Services
Comprehensive Health Exams - The gradual onset of health problems in an apparently healthy pet often goes unnoticed. Once symptoms appear, the condition may be more difficult or costly to diagnose and treat. Although age itself is not a disease, it can bring many conditions that if diagnosed early can be completely reversed or controlled for extended periods of time.
Your pet needs a complete physical examination at least once a year, preferably twice. Remember, a pet's lifespan is shorter than a person's. A lot can happen in six months.
Immunizations - Due to the many recent discoveries and innovations in veterinary medicine, your pet can be protected from most major diseases. Today, many immunizations and preventive treatments are available that did not exist just a few years ago. The staff at Apple Tree Cove Animal Hospital can help you decide what preventive measures are necessary for your pet(s).
Soft Tissue Surgery - Our doctors perform most surgical procedures from spays and neuters to complicated intra-abdominal procedures. We take pride in our equipment and our modern patient monitoring systems.
Prior to surgery, each patient receives a thorough physical examination to identify any existing medical conditions that might endanger your pet's health. Because not all problems can be detected on examination, we also recommend pre-anesthetic blood and urine testing. These tests not only give us a more complete picture of your pet's health but also allow us to create an anesthetic protocol tailored specifically for your pet.
Pain management is a part of our pre-operative, intra-operative and post-operative anesthetic and medical protocol. All surgical patients including those undergoing routine procedures receive pain control medications.
Orthopedic Surgery - Apple Tree Cove Animal Hospital is fully equipped to perform most common orthopedic procedures including fracture repairs, joint surgery, bone biopsies, etc. We also can offer in-hospital referral with a board-certified veterinary surgeon to perform complicated orthopedic surgeries such as TPLO surgery to correct damaged cruciate ligaments, eliminating the need to send our patients over to Seattle for these procedures.
As with our soft tissue surgeries, pain management is an integral part of the pre, intra and post-operative periods. Most orthopedic patients walk out of our hospital 1 - 2 days after surgery.
Radiology - Our modern X-ray equipment provides excellent diagnostic quality radiographic films. In addition, we perform many specialty procedures, including GI series and urinary bladder contrast studies. These special procedurres are necessary for identifying difficult or chronic problems.
Oncology (cancer treatment) - The word 'cancer' strikes fear in all of us; however, with new advances in veterinary medicine, many pets are living longer with a greatly improved quality of life.
Successful cancer treatment often lies in early detection. Early detection can be difficult at times as cancer may not only present itself as a lump on the skin, but may arise inside the body. If this occurs, a veterinary examination can often reveal the tumor. If left undiagnosed, the disease may not be noticed until clinical symptoms develop.
Treatment depends on the type and location of the cancer. If possible, surgical removal of the tumor is recommended. Some types of cancer are responsive to chemotherapy, which include a variety of oral and injectable drugs. Dogs and cats tend to tolerate chemotherapy well and do not often develop side effects similar to humans.
Dentistry - You are a responsible pet owner. You take good care of your pet. But do you always remember to take care of your pet's teeth?
Pets have dental diseases and problems just like you do. Many of these problems can be avoided by bringing your pet to your veterinarian for regular dental check-ups and dental cleanings.
Dental disease can be avoided.
Ultrasound - Ultrasound is a non-invasive imaging procedure that complements X-rays and allows our clinicians to better visualize internal organs in the chest and abdomen. This painless diagnostic technique is normally done without sedation of your pet. Ultrasound is invaluable for making treatment decisions for various types of heart disease. It also allows us to biopsy organs such as the liver, kidney and spleen through a tiny "keyhole" incision. Using the ultrasound image as a guide, major surgery is avoided and your pet can often go home the same day.
Telemedicine - Time can make the difference for certain cases requiring ECG, radiography, ultrasound or internal medicine consultation. Our telemedicine service offers easy access to veterinary specialists (cardiologists, radiologists, internists) who provide timely consultations on ECGs, radiographs or ultrasound images.
Apple Tree Cove Animal Hospital offers a variety of veterinary telemedicine service levels, from screens that are reported back in 60 minutes to routines that are delivered in 24 hours. If your pet is critically injured or sick, our veterinarians are immediately on the phone with specialists.
In-House Laboratory - Apple Tree Cove Hospital is equipped with sophisticated instruments that allow us to measure more than 60 laboratory values.
The most common laboratory test is a blood chemistry panel. These tests are crucial for evaluating the function of the liver, kidneys, immune system, hematopoietic (red and white blood cells) system, some hormonal systems, as well as electrolyte balance. Routine blood tests can detect serious problems at an early stage.
As a compliment to our regular laboratory services, our in-house diagnostic capabilities allow us to get results pre-surgically, or in an emergency, within minutes.
Video Otoscopy - Ear disease is a common problem in our pets. Until now, diagnosing and treating most ear diseases have been difficult and the results have been mediocre at best. Apple Tree Cove Animal Hospital utilizes a computerized video otoscope in order to perform ear exams, diagnose diseases and treat external and middle ear problems.
Middle ear surgery, as well as external ear canal cleaning, are performed more accurately with the help of the video otoscope.
Video Rhinoscope - Rhinoscopy is the exploration of the nasal passages and the back of the throat with a very small rigid endoscope. The scope used for this procedure is 1-2mm in diameter and 18 inches long. Using this instrument allows the veterinarian to explore the entire nasal passage of all dogs and most cats.
The nasal cavity contains multiple small passages which are often beds to infection and tumors. Through rhinoscopy, the veterinarian can take accurate biopsies, remove foreign objects, control bleeding from ruptured vessels, and perform many diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
Spay & Neuter - Each day 10,000 humans are born in the U.S. and each day 70,000 puppies and kittens are born. As long as these birth rates exist, there are not enough homes for all the animals. As a result, every year 4 to 6 million animals are euthanized because there are no homes for them.
Spay and neuter your pet! In addition to saving lives, spaying and neutering can also drastically improve your pet's health and life expectancy. The idea that pets become fat or lazy when they are spayed or neutered is a myth. Sterilized pets lead healthier, longer lives. Spaying a female eliminates the possibility of uterine and ovarian cancer and greatly reduces the risk of breast cancer. Neutering a male reduces the risk of prostate disease and testicular cancer. Neutering also makes your pet more affectionate and less likely to roam, get in fights, or become lost.
Behavioral Counseling - At Apple Tree Cove Animal Hospital we recognize that the best pet is usually a well-behaved one, so we do try to counsel clients on behavior modification, sometimes using outside consultants to aid us in this effort. We sometimes prescribe medication to help us control unacceptable behaviors in our client's pets.
Pet Microchipping - A microchip is a tiny electronic device, about the size and shape of a grain of rice. It is implanted beneath a pet's skin between the shoulder blades, and stays there for the pet's entire life. This procedure is as easy and as painless as a vaccination.
Each microchip has a unique number. This number, along with information about the owner and pet, are added to a national pet registry. Most veterinarians and animal shelters have electronic scanners for detecting and reading these implanted microchips. If a lost pet is found, and the microchip is scanned, the registry is called and the owner is contacted.
We use the HomeAgain microchip system. For Complete Information on the HomeAgain Microchip System, Please Click Here.
