What should I expect?

Think of your pet's wellness exam like your own yearly physical or your vehicles inspection by your mechanic. 

• Physical Examination -- weigh the pet, listen to the heart and lungs, take its temperature, inspect the eyes, ears, teeth, nails, skin, fur, feathers or scales. Gently the belly area is felt with our hands to evaluate areas in side your pet.
• Diagnostic Testing may be suggested based on the exam or simply the pets age for early detection of problems and treatment.
• Recommendations for Vaccinations are guided by duration of immunity studies.  Then based on risk factors such as the pets age, where you live and exposure factors like climate, grooming, boarding and travel.
• Parasite Prevention guidance will be discussed to protect your pet from diseases that can be transmitted by fleas, ticks, intestinal worms, and heartworms.
• The team will answer any Questions you may have and discuss other services that could improve the pets overall health.

Dental care is vital to the overall health of any pet.  Dental disease can lead to health issues with the heart, liver, and kidneys, and can affect the entire body through the bloodstream. 

• In fact, 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats over three years of age suffer from Periodontal Diseases.  
• Disease begins with gingivitis and left untreated, the infection often spreads deeper into the tooth socket, destroying the bone.

There are a lot of different ways to improve your pets’ dental hygiene.  At Tolo our team recommends appropriate diet, home brushing, dental chews, and regular inspection by you and a yearly inspection by our trained professionals.

The most effective way to protect your pet from dental disease is through professional cleanings. We perform thorough cleanings here at Tolo Veterinary Clinic, including the area beneath the gums that you can’t see or access at home.

If your pet has brown/yellow teeth, bad breath, or is having difficulty eating, these could all be signs of dental disease. 

Spaying and neutering help pets live long, healthy lives. 

Having pets sterilized while they’re young reduces their likelihood of developing certain infections and cancers. Plus, it combats overpopulation which, sadly, leads to the euthanasia of pets who cannot be placed in good homes.

Other common issues that spaying and neutering help prevent include:

• Expensive and potentially life-threatening uterine infections called pyometras. Luckily, they’re 100% preventable if your pet is spayed.
• Cancerous mammary tumors that can spread to other parts of the body. If you spay your female pet prior to her first heat cycle, you’ll significantly reduce the likelihood that she will develop tumors.
• Testicular cancer and infections that can lead to malignant or benign swelling of the prostate.
• Unwanted behavioral problems such as aggression, territorial marking, and roaming.

What happens when a pet is spayed or neutered?

Pets are placed under general anesthesia to perform spay and neuter procedures.  They are also given pain injections and fluids to maintain hydration.

Both procedures are performed through small incisions used to remove certain reproductive organs. The incision is internally closed with sutures and then the patient rests in a recovery ward until they are ready to go back home with you!

Our in-house imaging boasts radiology and ultrasound machines for advanced imaging. 

Radiology

Radiology is crucial to help our doctors understand what’s going on inside your pet’s body. 

Digital X-rays use a low, safe dose of radiation to see inside your pet’s body. 

At Tolo Veterinary Clinic our doctors may recommend X-rays be used to diagnose a foreign body, intestinal blockage, bladder stones, fractures, bone deformities or disorders, tumors, and the number of puppies or kittens in a pregnant pet (important to know in case one gets stuck and needs help getting out!) The size and shape of internal organs can also help to diagnose certain diseases. 

• Your pet may or may not have to be sedated for an x-ray; this depends on the area being x-rayed, and whether your pet is able to lay still.

The sound waves the ultrasound generates are not harmful or painful to your pet.

Our doctors perform all kinds of surgeries. This list covers just a few of the most common surgeries for pets:

• Elective procedures, such as spays and neuters
• Hernia repairs
• Dental surgery, including teeth cleanings and surgical extractions
• Bladder stone removal
• Aural hematoma repair
• Wound repairs
• Foreign body removal, when your pet has swallowed something inedible.
• Mass removals, including tumors and other growths
• Biopsies

Why do we do diagnostic tests?

Regular diagnostic screening is a great, proactive way to ensure your pet’s long-term health. We recommend annual testing as part of your dog or cat’s wellness visits, to catch any issues before they become more serious. 

Diagnostic Tests

We can run all the routine diagnostic tests your cat or dog needs. 

• bloodwork
• urinalysis
• fecal testing 
• parasite tests 
• cytology. 

Bloodwork: Blood tests often take the form of a Complete Blood Count (CBC), which measures the number of red and white blood cells and platelets, or a Blood Chemistry panel, which tests organ function, such as the kidneys and liver. 

• Helps determine whether your pet is healthy enough and ready to undergo anesthesia.
• Aids in determining hydration and the correct fluids to give.

Fecal testing: typically used to determine whether your pet is suffering from any internal parasites, such as worms or giardia. Sometimes, your cat or dog may not display any symptoms initially. The fecal sample will also be checked for color, consistency, as well as the presence of blood or mucus.

Urinalysis: Urine samples are a vital tool in the diagnosis of a number of conditions, including urinary tract infections (UTIs), kidney or bladder diseases, and diabetes, amongst others. 

Tick-borne and Heartworm testing: Depending on where pets have lived prior to living in Grangeville we are starting to recommend annual tick-borne and heartworm testing in addition to monthly preventatives.