!  Simply set up an account and search for the products you are interested in purchasing.  There is even a “Remind-Me” Program, where you can have us automatically send you food or medications (including heartworm and flea and tick preventatives) at certain intervals, so you do not have to remember on your own.  We make sure that our prices are competitive with other online sources and ensure that we are still offering the personalized support to ensure that you are purchasing the correct product and to advise you on any interactions or side effects based on your pet’s complete medical history.

• Nutritional Counseling

  Nutrition plays a crucial role in your pet’s overall health and well-being, from their early puppyhood to their golden-years.  We know that the choice of pet food can be overwhelming with the rows upon rows of different pet foods available at stores.  We make sure to discuss your pet’s diet at every visit and answer any questions for you about what type of food is best for you pet.  With all the options out there, there is not one single food that is right for every pet, so let us help you decide what diet will keep your pet the healthiest, the longest.

  We have food available for all of your pet’s life stages as well as prescription food that is specially formulated to help your pet if they are diagnosed with conditions such as: kidney disease, diabetes, food allergies, obesity, arthritis, and more.  We will offer expert advice to help you choose the right food for your pet’s age and health profile.

• PARASITE PREVENTION & CONTROL

  During every wellness visit we make sure to discuss with you ways to prevent those pesky parasites from causing a problem in your pet.  There are many types of parasites out there – from intestinal parasites that can cause vomiting and diarrhea in your pet, to ticks carrying lyme disease, and fleas that cause hairloss and itching.  Parasites can be a nuisance, and they can also carry serious diseases that can affect your pet’s quality of life.  Many parasites that infect your pet can even be transmitted to humans!  We want to work with you to make sure we keep your pet parasite free to not only keep them as healthy as possible, but to also make sure that you and your family’s health is not compromised.

  Our complete physical exams always include a search for parasites on the skin.  We also offer routine tests that allow us to find parasites that are not visible on exam – such as fecal screening for intestinal parasites and blood tests for heartworm disease and tick-borne diseases.  Although we can find these parasites and treat them when they are found, we strive to prevent parasites before they even become an issue.  There are many types of heartworm, intestinal parasite, and flea and tick preventatives available, so we make sure to discuss your pet’s lifestyle to decide which preventative type works best for you!  We do carry these preventative medications in our hospital as well as on our online pharmacy.

• Mobile Veterinary Services

  Experience the benefit of all that our hospital has to offer in the comfort of your own home.  We can drive to you to perform preventative exams, medical exams, take samples for bloodwork/testing, and perform hospice and end of life care, and much more.  If we arrive at your home and decide after an evaluation your pet needs further treatment, such as radiographs, emergency surgery, or hospitalization, we are happy to transport them back to our full-service facility to continue with their care.  Pets that are nervous or anxious, that don’t get along with other pets, that are difficult to get in carriers or in the car, or households that have multiple pets can all benefit from these services.  We have scheduled house call times during the week, but will always work to fit you in for medical visits at your convenience.