Chiropractic -
Dr. Gigliotti - certified through American Veterinary Chiropractors Association
- Removes interference in the nervous system
- corrects misalignments of vertebral bones and other joints
- allows the body to heal itself
- can help with:
- tenderness
- musculoskeletal problems
- pinched nerves
- stiffness
- refusal of training requirements
- some chronic problems
- urinary incontinence
- behavioral changes
- problems jumping
- abnormal gait/posture
- stacking problems
- seizures
- change of top line, head or tail set
- lack of flexibility
- puppies to correct potential problems
- treatment time varies depending on severity, cooperation, technique
Client Education -
Lifetime License:
Pennsylvania requires all dogs to be state licensed. At present, this can be accomplished in one of 2 ways. 1. microchip - make an appointment to bring your dog in for this procedure. A microchip will be placed between the shoulder blades of the dog. This area is chosen to minimize the risk of the chip migrating. The chip is implanted in the muscle to further minimize the risk of migration. The doctor can perform this procedure in just a few minutes with no more discomfort than a routine injection. We have the forms on hand for you to send to the county treasurer's office. 2. Tattooing is the other option. A trip to your county's treasurer's office is the first step. Indicate at that office that you wish to lifetime license your dog with a lifetime tattoo. They will issue a number for you to bring to our office for tattooing. You will need an appointment for this procedure. This is typically done under anesthesia, however, in certain cases, we can try to tattoo without anesthesia.
Both methods are registered through a registering body that covers the entire United States. Both the microchip and tattoo are permanent indicators of ownership of the dog. Should your dog be lost or stolen, either method is a good way to identify your pet.
Dentistry -
- There are four stages of periodontal disease
Stage 1 - inflamed or swollen gum line plaque on teeth
Stage 2 - inflamed or swollen gum line accompanied by pain, odor and/or tarter
Stage 3 - red, bleeding gums destruction of gum line by infection & excessive tarter, Pain affects eating & behavior, Odor
Stage 4 - bacterial infection destroying gum, teeth, bone, Bacteria can spread through body damaging kidneys, liver, heart
- Signs
- bad breath
- yellow/brown crust on teeth
- red, swollen gums
- pain and/or bleeding when eating or being touched
- decreased appetite/difficulty eating
- loose or missing teeth
- dribbling saliva
- pawing at mouth
- Preventatives
- regular check-ups
- Regular brushing with: Oxyfresh Pet Gel or other non-sugar based toothpaste
- Oxyfresh Oral Hygiene Solution
- hard food
- Dentatreat (a powder to sprinkle on the food)
- chew toys
- dental cleanings
- Oravet dental sealant
Drop-Offs -
We accept a limited number of drop-offs for those who cannot be accommodated during regular office hours. These animals will be seen as time permits throughout the day. Call ahead, but plan to drop off as early as possible and pick-up near the end of our day.
Senior Wellness Program -
This program was designed for our patients over the age of six.
It consists of:
-history
- examination by the doctor
- CBC
- blood chemistry
- either a thyroid or urinalysis at the discretion of the doctor
- An ECG can also be added to round out the program
-other age related tests may be offered if appropriate
Kitten Wellness program -
Pets play a very important role in the family by bringing unconditional love. It is a lifetime responsibility that you have committed to. The first major step is to insure your kitten's health. We are joining with you to educate, support and provide those elements that will help your kitten to lead a long, healthy life. The program consists of:
- 3 wellness exams approximately 1 month apart
- 3 distemper vaccines approximately 1 month apart
- 3 applications of flea and/or tick control approximately 1 month apart
- 1 rabies vaccine
- 3 de-wormings approximately 1 month apart
- 3 nail trims with explanation on how to trim your kitten's nails
- 1 fecal test
- 1 Felv/FIV test
- demonstration of ear care
- 1 each of the following: Oxyfresh ear cleaner, Oxyfresh shampoo, Oxyfresh pet gel, Oxyfresh oral hygiene solution
- discount on products and services for the first year of the kitten's life
- answer all questions
This program was designed to get your new kitten off to a good start with a good savings for you.
Puppy Wellness program -
Pets play a very important role in the family. It is a lifetime responsibility that you have committed to. The first major step is to insure your puppy's health. We are joining with you to educate, support and provide those elements that will help your puppy lead a long, healthy life. The program consists of:
- 3 wellness exams approximately 1 month apart
- 3 distemper vaccines approximately 1 month apart
- 3 applications of flea and/or tick control approximately 1 month apart
- 1 rabies vaccine
- 3 dewormings approximately 1 month apart
- 3 nail trims with explanation on how to trim your puppy's nails
- 3 doses of heartworm preventative approximately 1 month apart
- 2 lyme vaccines approximately 1 month apart
- 1 fecal test
- demonstration of ear care
- 1 each of the following: Oxyfresh ear cleaner, Oxyfresh shampoo, Oxyfresh pet gel, Oxyfresh oral hygiene solution
- discount on products and services for the first year of the puppy's life
- answer all questions
This program was designed to get your puppy off to a good start with a good savings for you.
Laboratory -
The laboratory is invaluable to the veterinarian. Various diseases are detected through simple blood tests, anesthesia screenings can be carried out, and many zoonotic diseases can be detected. The following are a few of the more common functions of our laboratory facilities:
- Heartworm/Lyme/Ehrlicia - one blood test for all 3 infections. Results within 10 min.
Heartworm - spread by an infected mosquito. The adult worm lives in the heart or blood vessels of the lungs causing severe damage if not treated.
Lyme& ehrlicia - spread by an infected tick. Symptoms vary including fever & joint problems. Permanent damage to the nervous system or death can occur if left untreated.
- FeLV/FIV - a simple blood test for cats. Results within 10 minutes.
FeLV - an immunosuppressive disease which may lead to bone marrow suppression and cancer.
FIV - an immunosuppressive disease, commonly referred to as "feline AIDS"
- parvovirus - a stool sample is required. Results are found within 10 minutes. Very infectious and potentially deadly to dogs.
-giardia - a stool sample is required. Results within 24 hours.
- fecal flotation test - a stool sample is needed to detect intestinal parasites. Results in 15 minutes.
- urinalysis - used to detect urinary tract infection or crystals - both of which can cause house soiling
- medication monitoring - Most drugs that are given regularly need to be monitored through blood work.
- arthritis medications require a blood test before administration of the drug, 14 days after start and every 6 months to detect any liver or kidney changes
- heart medications require a CBC, liver & kidney function tests & electrolyte levels before administration of the drug, 30 days after start, regular blood tests every 6 months.
- seizure medications require a blood test before administration, every 2 weeks until normal blood levels are achieved, and blood work every 6 mos. thereafter.
- thyroid disease medications require a level check before administration, CBC, chemistry & thyroid tests every **6 weeks until normal levels are achieved and every 6 mos. thereafter to ensure safe and proper dosing.
- urethral incontinence medications require blood tests before long-term use, 30 days after administration and every 6 mos. to ensure safe usage.
- allergy medications require liver & kidney tests before long term usage, 30 days after start and every 6 mos. to find any abnormalities.
- pre-anesthetic & diagnostic blood testing - We strongly recommend testing if your pet is to undergo surgery. Anesthesia is safe for healthy pets. Complications can occur both during and after surgery if the pet is not healthy (tests are necessary to determine the health of your pet).
*other common blood tests that can be sent to an outside lab include:
- toxoplasmosis - An infection caused by a parasite that can be transmitted through contact with contaminated soil, uncooked meat or the stool of infected animals.
- bartonella - transmitted by fleas and ticks. Symptoms vary including: inflammation of the eyes, gums or oral cavity, enlarged lymph nodes, fever, kidney disease, URI, some neurological signs. Most infected cats are symptom free and go undetected.
- brucella - sexually transmitted disease. Test recommended for all breeding dogs prior to breeding.
- fungal testing - sample from affected area. Results take a few weeks to grow or the blood can be tested for anti-bodies, results in approximately one week.
- Cultures - sample from affected area. Results take approximately 72 hours.
- Biopsy - surgical sample of affected area. Results take approximately one week.
Pharmacy -
- Well stocked pharmacy
Our pharmacy is well stocked for the convenience of our clients..
- call prescriptions in to a pharmacy of your choice
If you prefer, we can call most prescriptions in to a pharmacy of your choice.
- flavor/sweeten most medications
For the finicky patient, we can add a flavor to a liquid form.
- special orders
Special orders can be placed for compounded medications in a chewable form. These take up to 10 days to reach us, so please allow extra time for receipt of these prescriptions.
Radiology -
- X-rays are a diagnostic tool used to measure density.
- gives an overall view of the placement of internal parts without surgery
- delivers valuable information inexpensively
- allows the veterinarian to "see" broken bones, misplaced or enlarged organs, obstructions and puppies/kittens
- contrast can allow us to see how well an organ is working
Surgery -
- Pre Surgery
up-to-date vaccines required 2 weeks before non-emergency surgery
recent exam required
- do not feed after 9 pm the evening before surgery; remove water by 8am the morning of surgery
- drop off times:
4 - 7 pm the evening prior to surgery or 8:15 - 8:45 the morning of surgery
- Performed every Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
- blood work required on all pets over 6 years of age; minimal blood work included in some routine surgery, available for all others
- general anesthesia
- heat pad used to help keep pets warm
- iv fluids given during most procedures
- pain relief included for spays and declaw procedures. Available for all other procedures. Ask about other pain relief options.
Post surgery-
- over night stays post surgery are strongly recommended and usually required
- Complications to immediately notify the office about:
-- loss of appetite for more than 2 days
-- refusal to drink water for more than a day
--severe depression or weakness
--vomiting after the first 24 hrs.
--diarrhea
--severe pain
--incision drainage, swelling or redness
- Diet - dependant upon surgery
- Restrict exercise for a week or longer dependent on type of surgery
- Recheck usually in 10-14 days (dependent on type of surgery)
Wellness exams -
Pets need periodic exams and subsequent consultation with a veterinarian to maintain optimal health. This will allow us to identify potential problems and address them accordingly. For pets under 7, this generally requires one visit per year. For those over 6, this is generally twice each year.
During a wellness visit a history will be taken to identify any owner concerns, a doctor will physically exam the pet and additional diagnostic testing will be performed as needed. This may include tonometry, lab work, ecg, etc.
Wildlife -
Every wild animal brought to us will be examined by a doctor. It is the doctor's job, at that point, to determine whether or not the animal can eventually be released back to the wild and whether or not the animal is a rabies suspect.
The doctor will use those diagnostic tools at his/her disposal to make the determination of future health. X-rays, surgery and medications are all potential tools. Most animals can be helped with proper veterinary care if we receive the animal in a timely manner. Once an animal is well, we turn them over to Red Creek Wildlife, a licensed rehabilitator. They put the finishing touches on the animal and release them back to the wild. Any animal that is beyond our help or is considered a rabies suspect, will be humanely euthanized.
It is illegal for a veterinarian to harbor any wild animal that does not need medical attention. It is also illegal for people to harbor wild animals because of the threat of disease transmission. Please bring the animal in as soon as possible so that they may be treated appropriately and released in a timely manner.
Although we do not charge for the services on wildlife, we do accept donations. It is through your generosity that we can continue to treat wildlife.
